Insanity's Slip
Chapter Four
By Boejangles
Naruto stood next to the wooden training post fidgeting with the ends of his sleeves. Sasuke was sitting leaning against the post. They had arrived at seven and waited an hour before Sakura showed up right before eight. She was now leaning against the other training post occasionally trying to make conversation.
The blonde's mind was bouncing all over the place. From going over what happened this morning, to the test coming up, to how Kakashi had been the ANBU he tried to tell all those years ago. He glanced down at Sasuke and then let go of his sleeve deciding to sit down.
"So, it's amazing you both got on the same team, I mean being related and all." Sakura tried again at starting conversation.
"I was expecting it." Sasuke answered before the blonde said anything. The younger boy just stared at the grass in front of him deciding he didn't need to participate in the conversation.
"Oh really? I think we will make a great team. I mean you two already work perfectly together." Sakura chimed in again.
"Hn." Was the reply after the raven-haired boy decided he had said enough.
The silence carried on for a while before the pink haired girl couldn't take it. "Hey Naruto I like your new look."
"Thank you, Sasuke said it was better suited for a ninja." Naruto said looking over his outfit and began playing with the ends of the black shirt again, "You look nice too."
"Thank you." She leaned her head against the training post and took in the silence. It was another hour before there was much of any noise. It came in a popping noise and a puff of smoke.
"Yo." Kakashi smiled and gave a small wave.
"You're late, very late." Sakura said already annoyed at their teacher.
"Ah, I am sorry I was on my way here when a troll said I had to pay a toll to cross the bridge and I had left my wallet at home." This excuse was not believed. "Any how, lets get on with the test." He lifted up two bells that jingled slightly in the wind. "To pass, you must get one of these bells."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, only two passing. Then it could be just him and his brother with more serious training then if the girl weighed them down.
Naruto however was having very different thoughts, 'don't get the bell. Just don't get the bell and they will pass and I wont. Makes sense and sounds easy enough.'
"But sensei, there's only two bells and three of us." Sakura said clearly not understand the dog eat dog of it all.
"Exactly Sakura, Which means that one of you will definitely fail and go back to the academy." He moved a timer and set it on the stump like training post. "You have three hours to get a bell, ready, go." With that all three ran off with different thoughts in their head.
'Okay, this is easy, just make an attempt but make sure to fail. At least if I try Sasuke can't get made. All right you can do this. Just get out there and put on a show.' Naruto took in a deep breath and got ready to run out of the bushes when a hand grabbed his shoulder. With the motion he was in along with being startled made him whirl around half way before landing on his backside.
"Sorry, get up." Sasuke crouched down next to the blonde and waited for him to sit up.
"What are you doing?" The younger boy asked with confusion in his blue eyes.
"You are going to be a distraction while I make an attack. So get out there and count to twenty and then get away."
"Uh, okay." Naruto said before getting upright and running out of the bushes towards Kakashi. 'Now what am I supposed to do? Grr.'
Kakashi turned when he heard a branch snap and brought up his arm to block the oncoming kick. He raised an eyebrow when he saw it was Naruto. He didn't expect him to make the first attack after he said he didn't like violence.
'One.' The blonde spun around to deliver another kick but was blocked again and thrown off. 'Two' Naruto got up off the ground and ran towards the gray haired man again. He threw two punches quick one towards the face that was blocked and one to the stomach that was caught.
Kakashi held onto the blonde's wrist, "Lesson one, taijutsu." He stopped when he noticed Naruto had clenched his teeth in what seemed to be pain from just the hold on his wrist. 'I'm not holding that hard, hmm, he must have injured it earlier.'
Naruto took his sensei's momentary distraction and brought his other hand in a fist punching the older man's forearm and successfully freeing his other hand. 'Eleven' He pulled his hand close to him, 'Damn it the burn still hurts; I need to watch that'
Kakashi pulled his arm back after having it hit and watched for the younger boy's movement. He moved to the side when a kick came aimed for his head. He moved quickly coming behind the blonde.
Naruto drew back his leg and spun around to face his sensei that was crouched down. 'Sixteen' He jumped back to dodge a strange attack that had been in motion when he turned around.
Kakashi found the blonde's refluxes impressive as his thousand years of death missed. He jumped up and jumped back to prepare for an attack.
'Nineteen.' Naruto got ready run back into the trees when he had to block a kick from the gray haired man. 'Twenty.' He jumped back before being pushed down by Kakashi. The force of the push sent him rolling. He stopped when he collided with a tree. When he opened his eyes he saw the last traces of the grand fireball technique. 'I…I could have been incinerated.' He then noticed that Kakashi had used a replacement and was nowhere to be seen.
Sasuke cursed when he realized that he missed and Kakashi had gotten away. He looked around trying to find the gray haired ninja.
Kakashi looked down from his branch in the try. 'What was Sasuke thinking? Maybe he didn't see Naruto.' He looked and noticed Naruto still seemed to be in shock and Sasuke appeared to be looking for him. He moved away to find Sakura.
Naruto took in a breath and stood up before walking over to Sasuke. "You need to be more careful you almost hit me."
"Well I did tell you to get out of the way." The dark haired boy retorted.
"But still you didn't give me enough time."
"Are you saying this is my fault?"
Naruto noticed something flash through his brothers eyes, "N…no Aniki not at all. It was my fault I wasn't fast enough."
"I thought so." Sasuke turned around and started walking, "Come on we have to find him again."
Sakura made her way through the bushes looking for anyone; she didn't know how she got herself so far from the group. She whirled around when she heard a snap. Kakashi was in the clearing to her left. It appeared he was coming towards her till Sasuke initiated combat.
She watched as her teammate and sensei sent hit after hit to each other. Her eye caught a black streak in the trees above before realizing it was Naruto. The blonde threw a series of shuriken at the gray haired ninja who dodged most of them and blocked the rest. The youngest boy then jumped down and joined the tussle against the oldest male.
Sakura watched as Kakashi turned to face both of them. She ran out from where she was to push Naruto down and tackle Sasuke out of the way as ten shuriken multiplied into a hundred.
Kakashi smirked to himself he was finally able to draw Sakura out of her hiding spot by using a simple illusion.
Sasuke grunted as the pink haired girl landed on top of him. He then noticed the shuriken above them and then watched as they disappeared. "Can you get off me now?"
Sakura blushed slightly before rolling to the side and getting up. She extended her hand to help him up too. As she did the timer went off.
Naruto smiled, but only to himself. He was still on the ground from where he was pushed, but had sat up. They had failed he had managed to fail.
"Well I think its clear the outcome of this test." Kakashi said looking at all them for a reaction. He watched as Sasuke got angry, Sakura looked sad, and Naruto looked blank. "You all…pass."
Naruto's eyes went wide, "Wh…What?"
"But sensei we didn't get the bells." Sakura added.
"Yes, but that wasn't the point of the test. The test was teamwork; which you all demonstrated by working together. So, you pass." Kakashi smiled at the three new genin.
Naruto stared at the ground before taking a breath and smiling, "You here that? We pass!" Sakura smiled too and Sasuke just smirked as if he had known the point of the test all along. "Hey Aniki, can we go get ramen?"
"Why don't we all go? My treat." Sakura suggested.
"Please?" Naruto added.
"Oh fine, lets go." Sasuke said giving in.
"You three go, but I have to go give my report." Kakashi said before puffing into smoke.
The three newly appointed genin made there way to the ramen stand.
Sasuke pushed his now empty bowl away from him as he stood up, "I am going to head home otouto. Be back before curfew. Thank you Sakura."
"Yes Aniki." Naruto said before going back to his second bowl.
"No problem Sasuke, maybe we could do it again some time." The pink haired girl said with a smile part of her wishing that this could be considered a date, but knowing it couldn't because Naruto.
"Maybe. Remember, home before curfew." Sasuke responded before turning and walking away.
"I will." The blonde answered.
Sakura turned and watched as Naruto ate another bowl, "How much do you eat?" she joked.
"Sorry, I can help pay." The younger boy offered.
"Naw, its fine. So, what's your curfew?"
"I just have to be home before the street lights come on. Its not a big deal."
"Oh, that makes sense. So do you have any plans for today?"
"No, not really." Naruto said looking up. He pushed the bowl away when he was done.
"Well I'm supposed to meet up with Ino and her team later, want to come along?" Sakura offered.
"No, I'll be fine. But thanks." He said before standing up.
"Okay, see you later then."
"Bye." Naruto turned and walked down the street. He was going to hang out on top the Hokage monument before heading back home.