Previously on Naruto…
"Team Seven. Naruto Uzumaki, Peri Senju, and Sasuke Uchiha"
"And Sakura Haruno will be placed on this team until further notice. Now the next group." Iruka said before continuing listing the squads.
…
"This is what he gets for being late!" Naruto smirked
…
"Well, how do I say this? My first impression….you're a bunch of idiots." the man said bored.
The group made their way up to the academy roof. Naruto was sitting on Peri's left while Sakura was sitting on her right, the closest to Sasuke. And Kakashi was in front of them leaning against the rail. "Alright, why don't you all introduce yourselves one at a time." the silver-haired man said bored.
"What should we say? Why don't you go first so we can know what to do." Naruto suggests.
"Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate...I don't feel like telling you that. I don't feel like telling you my dreams for the future and well...I have lots of hobbies." the man said.
"That was stupid he only told us his name," Peri whispered. Naruto nodded in agreement.
"Okay you on the right, you go first." Kakashi said.
"Believe it, I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen in a cup and I love Ichiraku Ramen. But I hate the three minute wait. My hobby is comparing different kinds of ramen and my dream is to become the greatest hokage! That way all of the villagers will start treating me like somebody important!" he cheered
(He's grown up in a very interesting way.) Kakashi noted, "Next."
"I'm Sakura Haruno. What I like-I mean the person I like is….uh my hobby is….and my dream for the future…KYA~!" she squealed looking at a certain Uchiha.
"I'm gonna puke." Peri groaned, rolling her eyes.
"SHUT UP!" Sakura snapped before batting her eyes at Sasuke who ignored her.
(Girls like her are more interested in boys than being a ninja.) Kakashi sighed, annoyed.
"Next."
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things and I don't particularly like anything. What I have is not a dream because I WILL make it a reality. I'm gonna restore my clan and destroy a certain someone." Sasuke said darkly.
A tense silence was laid in the group.
(Geez I hope he's not talking about me.) Naruto whimpered.
(Sasuke is so...HOT!) Sakura cooed.
(Sasuke…) Peri frowned.
(It's just what I thought.) Kakashi thought. He's had his work cut out for him, but maybe he could help him more. "Alright, you're up next Princess." he said to the last member.
"Um..no need for the "princess" title sensei. Anyway, I'm Peri Senju. I like fruit and ramen especially at Ichiraku's, and I also like art . I don't like bullies. My hobbies are drawing and painting. I like to take walks. My dream is for people to acknowledge me for who I am." Peri smiled with determination.
(I had a feeling she'll say that. Driven to escape the shadow she's under and the expectations of the village.) Kakashi said to himself.
"Alright then, you're all different in your own special way." he said, crossing his arms.
"So what's gonna be our first mission, sensei?" Naruto asked
"It's gonna be a task that we're gonna do together." Kakashi began.
"So what will it be?" Peri asked (Maybe we'll fight a pirate or protect royalty!)
"...A survival test." the jounin finally said.
Talk about a total let down.
"But why? We already did that several times at the academy. That's how we graduated." Sakura said however, Kakashi just laughed at her.
"Hey what she said was true, what's so funny?" Peri asked, confused.
"Out of the twenty-seven students that graduated only nine will be accepted as genin. So to put it basically, this is a make it or break it a pass-fail test." Kakashi explained.
All four genin looked like they got punched in the face. "S-So what was the graduation exam for!" Naruto asked.
"Oh, that was just to select the candidates. I'm the one who decides if you become a ninja or not. Now be at the third designated training ground at five in the morning and bring your ninja gear." Kakashi said standing up.
(No way I'm going back. I worked too hard to get here!) Peri gulped
(I will become hokage, I'm gonna pass no matter what!) Naruto trembled
(If I fail I won't be with Sasuke, this is a trail of love! CHA!) Sakura thought
(Failure is not an option. I need to become stronger so I can face him.) Sasuke gritted his teeth.
"Oh, one more thing…don't eat breakfast or else you'll puke." Kakashi smiled.
-Training Ground Seven-
(Oh no, oh no, oh OH NO! I can't believe I overslept on the one day I can't over afford too! I'm never gonna become a ninja now! STUPID ALARM CLOCK!) Peri wailed, urging her legs to go faster until she finally made it as she collapsed to the ground face first.
"I thought you bought a new alarm clock?" Sasuke asked
"It broke. Is Kakashi sensei here?" she mumbled, still face down.
"We're still waiting for him."
"Then let me sleep."
-Two hours later-
"Good morning everyone. Sorry, I'm late a black cat crossed my path so I had to go around." Kakashi said, watching the Senju rubbing the sleep from her eyes while Naruto and Sakura yelled at him.
Then he walked over and set a timer on top of a small wooden pillar. "The test is very simple. You have to take these two bells from me, that's all." Kakashi explained holding up two small bells.
"You have until noon to get a bell. If you fail then you'll be tied up and watch me eat my lunch in front of you."
"So that's why you told us not to eat." Sasuke groaned. His stomach was so loud he could hear. So we're Naruto's and Sakura's.
"Wait, we weren't supposed to eat?" Peri asked loudly. (Is it bad that I had pancakes this morning?)
"Stop being loud, and he said that yesterday, loser." Sasuke said
Peri stuck his tongue out at him.
"Hold on a minute. Why are there only two bells and there's four of us?" Sakura asked
"Because only two of you will pass and the other two will be tied up and set back to the Academy. You're free to use all of your ninja gear if you're not prepared to kill me you won't pass." Kakashi finished their explanation and placed the bells on his hip.
"This will be easy! Especially since you couldn't dodge an eraser!" Naruto laughed
"Class clowns are usually the weakest link. Losers. They can safely be ignored." the jounin taunted.
That really got under the blonde boy's skin. Quickly, Naruto charged at the silver-haired man with a kunai, but he disappeared right before their very eyes and reappeared behind him restraining him.
(I couldn't even see him move!) Peri gasped
(So he is a jounin.) Sasuke thought.
"Don't be so impatient. I didn't say start yet, but you did come with the intent to kill. I'm starting to like you guys." Kakashi said, slightly impressed. The four genins took a couple of steps back.
(Time to get serious.) Peri thought.
"Get ready….Start!" he ordered and the four dove for cover.
-Hokage's Office-
At the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was sipping his coffee looking over some paperwork. Much to his dismay. "I hope Kakashi doesn't go too hard on them." he said softly looking out his window.
-Training Ground Seven-
"Shinobi rule number one is to never let your presence be seen!" Kakashi said.
Sasuke and Peri were hiding in the trees while Sakura were hiding in the bushes.
(Well, at least they understand that much.) the gray-haired man thought.
Well…almost everyone understands that..
"You and me, fair and square! Let's go!" Naruto declared.
"You know compared to the other you're….a bit weird." the jounin sweatdropped
"The only thing weird is your hairstyle!" the blonde boy said, launching into his attack.
Despite his best efforts Kakashi was dodging all of his attacks again and again with ease. "Shinobi basic one: Taijutsu." he said reaching for his weapon pouch,
(Taijutsu is hand-to-hand combat, so why is he reaching for a weapon? ) he said to himself bracing himself.
Only for him to pull out a book.
"W-Why are you reading a book?" he asked confused
"To see what happens in the story of course. But don't worry, with your weak attack it doesn't matter if I'm read or…whatever." Kakashi waved his student off
"I'M GONNA CRUSH YOU!" Naruto yelled, throwing a punch before trying to sweep Kakashi's legs to trip him.
"That's a tiger seal for fire style. Move Naruto!" Peri yelled
"Leaf Secret Hidden Jutsu….A THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!"
It wasn't a jutsu.
He just poked him in the butt and Naruto fell into the river.
Peri was sitting on top of a tree watching her teammate fight their sensei. Only to be tricked by Kakashi's substitution jutsu.
"This isn't going to work. Fighting him head on is out of the question, How are we going to get those bells? We can't do this by ourselves so what are we supposed to do?"she asked herself.
"Hey, he dropped a bell….AHHH! HELP!" Naruto yelled as he swung from the tree by his ankles.
Kakashi shook his head with a sigh, bending down to pick up the bell. "Think before you use a jutsu or else your opponent will use it against you. By the way, if the bait is obvious don't take it." he smiled.
Naruto scowled in frustration.
"A ninja must see through deception." Kakashi advised.
"I. GET. IT!" the tied up blonde growled, trying to break free.
"I'm saying this because you think like you get which is completely different from actually gettin it, get?" Kakashi questioned.
(Now's my chance! He's finally dropped his guard)
"ARG!" Kakashi cried out in pain
"He just got blasted with shuriken! Sasuke, you went way too far!" Naruto yelled
But it was only revealed to be a piece of wood.
(Substitution jutsu again, and I fell for he knows where I am, gotta move fast!) Sasuke moved through the trees as fast as he could.
Sakura saw her crush from the corner of her eye and quickly raced after him. (Sasuke where did you go? Don't tell him Kakashi sensei found you, not I won't let him!) she thought about trying to run faster.
She saw her sensei a few yards away from her "Good I'm safe."
"Behind you."
"EEEEYYYYAAAHHH!"
…
Meanwhile Naruto was trying his best to break free only to get caught again. "Seriously not again!" he complained.
"Need a hand?" Peri asked, looking at him from the ground.
"A little help please?" he asked
The Senju leaped onto the tree branch with ease and faster than a cat. "Kakashi sensei is alot stronger than use, it's gonna be harder to get those bells."she began untying the boy.
"Yeah, but there's gotta be some way to beat this guy." the Uzumaki agreed, landing on his feet.
"Listen we should team up, we may have a better chance to win." Peri said
"Sorry, but I gotta do this on my own to be Hokage!" he yelled running off into the distance.
"Well, I guess I could ask the others." Peri sighed
"EEEEYYYYAAAHHH!" a scream tore through the area.
She followed the scream to find her pink-haired teammate unconscious. She still had a pulse so the girl was only under a genjutsu.
(And the teachers at the Academy say she's the best kunoichi? Obviously not, she couldn't even break the genjutsu.) the Senju sweatdropped, releasing the pink-haired girl from the genjutsu.
"Sasuke! I gotta find him!" Sakura yelled looking around for her crush.
"Relax Sakura, you were just under a genjutsu. Let's team up. That way we might have a chance. "
"No way, why would I team up with you? Get out of my way, I gotta help Sasuke!" she retorted running the opposite way
"YOU'RE SUCH AN ANNOYING BRAT!" Peri yelled.
…
"Are you going to try fighting me, you're teammates didn't stand a chance." Kakashi asked
"I'm not like any of them." Sasuke said
"We'll see about that." the jounin grinned
The Uchiha made the first move launching a swarm of kunai at the jounin who dodged; however five other kunai were released from a spring trigger from his backside.
(What a trap!) Kakashi thought with his own kunai and deflected the kunai.
With him distracted the Uchiha slid under him, swiping at his feet before faking a punch to the face, and almost grabbed one of the only missed by a hair as Kakashi pushed him away.
(This kid is fierce. I won't be able to read my book. He's definitely different from the others. Looks like I won't be able to finish my book.) Kakashi said to himself, impressed by the boy.
Sasuke took a step back and made some fast hand signs. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" he yelled.
"What?! That takes too much chakra, there's no way you can pull it off!" Kakashi said, startled.
(Watch me.) the Uchiha gloated, taking a deep breath and releasing a giant fireball from his mouth.
The fireball hit its marks as it evaporates into the air, but the silver-haired man wasn't there.
"Where did he go?" he asked looking around then he felt a hand grab his ankle.
"Where am I? Where you least expected." he said, pulling him down to the ground as the jounin jumped from his hiding spot. While Sasuke was stuck in the ground with only his head visible, he was completely a sitting duck.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"
He let out a yell of shock as Kakashi dragged him underground head deep.
"Right under your feet You are talented, but that doesn't mean that's good." Kakashi said, walking away going back to his book. That's when Sakura appeared
"SASUKE'S JUST WITHOUT A HEAD AND HE'S TALKING!" she screamed and fainted.
"Seriously?" he groaned.
Peri came from the tree and squatted down next to him. "Need some help?" she smirked, making a hand sign. He felt something shift underneath and next thing he knows he was free from the ground.
(What jutsu was that? I didn't see anything happen.)
As he began to walk away she grabbed his hand and he turned around confused. "Listen Sasuke, how about we work together to get the bells?" she suggested
"Peri, listen, this isn't the type of exercise where we work together. You can do this on your own. Get a bell and you're the only one I trust who won't slow me down" the raven-haired boy said.
"Sasuke stop for a second you can't beat him on your own we have to-and he's gone.
UGH! This team is impossible! What am I supposed to do now?" Peri groaned
"Good question, Princess. What are you going to do?" Kakashi repeated her question while reading his book from behind the tree.
"Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura won't help me…" Peri said throwing a kunai at him,
"So what will you do now? He asked, throwing a kunai at her.
Peri slid underneath his legs and tried to kick him. The two of them began an intense taijustu match against each other. But it was clear that Kakashi had the upper hand, but he was on his toes since she kept on dodging. Not either one was giving up.
"Take this!" Peri yelled, throwing her shuriken aiming at Kakashi who skillfully dodged most of them.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!" Kakashi said
(Peri's very acrobatic, very fast and agile.) Kakashi noted as the Senju leaped in the air.
(Now's my chance!) Peri punched him. But instead of her sensei she punched the tree leaving a dent in the bark.
"Well, I'll give you one thing at least you managed to figure out the purpose of this test." Kakashi began
"Purpose? What do you mean?" she asked
BBBRRIINGG!
"But time's up," Kakashi finished.
….
It wasn't good for any of them.
None of them managed to get the bell and Naruto was tied against the poll. And to make things worse they were all hungry. "Hungry? Wel, that's okay since I decided not to send any of you back to the Academy. Because I decided that all of you will be dropped from the program." he concluded.
Naruto's, Peri's Sasuke's, and Sakura's jaws dropped.
"Drop us from the program?! That means we can never become ninjas? You say if we didn't get a bell you would send one of us back. You can't just change your mind like that, why would you do that?!" Naruto demanded kicking through his restraints.
"Because none of you think like shinobi. You're nothing but , let me rephrase that only three will be dropped. And that's you Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura." Kakashi glared.
Sasuke clenched his jaw and ran at him to attack, but he was pinned down by the jounin.
"LET GO OF SASUKE YOU CAN'T STEP ON HIM LIKE HE'S SOME BUG!" Sakura screamed, making both Peri and Naruto flinch at her voice.
"You don't know what it means to be a shinobi, do you think it's some kind of game? Why do you think ninjas are put on squads?!" Kakashi said harshly.
"How should we know we didn't make the rules!" Naruto yelled
"Why are you dropping Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura that's not fair!" Peri said.
"Answer me this Peri, why didn't you fight me head on?" Kakashi asked her
"Wha? What does that have to do with anything!" Sakura screamed
"Well why didn't you?" he asked the Senju, ignoring everyone else.
"I-I just thought we would have a better chance if we worked together and…Wait was that was it was all about? Not getting the bells, but just working together?" Peri pondered.
"Exactly, that's the whole reason ninjas work together in three or four man squads! Nobody goes on a mission alone and survives. It didn't matter if you got the bells or not, I wanted to see if you all could put your differences aside and work together!"
Kakashi looked at Naruto. "Naruto! You do everything on your own, everything! You rush in without thinking at all and reject Peri when she tries to help you!"
Naruto bit his lip in regretting
his mistake.
"Sakura! The only person you care about was Sasuke, who gave no regards to helping either Naruto or Peri!"
Sakura could do nothing but look at the ground.
"And you Sasuke, you thought everyone was so beneath you that they were nothing but a nuisance. And ignored Peri who came to your aid. Complete arrogance that will get you killed." Kakashi snapped at him.
Sasuke didn't move, but he felt pretty bad right now.
Kakashi looked at Peri who gulped. "Peri. I'll give you credit for figuring it out and helping out, but sometimes you have to be more persistent and not stop the first time."
Peri looked down at her feet.
Kakashi stood up to leave to report another failure. But as he looked at the memorial statue then back at them something told them to give the kids another chance. "
Look, I'm gonna give you one more chance. Eat lunch to regain your strength, but not Naruto. It's his punishment for trying to eat." he said before leaving them alone.
After a few minutes Peri looked around her before handing her lunch to Naruto. "What are you-mmph!"
"Shut up and eat. Sensei will be back any minute so hurry up and eat." Peri interrupted him by stuffing a rice ball in the blonde's mouth.
"We're not supposed to let him eat!" Sakura protested.
"Have you not learned anything?! We have to work together if we're gonna get the bells!" Peri snapped.
"Peri's right. If Naruto's weakened it will only hurt the team he needs to be at full strength." Sasuke added, handing the grateful blonde his lunch too.
(Sasuke…Peri…) Naruto sniffed as he ate the food given to him.
Sasuke handed his lunch as well while Peri gave Naruto some water, but Sakura didn't do a thing.
"YOU TWO!"
He caught them and now they were definitely doomed.
"Do any of you want to explain to me why you broke the rule?" he asked threateningly
"I-It was Peri's fault!" Sakura pointed at the Senju
"Yeah I gave him my launch,I don't care about your stupid rule! Naruto's our comrade of course we're gonna feed him!" Peri standing up with the Uchiha beside her standing up as well.
"Sasuke no!" the pink-haired girl yelped trying to get him to sit down.
"We're all a team and we have to work together." Sasuke added.
"Yeah so you can take some rice and stuff it down that dumb mask of yours!" Peri said
Naruto looked at the three of them with tears. He couldn't believe that they of them were risking being dropped from the program to defend him.
"Naruto. Sasuke. Peri. You pass." Kakashi smiles
"Say what now?" Peri asked
"All of you passed. In fact, you are the first squad of mine who has ever passed. The rest of them listened to everything I said and fell for every trap. A ninja must be able to see through deception what you four did. " he explained before looking at the sky.
"Those who break the rules are scum, that's true. But those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum. So congratulations to you all. Team Seven, we'll begin our first mission tomorrow!" Kakashi declared giving them a thumbs up.
"I DID IT! I'M A NINJA!" Naruto yelled excitedly. (Soon everybody gonna look up to me!)
"YA KNOW IT!" Peri exclaimed. ( One step closer to becoming the greatest ninja ever!)
Sasuke also had a huge grin on his face.
"W-wait what about me?" Sakura stammered
"Well, you're only on this team temporarily so I'll pass you as well until you get placed with your permanent team." the jounin.
(That Sakura needs to grow up, Even after what I said she still refused to help her teammates.) Kakashi sighed watching the pink-haired girl celebrate
"Well time to head home." he said, leading the group out of the training grounds.
"YOU FORGOT TO UNTIE ME!" Naruto yelled at their backs.
Author's Note [EDITED]
Team Seven passed the bell test and now the real adventure begins for them! What will happen next for Naruto , Sasuke, and Peri? I want to thank everyone for their support and I hope all of you will stay safe!
TheSenjuPrincess