10
As the other genin reach the posts they find Naruto already tied to the center one. Tala sets on top of the post looking down at the blond with a sigh. "Oh, Naruto." She breathes out quietly. Sasuke sets down on the ground toward Naruto's right. His thoughts were still heavily on what he had just witnessed. Proof, that she had told him the truth that day. It took only a minute for Sakura to join them as she sets to Naruto's left. Kakashi comes up in front of them and sets three Bentos on the ground. Watching the four of them. "Uhoh, stomachs growling huh, that's.. too bad. Oh and by the way about this exercise. I've decided I won't send any of you back to the academy." He speaks lightly drawing Tala's gaze from Naruto. Her stomach was growling, cramping, screaming at her about how hungry she is. It was a side effect from the jutsu she had used. It not only burns a lot of calories but it also takes a lot of stamina to continually move that fast. She was beyond exhausted and hungry.
"What?" Sakura asks in disbelief as Naruto makes happy-sounding noises kicking his feet around excitedly." I passed? All I did was get caught in your genjutsu and passed out... Do you get points for that?" Sakura questions as she brings the knuckles of her right hand to her bottom lip briefly. "All four of us?!" Naruto asks happily as Sakura dances cheering. "Yes, all four of you are being dropped from the program. Permanently." Tala glares towards Kakashi as her hand twitches, nearly moving to her sword. "Drop us from the program?! That means we can never become ninja! You said if we couldn't take the bells we'd be sent back to the Academy! You can't just change your mind and kick us out! Why would you do that?!" Naruto yells as he continues to kick his legs around erratically. "Because none of you think like ninja, you think like little kids. Like brats."
Growling as his anger gets the better of him Sasuke runs over the ground. Kakashi easily evades his punch and shoves him against the ground where he proceeds to set on Sasuke's back. Pushing his head painfully against the ground as Kakashi puts his foot on the back of his head. "Sasuke!" Sakura yells frantically as Tala looks down at Sasuke, amusement clear in her gaze. "You think it's all about you."
"Let go of Sasuke! You can't step on him like he's some kind of bug!" Sakura continues to yell uselessly. "You don't know what it means to be a ninja. You think it's a game huh?" Sakura and Naruto make surprised sounds at Kakashi's sudden question. "Why do you think we put you on squads huh? Did you consider that question for one moment?"
"But, I don't know what you mean." Sakura says dumbfoundedly. "I mean, you never realized what this exercise is all about. Not even close." Kakashi speaks up sternly as his eyes narrow on them. "What it's about?" Naruto questions. "Yes, that is what determines if you pass or fail."
"But that's... I mean I wanted to ask you about that from the beginning." Sakura pipes up sounding sadder than she had a moment ago."Tch, use your head. Four people on this squad. Why do you think we would do that?" Kakashi questions in his irritation as his dark eye narrows briefly on them. "Ahh, how are we supposed to know why you picked three or four people? We didn't make the rules!"
"It's so basic. Teamwork!" Kakashi sighs growing more annoyed by the second. "Just working together is that what you mean?" Sakura again questions. "That's what I mean. it's too late now but if all four of you would have come at me you might have been able to take them. Well anyway, it's over." Tch you're just a sore loser. Tala did take the bells but you jumped me the moment she left! Sasuke grumbles at his thoughts as he tries to glare up at Kakashi.
"Wait a minute, you set it up with four people but only three bells. If we worked together and got the bells only three of us would be able to keep them. That would lead to group conflict and the squad would break up!" Sakura counters with her confusion. "Exactly." Finally, Kakashi sounds bored again rather than his previous irritation. Probably since at least one of them is starting to get it. "I purposefully pitted you against each other. I wanted to see if you could overcome that and put the squad ahead of yourselves. Genin should have a natural feel for teamwork. But it never crossed your minds. Sakura! You obsessed about Sasuke who was gone while Naruto was right in front of you and you wouldn't lift a finger to help him! Naruto, you do everything on your own. Everything. Sasuke, you thought the others were so far beneath you that they were worthless. Arrogance. Tala, you were so consumed by your own pain and getting back at me you even threatened the person closest to you that could have helped you. Ninja missions are carried out in a squad. Of course, you need individual skills but teamwork is the most essential element."
He sighs still sitting on Sasuke like he's a chair as he talks. "Every Shinobi understands this. When individuals put themselves above the squad this can lead to failure and death! For example." Sasuke grunts as Kakashi shifts his weight pulling a kunai out of his pouch and placing it against the genin's throat. "Sakura! Kill Naruto now or Sasuke dies!" Sakura begins to freak out only to have Tala stand on the post pulling a kunai from her own holster as she watches Sakura closely. "I won't let you touch him." She speaks causing Sakura to flinch.
Kakashi sighs heavily, he had heard that Tala and Naruto were friends but to be ready to kill a teammate to protect him? Is that just friendship? Suddenly the kunai leaves her hand and shoots through the air towards Kakashi. Forcing him to remove his blade from Sasuke's throat to block her kunai. "That is what happens on a mission." Kakashi sighs gratefully, that she hadn't actually meant it. "Oh boy that was really scary." Sakura says relieved as Naruto sighs. Meanwhile, Kakashi starts spinning his kunai upon his right index finger with his left hand at his hip. "The enemy takes a hostage and you've got an impossible choice and someone ends up dead." The kunai stops spinning as he grips onto the handle and slips it back into his pouch. "On a mission, your life is on the line." He says as he finally gets up.
"Did you look at this stone? The names that are engraved on it. They are all ninja honored as heroes in our village." Kakashi speaks as he walks towards the large dark stone. "That's it, that's it, that's it! Now I know! I decided I'm going to have my name engraved on that stone!" Naruto voices before Tala sets back down, this time her feet resting on top of Naruto's head causing him to grunt momentarily. "I'm not going to live or die for nothing like a dog! I'm gonna be a hero, a hero!"
"They are... A special kind of hero." Kakashi says as he tries to work out the best way to get it through Naruto's thick skull. "Huh? What kind of heroes are they? C'mon, tell us!" Kakashi falls silent and no one answers him. "Well? Well?" Kakashi remains silent for a small time as he puts his hands in his pockets with a sigh. "They are all KIA, Killed in action…" He speaks heavily. "This is a memorial stone, the names of my closest friends are engraved here." He falls silent again letting his words sink into all of their heads, before he finally looks over his shoulder towards them. "Alright, I'm going to give you one more chance. But, I'm going to make it much harder on you. You'll have three hours to get a bell. Eat lunch now to build up strength. But, Naruto doesn't get any."
Naruto growls in annoyance glaring at Kakashi as Tala nearly smiles. Watching Kakashi walk towards him. "It's your punishment for breaking the rules and trying to eat by yourself. And if anyone tries to feed him. That person will immediately fail. I make the rules you follow them. Got it?" The genin watch as Kakashi leaves. Sakura grabs the lunch boxes and hands one to Sasuke as he sets back down. She then looks at Tala as if debating about giving her the lunch meant for her. Seeing this, Sasuke sighs and takes her lunch box from Sakura before tossing it up to her. The three of them open their lunch boxes ready to eat, at least until Naruto's stomach growls. Tala looks down at her foot on Naruto's head and then at the other two who were now looking at Naruto. She sighs before hopping off of the post and walking around to face him.
"But Tala... You're going to get into trouble!" Naruto complains and she gives him a shake of her head. "It's not like I can eat right now with people watching anyway. Besides I ate breakfast. If you don't eat, you'll just slow the team down." She explains as she holds a bite of food out for him to eat. This is just so... wrong! I get what she's doing but... Why is it pissing me off?! Sasuke silently seethes. "Here." He mutters beneath his thoughts and holds out his lunch box to Naruto if only so Tala won't feed the blond. "What? No Sasuke you can't do that. You heard what the Sensei said." Sakura says looking around. "This is teamwork remember, it's just as Tala said. If he is hungry, he won't have any strength to help us. The team will suffer if he doesn't eat." Sasuke explains to her with a frown watching as she swallows her bite while she looks down at her own food. She then turns and holds out her lunch for Naruto.
"Okay, thanks." Naruto says before finally taking a bite of the food Tala was holding in front of him. She then scoops another mouthful up and holds it ready for him. "Hurry up, he could come back any minute." Sasuke speaks if only to hide his building annoyance over this entire situation. "You!" Kakashi's face pops out of a sudden puff of smoke with a glare, anger clearly lacing his tone. From Kakashi's sudden appearance, Tala jumps and about chokes Naruto with her chopsticks. Hn, serves him right. Sasuke thinks silently as he fights to hide a smirk. This reaction from her had a visible sweat drop slipping from Kakashi's temple before he manages to recover. "You broke the rules, I hope you are ready for the punishment!" He growls as he completes hand signs and dark clouds appear over their heads. "Any last words?" He asks menacingly.
"B. B. But you said." Naruto actually manages while all of them couldn't even seem to form words. "Yes?" Kakashi presses for him to continue. "You said there were four of us! That's what you said! And that's why... Sakura.." He pauses looking toward Sakura. "We're all on this squad and we're all in it together." Sasuke speaks up to help explain. "Yeah, that's right! We gave our lunch to him because the four of us are one!" Sakura finally manages to make herself speak. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! Believe it! That's right!" Naruto shouts as Tala pulls out a new kunai, spinning it in her hand before holding it up as she keeps herself between Naruto and Kakashi. "The four of you are one?! That's your excuse?" Kakashi asks walking closer then placing his hands on his hips leaning forward. He suddenly closes his eyes giving a slight chuckle showing he was smiling. "You pass."
Huh? All four of them sound in confusion as Tala drops her kunai to her side. "You.. pass." Kakashi speaks again more slowly to let this sink in. "What do you mean? How'd we pass?" Sakura questions as she keeps herself recoiled back away from Kakashi. "You're the first squad that has ever succeeded. The others did exactly what I said and fell into every trap. They couldn't think for themselves." He speaks lightly as he stands up straight. "A ninja must see through deception. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. That's true, but.. those who abandon their friends. Are worse than scum." These words had Tala frowning as Kakashi looks up to the clearing sky. "He's uh, ya know. He's kinda cool." Naruto whimpers from behind Tala with tears in his eyes.
Tala closes her eyes and puts her kunai away before stepping up to Kakashi. "Kakashi.." She speaks quietly drawing his attention back down to her. She glances up at him before turning her head away and slipping her hands into her pockets. "I wasn't lying before. I understood why you did it. You were a kid only two years older than I am now. You couldn't take care of me even if I was mostly self-reliant. It hurt, like hell. But I still understood." She speaks quietly before walking away from him.
Since that day Tala's schedule has been pretty well filled with Kakashi's training, her workouts, and her own training, or completing simple D rank missions that any normal villager could do themselves. Sasuke had asked her about the fire jutsu she had used against Kakashi, so she explained to him about Kenjutsu sword techniques. She had informed him that not only was her father a kenjutsu user but Shisui was also highly skilled in that battle technique. On one mission they found themselves with radios strapped around their necks. Kakashi was up in the trees giving them orders to follow. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Tala piped in when they got to their positions. One by one they flanked their target before Kakashi gave the order to move in. It was Naruto that finally caught the cat. As it was scratching the crap out of him Kakashi was questioning for confirmation over the radio with Sasuke confirming.
On their way back into the village, Kakashi sighs and rubs the back of his neck. "Next time you need to get into position more quickly. So we can catch a lost pet more efficiently." He sighs following behind them. Tala watches Naruto get clawed at again making him scream in pain. Taking the cat from him she curls it in her arms and scratches it behind its ears. Soon she felt its tense muscles relax as it begins to purr. Once they arrived, the five of them got to watch the Daimyo squash Tora. "Stupid cat. That kitty deserves to be squashed!" Naruto laughs as he rubs his nose. "No wonder he ran away." Sakura pipes up watching the woman and the cat with a frown.
It didn't take long before the five of them were now standing in front of the Hokage and Iruka along with a few other ninja who are sitting behind a table, waiting for their next mission. "Now then, for squad 7's next mission we have several available tasks... Huh? Among them babysitting the chief councilor's three-year-old and helping his wife to do the shopping. Digging up potatoes in the.."
"Nooo!" Naruto yells cutting off the Hokage. "I want to go on a real mission!" He hollers as he holds his arms up in an ex. "Something challenging and exciting, not this little kid stuff! Come on old man!" Sighing Tala put her right hand on her hip with her left in the pocket of her shorts. When he's right he's actually right. She thought quietly. "How dare you!" Iruka who was sitting next to the Hokage stands up with his hands on the table glaring at Naruto. "You're just brand new genin with no experience! Like everyone else you start with simple missions to develop your skills and prove yourself!"
"Are you serious?! Babysitting is not a mission it's just a stupid!" And Naruto was punched by Kakashi to shut him up by sending him face-first into the floor. "Would you put a lid on it?" Kakashi sighs in annoyance. "So be it." The Hokage speaks up after a brief silence from him actually thinking about what Naruto was saying. "Huh?" Even Kakashi couldn't silence the sudden sound of question that escaped him. "Since you are so determined... I am going to give you a C-ranked mission. You'll be bodyguards on a journey."
"Really?! YES!" Naruto shouts in triumph. "Who? Who? Are we guarding a princess or some measly councilor?!" Is Naruto one of those people too hung up on fairytales to know the difference between this world and a storybook? "Don't be so impatient." The Hokage smiles around his pipe watching Naruto. "I will bring him in now... Send in our visitor!" Before the door even opened Tala could smell the stench of sake. "What the? A bunch of snot-nosed kids?!" He claims before holding the bottle up to his mouth and gulping messily more down causing her to wrinkle her nose. Naruto begins to make a racket about how this was unfair and why they would have to protect this guy. He had even called Naruto a pipsqueak which had the four of them lining up to see which one was shorter. Sasuke was taller than Tala slightly and then it was Sakura. Naruto turned out to be the shortest of the four of them. Turns out the man's name is Tazuna and he's a master bridge builder from the land of waves.
When they were finally released Kakashi told them to meet him and Tazuna at the village gates in an hour. Tala moved to the rooftops and made her way back home to pack her black travel bag. This is the first time she's gotten to leave the village since Kakashi had brought her here. She would be lying if she said she wasn't excited, though the idea of expressing those emotions anymore seems rather foreign to her. She pulled out the new storage scroll she had picked up a while ago to store things in it. Like clothes, hair ties, her hairbrush, her travel toothbrush, and toothpaste. Then things that Kakashi had pointed out that they would eventually need, like a sleeping bag and a tent, even medical bandages and other first aid equipment. By the time her travel bag was successfully packed it was still super light, only consisting of a scroll and her wallet. This had her frowning so she took everything out of her pack and placed her items into her ninja pouch with her spare ninja tools.
Sasuke had met Tala on her way to the village gates. So they had walked in a rather tense silence the rest of the way together. They were the first to the gate and were subsequently forced to wait for the others. Sasuke stuffs his hands in the pockets of his shorts as he stands there looking none too happy. Once the others get there, Sakura stands on the other side of Sasuke and Naruto stands next to Tala with his hands behind his head. Sasuke shoots a brief glare in Naruto's direction that caught Tala's attention. At first, she thought she had imagined seeing it at all. For him to do so would be unusual. Sasuke never reacts to Naruto without Naruto himself instigating it. Yet, she's had this same thought several times over the last couple of weeks since they became team seven. If Sasuke is shooting random glares at Naruto then it must be for a reason. However, today Naruto hasn't really done or said much to Sasuke to warrant it. "Everyone's here? Then let's head out." Kakashi says as he walks up to the gate with Tazuna beside him, yet another bottle of sake in his drunken grip.
*Tala*
"Hokage are powerful and wise. You are puny and brainless. The day you become Hokage I'll sprout wings and fly." Pausing at those words I look to the old man with a straw hat on his head, his bottle of alcohol still resting near his mouth. A drunk speaking to Naruto as if he knows everything? Not only is it unnecessarily condescending but we'll pay for those words from having to listen to Naruto yell more. "Ahh, shut up! I'm willing to do anything to become Hokage no matter what it takes!" Naruto yells a visible vein in his temple showing.
"Naruto, ignore Tazuna, he's just drunk. Let's get moving we are wasting daylight." I sigh as I begin walking again. With these two going at it, it's going to be a long mission. "Say, Naruto?" I ask looking over my shoulder towards him causing a sound of question to come from him as he drops the fist he had been holding up. "What's your favorite type of ramen? I personally am a fan of beef but I'm thinking about trying to mix beef and chicken together to see what kind of taste it brings to the table." Naruto's eyes widen as he runs up to me. "Tala! You can't do that, if you mix those two flavors together it will ruin the ramen!" Got ya. "Oh? But since I like both of them individually wouldn't I like them together?" I question as I look ahead of me again. Noticing how the three others were now giving sighs of relief as Kakashi's smile wrinkles his mask. Since I had successfully redirected Naruto to keep him from continuing to yell at the bridge builder.