Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan-based story. I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. Only the Original Characters and any Original Plots are mine.
Chapter 1 : The Formation of Team Seven
Shinobi Academy, Hidden Leaf Village
"Team Seven will consist of Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha and Mamoru Yukimura. Your Jounin Sensei will be Kakashi Hatake."
Amidst the complaints rising from Naruto and Sakura as well as the indifference oozing from Sasuke, Mamoru slammed his head against the table in anger and horror.
Why? Why was the fucking world always against him? Of all the people he had to be placed in a team with, it had to be the blond loudmouth, the screeching banshee, and the prideful dick. Why couldn't he have been placed in a team with Shino or Hinata. They were the only two students he got along with in this entire class. Instead, they had been partnered with the Inuzuka mutt.
"I-I'm sure it'll be alright, M-Mamoru." Hinata stuttered softly from her seat next to him.
The black haired youth picked up his head and turned to look at his best friend almost miserably. "I appreciate the sentiment, Princess, but I highly doubt it."
In retrospect, his team wasn't actually the worst one. At least when it came to their skills.
Sasuke was the Rookie of the Year for a reason. The last scion of the Uchiha Clan, he was a born prodigy with tremendous talent in Ninjutsu and Shurikenjutsu. He was fast, strong, and usually had a cool head on his shoulders.
Sakura was the smartest student in his class, and even if her physical prowess left much to be desired, she had almost perfect chakra control – though he supposed that could be attributed to her low chakra reserves.
Then finally, there was Naruto, the Dead Last of their class. He had absolutely no talent when it came to Genjutsu, he could barely perform two of the three Academy Basics – the third he always failed at, and his intelligence was positioned somewhere in the lower echelon of the class. His only strength was Taijutsu but even then, his fighting-style was more akin to street-fighting than proper, refined Taijutsu. All in all, he was a loser.
But Naruto was also determined. He was an unshakeable and perseverant youth who never gave up, no matter what task he had been given. He was a hard worker, much like Mamoru himself, and he could respect that.
The problem he had with his teammates were their personalities. Sasuke was arrogant, Sakura was obsessed with Sasuke and Naruto…he was just loud. Like really, really loud. Coupling in Mamoru's bluntness and gruff behaviour, this team was a recipe for disaster. It would take a literal miracle for it to function.
Mamoru huffed grumpily as Naruto jumped to his feet, looking positively enraged. Here comes the noise.
"Iruka-Sensei!" The cerulean-eyed boy's deafening voice boomed throughout the class. "Why does an awesome ninja like me have to be on the same team with a bastard like Sasuke?!"
Iruka sighed, rubbing the scarred bridge of his nose tiredly. "Because, Naruto, of the twenty-eight graduates, Sasuke had the highest marks in the class. You, on the other hand, had the lowest. To create a balanced team, we put the best student with the worst."
"Wait, then what about Mamoru? Why was he paired with Sasuke?" A voice called out and the black-haired youth glowered at the annoying bitch who had spoken as numerous pairs of eyes fell on him. He hated being the center of attention, much preferring his own solitude.
"Yeah, he had one of the highest graduating scores in the class!" Another voice added in, this time coming from a boy who Mamoru didn't bother learning the name of.
"And what's the deal with the four-man team? Has that even happened before?" A third voice questioned.
Iruka rapped his knuckles against the blackboard to silence everyone before he began to explain. "Since we had an even number of students graduating this year, we couldn't exactly leave one student on his lonesome. Thus we were obligated to create a four-man team and Lord Third decided that placing Mamoru with Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke, was the best thing to do." He cleared his throat before continuing. "And yes, a four-man Genin Team has happened before. It is a rare occurrence nowadays, but it isn't entirely unheard of."
"Hn, just make sure you don't get in my way, loser." Sasuke fired coldly at Naruto who began fuming.
"WHAT WAS THAT, YOU BASTARD?!"
"Don't talk to Sasuke like that, Naruto!" Sakura screeched in defense of her beloved – or so she claimed he was. The fangirl then began to pound her fists into the cerulean-eyed boy.
"Ow! Stop it! Ah! Ow! Help! Ow!" Naruto yelled.
Mamoru tapped the wooden surface of his table as he watched his teammates bicker amongst themselves. They hadn't even been a team for an hour and the arguing had already started. "Hey Hinata, what do you think would happen if I were to kill my teammates?"
Hinata looked at him in shock before vigorously shaking her head. "I-I don't think y-you should say things like that, Mamoru."
The black-haired youth clicked his teeth in annoyance. This was going to be annoying.
Some Time Later
"He's late!" Naruto screamed in frustration as he kept looking outside to see if their new sensei was on his way.
Mamoru wasn't exactly the most patient person in the world but he was more patient than most. He had to be because patience was a virtue that shinobi had to have. Short tempers and brash decisions got ninja killed more often than naught. However, there was a limit to how patient someone could be.
The first hour, he could overlook. The second hour was pushing it but he didn't mind too much as he had decided to take a nap. But now he was awake and the clock had just crossed the threshold for the third hour.
And their sensei still wasn't here.
He wasn't the only one who was annoyed, though. Naruto was the most vocal about his agitation while Sakura looked bored out of her mind, after having given up trying to strike up a conversation with Sasuke. The frustration was evident even in the last Uchiha seeing as how he had laced his fingers together so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.
"Naruto, sit down already!" Sakura exclaimed as the blond-haired boy continued to pace back and forth impatiently.
"I don't want to! How come our sensei is the only one who's late?" Naruto complained, crossing his arms and pouting. "The other teams already met their squad leaders and took off to god-knows where! Even Iruka-Sensei is gone!"
Sakura sighed. "We know, ok?"
The scraping of a chair drew Mamoru's attention and he lifted his head to see Naruto perched on a chair. He was pulling a prank, he realized as he watched the cerulean-eyed boy giggle mischievously to himself while he stuck the blackboard eraser which was covered in chalk at the top of the door.
"That's what he get's for being late!" Naruto exclaimed with a foxy grin on his face.
"You're asking for trouble. You know that, right?" Sakura informed her fellow teammate, tiredly.
Sasuke chose that moment to add his input. "Our sensei is a Jounin, an elite ninja, idiot. Do you really think he'll fall for such a stupid and simple trick?"
Somehow, Sakura went from tired to energetic in seconds upon hearing the Uchiha's voice. "Yeah, Sasuke is right! You're so clueless, you idiot!"
"Someone just kill me already." Mamoru muttered under his breath as he threw his head back and focused his grey eyes on the ceiling. The sound of the door opening pulled him out of his own misery and he sat up straight as the door to their classroom slid open and someone walked in.
POOF!
Naruto began laughing his ass off after the blackboard eraser fell onto the newcomer's head while Mamoru took the sight of the man in. He was tall and lanky, with gravity-defying silver hair. The man wore the standard Leaf Jounin uniform along with a facemask and his headband was tilted to cover his left eye.
"He fell for it! He totally fell for it!" Naruto chortled while Sasuke eyed the man with a look of disappointment.
"I'm so sorry, sensei! I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen! I would never do anything like that." Sakura apologized immediately, trying to shift all the blame onto Naruto. Then again, it was the blond-boy's fault. He was the one who decided to pull the prank.
Their sensei's lone flinty eye was completely unreadable as he bent down and picked up the blackboard eraser, looking at it calculatingly for a moment before he turned his gaze to the Genin.
"How should I put this?" The masked Jounin drawled as his eye skimmed over each of the twelve-year olds. "My first impression of this team…you're all a bunch of idiots."
The Genin all sweat-dropped at the blunt statement.
"Let's meet up on the roof, shall we?" He voiced lazily before disappearing in a burst of white smoke. Mamoru was the first to move, grunting as he stood from his seat and walked over to the door with his hands shoved into the pockets of his white hoodie. Sasuke was quick to follow him out of the classroom while Naruto and Sakura trailed behind them.
Rooftop, Shinobi Academy
The silver-haired Jounin leaned against the railing of the rooftop, his lone flinty eye drifting over each of the would-be-Genin, taking in the expressions they all wore. "Alright…why don't you all introduce yourselves?"
"Introduce ourselves? Well, what are we supposed to say?" Sakura asked.
"I want to know your names, your likes, your dislikes, your hobbies and any dreams you might have for the future." The silver-haired Jounin elaborated slowly.
Naruto blinked with confusion. "Why don't you go first, sensei? Tell us about yourself so we can see how we should do it."
The man pointed at himself. "Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. The things I like and the things I hate…hm, I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future... I never really thought about it. And as for my hobbies...I have lots of hobbies."
…
'Well, shinobi are meant to be secretive.' Mamoru thought to himself. It didn't really matter. Even his name was enough for the black-haired youth to do his own research on the man.
"Now that you know what to do, why don't you go first, Goldie?" Kakashi drawled, pointing at Naruto.
Naruto grinned as he fiddled with his headband. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like instant cup ramen and I really like the ramen Iruka-Sensei treats me at Ichiraku's. But I really hate the three minutes I have to wait when I pour the hot water into the cup. My hobbies are collecting new types of ramen and comparing them. And my dream for the future…is to become the greatest Hokage ever! That way, the whole village will stop disrespecting me and start treating me like I'm somebody important!"
Mamoru stared at Naruto for a moment. He wasn't blind, he knew what Naruto was talking about. He had seen how the villagers and even a few ninja acted around him. He always thought it was because of the boy's annoying and constant pranking. That could drive anyone mad. But now, he was starting to wonder if it was something else.
Kakashi's eye crinkled. "I see. An ambitious dream for sure." At his words, Naruto just grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "You're next, young lady."
The pinkette nodded excitedly. "I'm Sakura Haruno! What I like... I mean the person I like is..." The girl shot a glance at Sasuke and squealed with a blush. "…my hobbies are…" Her blush darkened and she squealed again. "And my dream for the future…" She blushed the hardest at that moment and squealed so loudly that the shrill sound cut into Mamoru's eardrums.
'If she squeals again, I'm stabbing her.' The black-haired youth vowed silently to himself.
"And what do you hate?" Kakashi asked, nonchalantly.
"Naruto!" Sakura proclaimed loudly. The blond boy in question gasped and started sulking with tears running down his cheeks.
Kakashi let out a small sigh. "Very well, then. Why don't you go next, Mr. Scowls-a-lot?"
Sasuke scoffed behind laced fingers before beginning his introduction. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I like tomatoes and that's about it. I hate fanboys and fangirls, and dislike mostly everyone I meet. My hobbies are training and my dream…it is to restore my clan and kill a certain someone."
The black-haired youth glanced at Sasuke with a calculating look in his eyes. Of course that would be his goal. Not that he blamed him. The Uchiha Clan had fallen tremendously from grace after their near extinction at the hands of one of their own: Itachi Uchiha – also known as Sasuke's older brother. It didn't take a genius to figure out that it was he who Sasuke wanted dead. Judging from the lack of shock on Kakashi's face, he seemed to have known it as well. Sakura, on the other hand, was staring at the Uchiha boy in awe while Naruto…
"Sasuke, I told you, that kiss was an accident!" The blond boy shouted as he jumped to his feet and pointed at the last Uchiha. "It wasn't my fault, kill the guy who bumped me! Your fan-club already punished me enough!"
"Naruto, shut up!" Sakura screeched at him, waving a clenched fist in his direction.
Sasuke scowled harshly as he turned to the Dead Last. "I wasn't talking about you, loser!"
"Alright, that's enough out of you three." Kakashi drawled with clear boredom. "We still have someone who hasn't introduced himself yet. The floor is yours."
Mamoru huffed as he shifted his body a bit, trying to find a more comfortable position. "My name is Mamoru Yukimura. I like drinking tea, reading and training. My dislikes include loud and arrogant people in general. My hobbies, like I said, are reading and training. As for my dream, it is to become the best ninja that I can be and lead a fulfilling life without any regrets."
Kakashi hummed as he eyed the black-haired youth with interest before he suddenly clapped his hands, drawing all eyes on him. "Good. Each one of you is unique and you have your own ambitions and ideas. We will be having our first mission tomorrow."
Naruto immediately perked up. "What kind of mission will we be handling, Kakashi-Sensei?"
"It is a task that the five of us will do together. A survival exercise."
Sakura frowned. "Huh? I thought we were supposed to have an actual mission, not a practice exercise. We already did that stuff at the Academy, that's how we got here."
"Yeah! And what kind of exercise is it then?" Naruto chirped in question.
"If I tell you the answer, I don't think any of you will like it." The silver-haired Jounin declared and began chuckling almost gleefully. "You see, out of the twenty-eight students that graduated this year, only nine or ten of them actually become Genin. The others will be weeded out and sent back to the Academy. In other words, this is a pass-or-fail test, and the chance that you'll fail is at least sixty-six percent."
At his words, Naruto's mouth fell open, Sakura gasped, Sasuke scowled harshly and Mamoru's body stiffened.
"That's crazy! We worked our asses off to get here! What was that graduation test for then?!" Naruto exclaimed heatedly.
"Oh, that? That was just to select the candidates who might become Genin... or not." Kakashi responded calmly as ever. "In any case, be at the entrance of the Training Ground 3 at 5:00 am sharp. Don't forget to bring your ninja gear. Oh, and I suggest that you all skip breakfast, otherwise you'll puke."
And with that said, the silver-haired Jounin disappeared, leaving his potential students to their thoughts.
The Next Day
Mamoru's Apartment, Hidden Leaf Village
RIIIING! RIIIING! RIIIING! RIIIIING!
Mamoru groaned as he turned off the incessant ringing of the alarm clock next to his bed and flung the covers off his body. For a moment, he lay on his mattress, contemplating whether getting up this early was really worth it before he shook his head resignedly. He removed himself from the comfort of his bed and pressed his feet against the cold floor of the room, repressing the shiver that ran down his back as she did so.
Today was the day their new sensei would be testing them to see if they were worthy of being Genin. Following the brief and introductory team meeting yesterday, Mamoru had immediately made his way over to the library. Knowledge was power and a good ninja must always be aware of what they were walking into. He wanted to know everything he could find on Kakashi Hatake. What he did discover was both awe-inspiring and frightening.
Kakashi Hatake was an S-Rank ninja, an elite Jounin, known by the shinobi world as the Sharingan Warrior and the Copy Ninja. He had graduated from the Ninja Academy at the age of five. By six, he had become a Chunin. At twelve – the same age that he was now – their sensei had reached the rank of Jounin. Thirteen, he joined the elite organization known as the ANBU Black Ops. A year later, he rose to the rank of ANBU Captain.
In other words, Kakashi Hatake was one of the strongest shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village.
A legend.
And he was their sensei.
And they would have to go up against him in order to pass his little survival exercise – whatever it was – and become real Genin.
As his classmate Shikamaru would say, troublesome.
The black-haired youth went through his usual morning routine, only this time two hours earlier than usual. He took a quick and cold shower, and then put on his shinobi garb: a white hoodie worn over a mesh shirt, black ANBU-style pants with a kunai holster wrapped around his right thigh, long fingerless black gloves, and a pair of dark calf-length shinobi sandals. He tied his headband around his neck and ran a hand through his medium length black hair which was somehow both neat and messy at the same time.
Once he made sure that he was ready and prepared for whatever the survival exercise was going to be, Mamoru turned around to look at the wall opposite his bed. Or rather, he turned to look at the object hanging from the wall. Something that was absolutely priceless to him.
It was a sword. More specifically, it was a slightly curved Hira Zukuri-style katana with gold flower designs running among the sheath and hilt, and it had a flower-shaped crossguard. Mamoru swallowed thickly as he slowly approached the sword and gingerly grasped it in his hands. Staring at the stark white sheath he slowly withdrew the sword – though only halfway – revealing a black and lilac blade with a distinct red reverse wave hamon.
Mamoru gazed down at the blade in awe. This weapon was something that was absolutely priceless to him. It had once been wielded by his father, when he had still been alive. It was the last remnant he had of Tadashi Yukimura. It was his most precious possession.
"Quite the beauty, isn't it?" A gruff voice uttered from behind him and Mamoru closed his and slid the katana back into it's sheath with a cling. The smell of strong smoke wafted into his nose and he hung the katana back on the wall before he turned around to see a man he hadn't seen in years, standing in the doorway to his room.
"Grandfather." He gave a curt greeting to the man who simply stared at him blankly while smoking a cigar. He was a tall and well-built man in his early fifties, with greying shaggy hair, steely blue eyes, and a bit of stubble on his chin. He wore the standard Leaf Jounin uniform just as Kakashi did, only he had a blue sash emblazoned with the kanji for fire tied around his waist. "Why are you here?"
The grey-haired man lifted an eyebrow. "Is there a problem with me visiting my grandson?"
Mamoru's grey eyes narrowed coldly. "You've never deigned to visit me before. So I ask you again, why are you here now?"
Yuichi Yukimura was a name well known throughout the Leaf Village, no, the entire shinobi world. His fame wasn't a surprise. He was, after all, one of the Legendary Yonnin, a student of the Third Hokage, and one of the most powerful ninja in the entire village. He was a veteran of two wars, having attained the title of the Red Badger through his numerous exploits and victories. The people loved him and the children wanted to be him, but to Mamoru, he would always be known as a militaristic man who valued his work as a shinobi and power more than his own family.
Yuichi clicked his teeth and took a drag of his cigar. "The life of a shinobi is busy. The life of a shinobi of my caliber tends to be even busier. I thought you would have learned that in the Academy. Instead, I see you bear a grudge against me for my absence."
Mamoru rolled his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. I don't care enough about you to have a grudge against you. But don't expect me to be all warm and inviting to you, either. My behaviour towards you is the same as how I would treat any other stranger I come across."
"Understandable." The Yonnin grunted as he trudged further into the room. He came to a stop next to the black-haired youth, his steely blue eyes gazing at Mamoru's father's sword with no emotion. "Your father earned himself quite a reputation with this sword. He was talented in all aspects of a shinobi but Kenjutsu was where he shone the brightest. He was a beast when he wielded his sword in battle."
"Is there a point to this?" Mamoru asked harshly. He never liked speaking about his father, especially with someone whom he was not on good terms with.
Yuichi took another drag from his cigar, staring at the hanging katana for a moment longer before he finally turned to look down at his grandson. Digging his hand into his weapon's pouch, he pulled out a small black book and held it out for Mamoru to take.
"What is this?" The black-haired youth asked, both curious and impatient. He had a survival test he had to get to after all and the more time he wasted here, the later he would be.
"A Bingo Book." The grey-haired man replied flatly. "It contains any and all information on black-listed shinobi that are wanted dead or alive by various Hidden Villages. Normally it is only distributed out to ninja of Jounin-Rank or members of the ANBU Black Ops but I thought I should give one to you. Consider it a late graduation gift."
Mamoru stared at the small black book for a moment longer, contemplating on whether or not he should accept it before he finally took it. Even if he didn't like his grandfather, he was not prideful enough to reject something that might end up helping him later down the line.
"…Thanks." He muttered reluctantly. Yuichi simply nodded before glancing back at the hanging sword.
"Tadashi called this katana Shusui, which roughly translates to Autumn Water." Yuichi informed and Mamoru's eyes widened. "It was forged by an old man from the Land of Iron, a tremendously talented swordsmith by the name of Masamune Shimotsuki."
"Why are you telling me this?" Mamoru couldn't help but ask.
Yuichi closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly. "Because a sword as fine as this one does not deserve to hang on a wall and gather dust. It should be used and I believe that Tadashi would want you to be the one to wield it."
And with that said, Yuichi vanished in a burst of white smoke leaving Mamoru behind to stare at the spot he had once stood in stunned silence.
Training Ground 3
Mamoru had his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his white hoodie as he walked into the designated training ground where he saw that his team had already arrived. All three of them were leaning against separate wooden posts with Naruto and Sakura yawning while Sasuke was just sitting there with his eyes closed.
Sakura was the first to notice him as he walked closer to them. "You're late, Mamoru."
"I lost track of time." The black-haired youth replied gruffly as he sat down next to Naruto, leaning his back against the fourth wooden post.
It was true; he had spent ten minutes just standing in front of his father's sword, Shusui, pondering over his decision to take it or not. In the end, he decided to take it. As much as he hated to agree with him on anything, his grandfather was right. Someone had to wield the sword or else it would just gather dust like Yuichi had said. Who better to wield it than him, Tadashi's son. Of course, he had close to zero experience with wielding a sword but that was something he could always learn.
"Well, you haven't missed much." Naruto said with a yawn. "Kakashi-Sensei isn't here yet." He then blinked upon seeing the sword strapped to the black-haired youth's side. "Hey, what's with the sword? I don't think I've seen you with it before."
"…It was my dad's. Now it's mine." Mamoru answered his question curtly. That was all the blond boy needed to know and it was all he cared to tell him.
"Huh, cool." Naruto whistled lowly and fortunately, didn't ask any more questions. Likely because he was too tired to.
Mamoru let out a sigh before he closed his eyes and rested his head against the wooden post he was leaning against. Something told him that his sensei wouldn't reach here any time soon. If that was the case, then he might as well get some rest.
Four Hours Later
"Hello, everyone! Ready for your first day?"
Mamoru groaned as he woke up to see the sight of his sensei standing in the middle of the designated training ground with his lone eye crinkled up into what was clearly a smile.
'What time is it?' He thought blearily. Fortunately, his unspoken question was soon answered by his noisier teammates.
"YOU'RE FOUR HOURS LATE!" Naruto and Sakura screeched. Mamoru immediately covered his ear and winced at the volume of their voices. As much as the noise hurt his eardrums though, their screeches were loud enough to snap him out of his drowsy stupor and he shook his head before standing to his feet.
"I'm sorry, but I had to take a detour when a herd of black cats wandered across my path." The silver-haired Jounin apologized, his voice cheerful. Too cheerful in Mamoru's opinion. Kakashi pulled out an alarm clock from seemingly nowhere and placed it on one of the wooden posts. "This clock here is set for noon. You're assignment is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me." He held up three bells for them to see. "That's all there is to it. If you don't get one by noon, you won't get lunch. Instead, you will be tied to these posts and be forced to watch me eat my lunch in front of you."
Kakashi seemed almost gleeful as he took in the aghast looks all of the Genin-to-be sent him. Well, almost all of them. Mamoru just yawned, before he turned at him with a nonchalant look on his face, almost as if he didn't care that he would be forced to go hungry should he fail. Unless…
"It seems one of you directly disobeyed my orders." The silver-haired Jounin stated casually, focusing his lone eye on the black-haired youth. "Is there anything you want to say, Mamoru?"
Mamoru just stared at Kakashi. "In my defense, you never ordered us not to eat anything. You merely suggested it. Using my better judgment, I ignored your suggestion. Unfortunately, the others didn't."
The black-haired youth could practically feel the scathing glares that his teammates were sending him.
"I see." Kakashi stated curtly but unbeknownst to the twelve-year old, he was smiling underneath his mask. "Well, if you end up puking, don't say I didn't warn you."
It was then that Sakura seemingly noticed something. "Wait, you only have two bells in your hand, Kakashi-Sensei. How are we supposed to get one bell each if there are four of us?"
"Because that way, at least two of you will be tied to a post and ultimately disqualified for failing the mission." Kakashi said, his voice turning cheerful once more. "That one gets sent back to the Academy, but then again, all four of you could be sent back there. You are free to use any weapon you want: shuriken, kunai, you name it. If you don't come at me with the intent to kill then you will never be able to take a bell from me."
Mamoru narrowed his eyes at the silver-haired Jounin's words. The way he was talking, it was almost as if he was trying to pit them against one another. Not to mention the two bells and the fact that two of them were guaranteed to fail. It didn't make sense to him. The black-haired youth had heard of four-man Genin Teams and even the less common, five-man Genin Teams, but he had never heard of a team comprised of only two Genin and one Jounin.
"Those weapons are too dangerous, sensei!" Sakura exclaimed worriedly.
Naruto laughed at the man. "Especially since you couldn't dodge that eraser!"
The silver-haired Jounin shrugged. "Class clowns are usually the weakest links. Ignore the ones with the lowest scores, for they are more than likely, losers." That statement wounded Naruto's pride, but Kakashi paid him no attention whatsoever. "When I say start, you can all be-!"
Kakashi was interrupted by an angry roar that originated from Naruto. The blond boy pulled out a kunai from his weapon's pouch and rushed at the silver-haired Jounin in an attempt to strike him. Attempt being the key word, since Kakashi neutralized Naruto with ease by grabbing his hand which held the deadly weapon and twisting it around so that the tip of the kunai was now aiming at Naruto's own head.
'So fast…' Mamoru thought as he narrowed his eyes, immediately throwing up his guard. He already knew from his research that this man wasn't to be taken lightly but now, after seeing how easily he handled Naruto, it made him realize just how deadly he really was.
The silver-haired Jounin's little display of speed also made him wonder how the man expected them, fresh graduates of the Shinobi Academy, to be able to snatch a bell from him. The difference in skills between them was vast. If Mamoru or anyone else were to go after him alone, Kakashi would easily be able to subdue them.
But if the three of them were to attack him as one…
A ninja must always look underneath the underneath, Iruka's voice rang in his head and Mamoru's steely grey eyes widened and the barest hint of a smirk passed over his face.
He knew what he had to do.
"Don't be in such a hurry. I didn't say start yet." The silver-haired Jounin chided. "But still, you came at me with the full intention of killing me. So, how can I say this…?" He trailed off before giving his potential students an easy eye-smile. "I'm actually starting to like you guys. Now, if you four are ready, then…START!"
As soon as Kakashi gave the signal, Mamoru struck almost immediately but instead of going on the attack, he chose to pursue a more evasive maneuver. Digging into his weapon's pouch, he pulled out two smoke bombs and threw them at Kakashi's feet. As soon as they hit the ground, they exploded and thick smoke began to spread all around the field in seconds.
"Sakura, follow me!" The black-haired youth barked as he grabbed Naruto and Sasuke by their arms and escaped into the forest, with Sakura following him close behind, a look of complete and utter confusion on her face.
Mamoru wanted to put as much distance as he could between themselves and Kakashi so he continued making his way deeper into the foliage of trees and woodland, all the while ignoring the protests of his teammates as he dragged them along as well as Sakura's constant questioning.
Finally, once he deemed them to be a good distance away, the black-haired youth jumped out into a clearing and unceremoniously dropped Naruto and Sasuke on the ground. He rotated his shoulders to get rid of the slight soreness that had formed from pulling his male teammates.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Sasuke snarled with venom coating his tone of voice as he grabbed Mamoru by the scruff of his white hoodie. Mamoru growled and slammed his hand against the raven-haired boy's chest, roughly pushing him away.
"Don't you ever fucking grab me like that again, Uchiha!" He snarled, meeting the Uchiha boy's angry onyx eyes with his own rageful gaze.
"Don't you dare talk to Sasuke like that, Mamoru!" Sakura screeched at him.
"And what's the deal with dragging us here, huh?!" Naruto piped up as well as he jumped to his feet. "Are you trying to beat all three of us and take the bells for yourself?"
"No, you idiot." Mamoru hissed before he closed his eyes, trying to keep himself calm and leveled. "Look, if you all shut up for a damn second then I'll explain everything."
Sasuke glared at him for a few more seconds before he clicked his teeth and crossed his arms. Seeing that her beloved was willing to listen, Sakura focused an expectant gaze onto the black-haired youth while Naruto, despite looking none too pleased at having been manhandled by his fellow teammate, quieted down as well.
"I believe that this entire exercise is a trick." Mamoru began telling them. "Think about it: have either of you ever heard of a Genin Team with only two Genin and one Jounin?"
"…No." Sakura admitted while Sasuke narrowed his eyes and Naruto blinked in confusion as to where he was going with this.
Mamoru nodded in agreement. "No, you haven't. That's because all Genin Teams are usually made up four members: a Jounin and three Genin. Five-man teams have also been formed before, being especially common during the warring eras. But there has never, in the history of the Leaf, been a three-man Genin Team. Furthermore, everything about this test is designed to pit us against one another. I'd go as far as to say that it is trying too hard to separate us. This survival exercise is practically designed to cause chaos and conflict within a team."
"What's the point you're trying to make?" Sasuke asked coldly and Mamoru glared at him.
"The point I'm trying to make is that I don't think the real purpose of this test is to get the bells." Mamoru revealed, catching his teammates off guard.
"…Are you serious?" Sakura asked stupidly. "You must be as dumb as Naruto if you think that."
"Yeah!" Naruto exclaimed before he blinked. "Wait, what?"
Mamoru rolled his eyes. "It's so simple that even a five year-old could figure it out." He shot at the pinkette. It seemed her intelligence really was only limited to what was in books and nothing beyond. "Like I said before, this test is designed to cause conflict within a team. It's likely that he's trying to get us to come after him one by one, but if we do that then we'll lose. The difference in skill between us is far too great; there's no way that either of us can beat him alone. But if we attack him together, we'll have a greater chance to get the bells. That is what I believe the true purpose of this test is. We have to work as a team to get the bells."
The last Uchiha scoffed at him. "I don't need any of you to get a bell. I can easily get one myself."
"No, you can't." Mamoru replied immediately. "Against someone like Kakashi, you don't stand a chance in hell of getting a bell."
"What did you say?" Sasuke asked dangerously, his fingers twitching as he glared at the black-haired youth.
"I did some research on Kakashi-Sensei yesterday…" Mamoru stated, ignoring Sasuke. "…and what I found was…revealing, to say the least."
Naruto and Sakura and even Sasuke all listened as the black-haired youth filled them in on everything he had learned about their sensei. When he was done talking, two out of three of his teammates had gone pale while Sasuke was suddenly more alert and on-guard.
"…Damn." Naruto muttered, clenching his fists.
"How are we supposed to get a bell from someone like that?" Sakura questioned meekly as her confidence left her body.
"Like I said before, as a team." Mamoru replied gruffly. "I can't guarantee that we'll succeed but our chances of passing this exercise will be far higher if we rush him as one."
A minute passed as Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke took in his words. Then Naruto grinned and crossed his arms behind his head.
"Then it's settled!" He exclaimed with a slight laugh. "If we've got to attack him together to get the bells then that's what we'll do! We're Team Seven, aren't we?"
Mamoru grinned and even Sakura smiled at his proclamation. The only one who still seemed hesitant about working together was Sasuke, who was scowling at the ground.
"Well, what's it gonna be, Rookie-of-the-Year?" Mamoru asked him with narrowed grey eyes. "Are you going to help us? Or are you going to go at this alone?"
After another minute of silence, the Uchiha finally spoke up. "…I assume you have a plan in mind?"
Mamoru nodded. "As a matter of fact, I do. But if we're going to do this then we need to know what the others are good at. I'll go first…"
One Hour Later
Kakashi hummed as he pushed himself off the wooden post he had been leaning against. He had to admit, he had been caught slightly off guard when Mamoru had hit him with the smoke bombs. Once the smoke cleared, neither of his students were anywhere to be seen.
It had been an hour since then and not a single one of the Genin had come at him to try and get a bell. It was the first time something like this had happened. The previous students he had been assigned usually rushed at him as soon as he gave the signal for the test to begin.
It seemed that this batch would be more interesting than he had originally thought them to be. But still, the more time they wasted, the less time they would have to complete the exercise.
The silver-haired Jounin's eyes suddenly widened when the temperature around him rose drastically and a massive burning ball of fire hurtled his way. He quickly jumped back, and the fireball sailed harmlessly passed him, striking the trees at the edge of the forest line and enveloping them in a blaze of glory.
"Careful. We don't want to burn down the entire forest now." Kakashi chided as a lone figure stepped out of the trees, scowling at him. "It's about time. I was beginning to worry that none of you would ever show."
Sasuke said nothing as he glared at him. The two watched each other a moment, before the Uchiha boy suddenly reached down to his weapon's pouch and sent a flurry of shuriken flying at the silver-haired Jounin.
Kakashi easily stepped out of the way. "Attacks like that won't work, my dear Sasuke. You'll have to try a lot harder than that if you want to get a bell."
The last Uchiha smirked before he bent low and lunged forwards.
'Fast.' The silver-haired Jounin noted as Sasuke lashed out with his left leg, aiming a kick at the man's head, which Kakashi blocked with his left arm, before grabbing the boy's foot with his right hand. Sasuke then went to punch him with his right arm, which Kakashi also snatched with ease.
"Naruto!" The Uchiha shouted and Kakashi's lone eye widened as he heard a series of shout coming from behind him. Turning his head, he spotted at least five clones of his hyperactive blond student bursting out from the tree line and charging at him.
'Those aren't just illusions. They're solid clones.' Kakashi analyzed with an impressed look on his face. 'So the rumors are true. He can use the Shadow Clone Jutsu.'
"We've got you now, sensei!" The Naruto clones all chorused as they all cocked their fists and jumped at him. Kakashi whirled around and threw Sasuke at one of the clones, and watched as it exploded out of existence. Sasuke grunted as he hit the ground hard but recovered quickly and jumped to his feet within seconds.
"Now!" Sasuke yelled as he ran to Kakashi's right and reached into his weapon's pouch, sending three kunai flying at Kakashi. The silver-haired Jounin prepared to deflect them but then, much to his surprise, the approaching Naruto clones all unzipped their jumpsuit jackets, revealing exploding tags attached to their chest.
'Is he trying to get himself killed?' Kakashi wondered before realization struck him. 'No…none of them are the real Naruto! They're all clones!'
If that wasn't bad enough, from behind him Sakura emerged as well with three shuriken in each hand which she proceeded to throw at him without any hesitation.
Kakashi smirked as he quickly performed the Substitution Jutsu and appeared to the left, having replaced himself with a log just as the Naruto clones all exploded and the deadly ninja tools hit their mark. 'They really are coming at me with the intent to kill.'
He would be finding no reprieve, however, as an exuberant cry sounded from behind him and Naruto jumped down from a tree, locking Kakashi's arms with his own and wrapping his legs around the silver-haired Jounin's waist.
"Earth Release: Bottomless Swamp!" The ground beneath Kakashi's feet suddenly turned soft and he found himself sinking into a small pool of thick mud until he was submerged up till his knees. Turning his head as far as he could, he saw Mamoru bent low with his hands slammed flat against the earth. "NOW!"
Rapid footsteps caught his attention and the silver-haired Jounin turned his lone eye in front of him to see Sasuke charging towards him, a look of complete and utter determination on his face.
Kakashi closed his eye. If he were being honest, he could have easily gotten out of his current predicament with the Body Flicker Technique. But then that would have negated all of his students' efforts. He never imagined that they would have actually completed the objective but they managed to prove him wrong. So instead of using a jutsu to escape, he simply crinkled his lone eye and allowed the last scion of the Uchiha Clan to lunge over the mud pit and snatch the bells from his waist.
Mamoru couldn't help the shit-eating grin on his face as he watched Sasuke land on the ground behind Kakashi with both bells in his hands. The black-haired youth stood up straight and released his jutsu, letting Kakashi go free.
The plan he had come up with had been executed perfectly.
"We did it! We did it! We got the bells! Believe it, be-freaking-lieve it!" Naruto cheered as he released his hold on Kakashi and jumped away from the man, landing next to Mamoru. Sakura and Sasuke joined them as well with the pinkette bearing a beaming smile on her face while Sasuke was smirking.
"Yes, you did. I am very impressed. But..." Kakashi responded, instantly interrupting Naruto from his cheering. "...don't forget that you only have two bells. Now, which two of you are going to be sent back to the Academy?"
…
"None of us will." Mamoru declared firmly as he stepped forward, sending a hard stare at the silver-haired Jounin.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Well, if you can recall, I specifically stated that two out of four of you would be guaranteed to fail. So, are you going to decide amongst yourselves who those two are going to be or do you want me to choose for you."
"That's so not fair, Kakashi-Sensei!" Naruto shouted while thrusting his finger in the man's direction. "We all worked together to get the bells so we all should be able to pass. We aren't sending anyone back to the Academy!"
"That's right!" Sakura piped up fiercely. "The four of us are a team!"
Sasuke said nothing but the fact that he refused to budge from the others' side spoke volumes.
"So there you go, sensei." The black-haired youth said as the four of them stood tall and proud in front of the silver-haired Jounin. "There's your answer. Now do what you will with it."
"…I see." Kakashi voiced without any emotion. "If that is your answer then I suppose there is only one thing left for me to say…" The silver-haired Jounin suddenly lifted his head and sent an eye-smile their way. "…you pass."
…
"Um, what?" Naruto asked dumbly.
"You pass." Kakashi repeated cheerfully.
"Um, what do you mean?" Sakura asked meekly.
"You're the first squad that ever succeeded. The others did exactly as I said and fell into ever trap. They couldn't think for themselves. A ninja must see through deception." The silver-haired Jounin said as he stood up straight and looked at his new students. "You did figure out the true purpose of this exercise, right?"
"Teamwork." Mamoru replied gruffly. "Yeah I figured it out when you were giving us the instructions for the exercise."
Kakashi smirked beneath his mask. "Just as you managed to find a loophole when I told you not to eat breakfast. I must admit, I'm very impressed, Mamoru." The black-haired youth turned his eyes away, a hint of pink dusting his cheeks at the praise. The silver-haired Jounin then addressed all of the Genin together. "I want you four to remember something, a piece of wisdom a good friend of mine passed on to me: in the ninja world those who break the rules are scum. That is true. But those who abandon their friends are far worse than scum."
Naruto had tears threatening to fall in his eyes. "You know what, he's actually kind of cool."
"The exercise is now over and everyone passes!" Kakashi declared, sending an eye-smile at his Genin. "Meet me back here tomorrow at eight a.m. sharp for your first actual day as Genin. Good work, Team Seven."
Here's my attempt at an OC in the Naruto world. This story might be somewhat AU but will also stick close to canon. Of course I will be tweaking some arcs to fit the inclusion of my OC. I don't want him to just be thrust into the middle of scenes for no reason.
The OC in question in this story goes by the name of Mamoru Yukimura. He isn't a part of any clan and comes from a civilian family but as I have revealed in this chapter, his grandfather and father were both ninja. As for the sword I gave him, it's basically Shusui from One Piece. Same design, same everything. I won't specify what skills Mamoru will as of yet, I'll simply reveal them as the story progresses.
As for pairings, I have narrowed it down to two though I won't be working on any romance as of yet. Besides, it is not going to be a big factor in the story.
I am really hoping that I finish this story but I can't make any promises since life always tends to get in the way. If you've liked what you read so far then feel free to drop a favorite and a follow!
Until next time! :D