A/N
Yoooo, so this is the second chapter! Not way too much to say here, just appreciate all the follows and likes I got on this so far, definitely caught me off guard, and of course the reviews are appreciated as well; even the not so nice ones. I don't want to put a strict timeline on it or anything, but I'll be updating this probably like once a week. I work a full-time job and I'm writing this off my phone currently, so I might slack some weeks. If I ever get stuck on where to go with the story I'll let you guys know and you can hit me with ideas, but I pretty much plan on following canon, albeit kind of loosely, so that shouldn't really happen. Anyways, I'm rambling. Enjoy!
At seeing his old sensei, Naruto's grin grew even wider and his eyes shined an even brighter blue. Kakashi looked just as he remembered him, and for once he was glad that some things hadn't changed so much. A constant like Kakashi was comforting to him in a way; it meant that there was someone there that it didn't seem like he had to relearn from scratch. Sakura and Shikamaru indulged in some of the same tendencies they'd had when they were younger, but something about them felt different to Naruto. He could see it in their eyes and the way they subtly carried themselves. They'd seen a lot in the three years he'd been gone, things that had caused them to mature in different ways. He supposed he shouldn't be so put off by it, they'd been children when he'd last seen them, after all. Still, it reminded him that he would never get those days back, of being bright eyed and bushy tailed, of being carefree and ignorant of the world around them. Even if Jiraiya hadn't taken him on a lengthy training trip, the absence of his former teammate and the fall out of his defection would have made sure of that. He felt a pang of guilt that he was rather familiar with by now, but forced it away, pushing those thoughts from his mind.
"Hell yeah, 'ttebayo! I was wondering when I'd see you around here, you haven't changed a bit Sensei!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Wish I could say the same for you… you've grown up quite a bit, Naruto. It seems you're no longer my cute little Kohai, I could cry." Despite what he'd said, Kakashi's face portrayed nothing of the sort, his face as impassive as it ever was. "However, it's time to see if you've grown up past your looks. Meet me at our old training grounds, both of you. I trust you remember the way, Ja Ne." With that, he disappeared almost as quickly as he'd arrived in a puff of white smoke, no doubt a result of the Shunshin technique.
Tsunade gritted her teeth as a vein popped up on her temple.
'Damn that Kakashi! How dare he steal my thunder! I didn't even get a chance to explain what the test was! When I get my hands on that old scarecrow I'll…' She massaged her temples, a sigh escaping from her lips. The bastard was always so predictable until the moment he wasn't. Dropping in and interrupting her before disappearing was somewhat on brand for him though, especially concerning his students. She wondered just how long he'd been listening outside, waiting for the right moment to butt in just to fuck with her.
"Yes, as Kakashi so eloquently explained, he will be administering your test today. You three will be a cell again moving forward, so it's best that you get a handle on each other's capabilities as quickly as possible before taking on missions. Understanding your allies' strengths and weaknesses on the field are just as important as understanding the enemies'. It can mean the difference between life and death. Take this test seriously, what you learn from this could one day save a mission, or more importantly, a comrade."
Sakura, who'd to this point been completely silent- something that didn't go unnoticed by either Jiraiya or Naruto -nodded vigorously at this.
"Hai, Hokage-sama! I'll do my best!"
Naruto himself only nodded, fire raging in his eyes. He could barely contain himself right now, he was so ecstatic. Even though he didn't know what the test would be- though he had a decent guess -Kakashi-sensei being involved told him all he needed to know. From what he understood, he was one of the most powerful Shinobi in the village, a legend across the elemental nations. Testing his skills against someone of that stature was just what he needed to validate the skills he'd gained from training himself to the bone for the past three years, and so soon after he'd returned? He'd show everyone that he wasn't the same Naruto that they knew. He was better. Much better.
"If that's understood then, dismissed!" Tsunade said with finality, watching as Naruto nearly vaulted from the same window that Kakashi had, a blonde and gray blur of motion that swept Tsunade's hair back. Sakura simply shook her head at Naruto before leaving from whence they'd entered, choosing to make her way to the training grounds with class.
'Good on her.' Jiraiya thought, before preparing to perform a Shunshin to the nearest bathhouse.
"And just where do you think you're going?" Jiraiya heard just before he took off, slowly turning towards Tsunade, who simply looked at him expectantly with a raised eyebrow.
'Shit…' He thought. Tsunade's face morphed into one of disgust as she watched her former teammate sputtering to find a suitable answer. He didn't truly think he'd get away with that kind of behavior so easily, did he?
"I'm curious to see what you've taught him. Let's watch." she said, and Jiraiya could tell that there was no arguing. She stood up from her desk, grabbing Jiraiya by the collar as she walked past him to drag him away limply, his dreams shattered by her monstrous strength and authority. A sad state for one of the most powerful Shinobi in the world, really. Maybe if he wasn't such a lecher she wouldn't have to treat him like a child.
"And by the way, I missed you too, you old pervert. I just hope you haven't given him your worst qualities during your time away." She said, softening up as she dragged him roughly through the hallways of the Hokage Tower. Jiraiya's arms remained crossed, a childish pout marring his visage, but at her words, he could feel a small smile tug at his lips.
Naruto arrived first, bursting into the Training Ground Seven with barely contained glee, eyes darting frantically about searching every corner of the area for his sensei. They only settled on three familiar wooden posts placed in the center of the clearing and small lake off to the side, one that he'd had the unfortunate experience of landing face first into three years ago during Team Seven's first test after Kakashi had- he shuddered to even think about it. There was no Kakashi, though, and his fists clenched at the realization, teeth grinding in irritation. It seemed he'd forgotten exactly who his sensei was, how foolish of him to think that man would ever be anywhere before them. Sakura arrived shortly afterwards, far more calm than Naruto who was raring to start. When Naruto spotted Sakura walking into the clearing, he let his thoughts be known:
"Where the hell is that jerk?!? He left before us!" A smile tugged at Sakura's lips, and Naruto couldn't help but blush at the sheer beauty, the gesture calming him a bit.
"You're as impatient as ever, Naruto-kun. Relax, this is just how Kakashi-sensei is. Though, I have a feeling he won't be as late here as he usually is." She said knowingly, something that confused Naruto.
"What do you mea-?" He wasn't afforded the opportunity to finish the question as a hail of shuriken streaked toward them faster than most could even see. Naruto and Sakura were not most, however. Sakura was already in motion by the time Naruto turned his head, having already sensed Kakashi's signature in the trees, waiting patiently for the opportunity to strike them while they were off guard. She strafed to the right, the deadly projectiles impacting where she'd just been standing a mere second before. Naruto, however, remained still, his brows furrowed in annoyance as he stared down the shuriken hurtling towards him. They all missed, hitting the ground around and behind him as he simply stood, unflinching even when one flew close to his ear. Sakura's eyes widened in surprise at this.
'Kakashi-sensei missed? Wait, no…'
"Man, Sensei, if your aim's this bad this test is gonna be a breeze, 'ttebayo!" Naruto said tauntingly, a smug smirk on his face.
'So that's how it is, huh Naruto? That's some pretty subtle application. Even I almost missed it.' Sakura thought. She'd sensed what he'd done at the very last second: Utilizing Fūton chakra, Naruto had diverted the shuriken away from him completely, but only just enough to avoid getting hit. She wasn't sure if he'd done it to avoid Kakashi noticing or to simply gloat over him. With Naruto, though, she could never be sure.
"Maa, maa, Naruto-kun. I wouldn't get too excited if I were you. I was only gauging if I should take this at least somewhat seriously. If you two couldn't dodge some pesky shuriken, you wouldn't really be worth my time." Kakashi jumped down from the trees to stand in front of them as he said this, Icha Icha book that Naruto was sure he'd read over a hundred times already in hand. Naruto's left eye twitched. How dare this closet pervert underestimate them?
"Now that I've got got your attention, the test" Kakashi snapped his book closed and stored it in his pouch for safe keeping, procuring two bells as he did so, dangling it in front of him for all to see. "Is quite simple. Get these two bells from me before night falls. I don't really care how you do it. However," he heard Naruto's groan accompanied by "this again?" But ignored it, continuing his explanation while slowly lifting the left side of his headband, exposing his three-tomoe Sharingan to the world. "This isn't like it was back when you did it as cute little Genin. I won't sit and wait for you to try, and I won't be taking it easy on you two this time, come at me with the intent to kill."
With that, Kakashi burst forward like a streak of lightning, unloading a punch that aimed to take Naruto's head off. It connected with flesh, Kakashi feeling Naruto's cheekbone give way underneath his fist before he dispelled in a plume of smoke.
'A shadow clone, huh? Clever of him to send one in first… now where could he b-'
Kakashi's thoughts were interrupted as he felt a presence behind him a split second before Naruto unleashed a roundhouse kick to his temple, aiming to take him out in one blow. Kakashi whirled around, his left forearm shooting up to block the kick, and for a moment he was shocked at the force behind it. His free right hand fired a quick jab at the Uzumaki's abdomen that was slapped to the outside by Naruto's left palm, before he brought up his other leg in an attempt to crack the Jonin across the jaw. Kakashi ducked underneath the kick, and Naruto used the momentum to turn away from his opponent, planting both hands and feet on the ground before chaining into a two-legged mule kick to the face that was blocked by both forearms, the sheer strength of the blows sending the silver-haired Jonin skidding back.
"My, my, It seems your Taijutsu has improved, Naruto. I'm impressed." Kakashi said. Just Improved was a gross understatement, however. From that brief exchange, Kakashi could tell that Naruto's skill had increased tremendously. He was downright formidable in close combat now. Naruto grinned darkly at the compliment.
"Trust me, Sensei, I'm just getting started, 'ttebayo!" He punctuated his statement by summoning four clones that all charged towards Kakashi at speed. Though, it wasn't as fast as he'd anticipated. Was Naruto really this slow? No, something was off. He coursed chakra through his body to break the Genjutsu cast on him, and not a second too soon, as he redirected a clone's punch that he'd previously thought to be six feet away from him, driving his knee into its gut to dispel it. There was no time to rest, however, as three other Naruto's were immediately upon him. A kunai materialized into his hand as he backpedaled away, the clones hounding him relentlessly. He met a palm strike aimed at his solar plexus with his forearm, allowing the Naruto to grab his arm before pulling him in close and running him through the abdomen with his kunai, dispelling the clone in a plume of smoke that the other two wasted no time bursting through. One swept at his legs with a kick while the other threw a spinning back kick at his temple, going for a high and low combination designed to make him choose between them. Kakashi chose neither, leaping into the air to avoid both, the smirks on the clones' faces at his decision alerting him before a shadow appeared above him accompanied by the sound of swirling wind.
Turning his head to look over his shoulder, he was greeted by the sight of a third Naruto hurtling towards him from above, a massive blue sphere of chakra primed to turn the Jonin into paste emerging from the palm of his hand.
"Odama Rasengan!" Naruto shouted before slamming the sphere into Kakashi, the two Naruto's on the ground leaping away just as they smashed into the earth, creating a massive dust cloud from the impact. As the dust cleared, it revealed an enormous crater from the point of impact, Naruto standing at the center of it. He was alone.
'What the hell? He escaped? My setup was perfect!' Naruto's eyes widened as he heard a voice behind him, practically in his ear.
"Nice try, Naruto, but no dice. Kawarimi (Substitution Jutsu)." Kakashi chided, before he delivered a back fist that connected with Naruto's jaw, sending him flying out the crater and tumbling on the ground. This time it was no clone. Naruto wasted no time in rising once more, looking no worse for wear. He'd taken much harder hits from Jiraiya, compared to that Kakashi had given him a love tap. Kakashi had no time to enjoy his small victory as he heard a voice call out:
"Suitor: Suidan no Jutsu! (Water Release: Water Bullet Technique)" Sakura called from the lip of the crater, before expelling a powerful torrent of water from her mouth at Kakashi, forcing him to run up the wall of the crater to dodge before vaulting out in a flip. As soon as he did, Sakura cut her water technique, leaving the crater a small lake, and used a quick Shunshin to close the distance between them, hands glowing blue as she went on the offensive, swiping at Kakashi rapidly with open palms, aiming to sever muscles and tendons using the Chakura no Mesu (Chakra Scalpel). Kakashi had sparred with Sakura dozens of times, and so knew that blocking or redirecting her attacks was not an option here, lest he lose control of one of his extremities for his trouble. The issue was she was even faster than Naruto, having trained her speed almost exclusively to enhance her unique fighting style. Still, Kakashi was faster than both, and had little difficulty weaving Sakura's precise strikes. That was until Naruto's remaining clones joined the fray, both adding tremendous pressure offensively with their unique fighting style and preventing Kakashi from landing any decisive blows against Sakura, covering any gaps in her defense with their superior Taijutsu while she worked vigorously to land even one strike on the Copy Nin. As the larger threat, Kakashi had to prioritize Sakura in the exchange, which left openings for the clones that they eagerly attempted to exploit. The Jonin was actually forced to sweat to avoid getting hit, his Sharingan helping him stay one step ahead of the three's coordinated assault.
'They've only been fighting together for about three minutes now, knowing almost nothing about the other's abilities and they're already working well as a team. To great effect as well. Impressive, however…'
Kakashi fell back and formed a hand seal in between strikes, a clone materializing in front of him and intercepting what would have been a decisive blow for Sakura with a kunai, leveraging his superior strength by pushing against the girl to send her skidding back, before immediately dashing after her, intending to restore balance to their exchange. Now left two versus one, Kakashi jumped back further to weave hand seals, but before he could cast the jutsu he'd planned to, he was slammed into from behind by what felt like a wall, sending his body careening forward from the force.
"Futon: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!" The original Naruto called from behind Kakashi, having waited silently after recovering from the earlier hit in order to catch Kakashi off guard. It seemed his patience had paid off. As Kakashi quickly weaved more hand seals mid-flight he looked ahead to see the clones in front of him smirking triumphantly, both cocking their fists back to hammer into him as flew forward. Kakashi finished his Jutsu just as his body reached them, calling out his jutsu:
"Ration: Raigen Raikōchū (Lightning Release: Flash Pillar)!" A blinding white light emanated from the Jonin's body, forcing the clones' eyes shut from the brightness. Still, they shot their fists forward, figuring that the man was still defenselessly being blown towards them. Their thoughts were confirmed as they felt their fists impact hard against flesh, crumpling the Jonin before them. Before they could even think to celebrate their 'victory' both were dispelled by dual flying clotheslines, the Silver-haired Jonin they thought they'd just defeated rolling calmly to his feet using his earlier momentum, looking back disinterestedly at the real Naruto as he rose. As the clones' memories came back to Naruto, he became puzzled. What had just happened? He'd been sure his clones' attacks had connected! Not only that, but he was certain that Kakashi's body was supposed to reach his clones before it actually had. What was going on?
"Like my Genjutsu, Naruto? I picked the second up from a Kumo ninja some time back, useful that one is. The first? Well, Sakura's little illusion sure did catch my eye earlier…" He explained, watching as Naruto's eyes widened.
'Sakura's? What is he talking about?' Naruto thought. He hadn't even been aware that Sakura had done anything earlier before she'd properly joined the fray. Past that, Kakashi had layered the illusions? He knew it was possible, but this was the first time he'd ever seen it in action. He idly coursed chakra through his body to break any residual effects to find Kakashi standing six feet closer than he'd originally thought. Naruto had gotten better at dispelling Genjutsu, but the subtlety of it had been too advanced for him it seemed. He grit his teeth in annoyance, looking past Kakashi to see Sakura locked in a grueling exchange with Kakashi's clone; one that she was starting to lose.
'This isn't working… I've gotta do something!' Naruto thought. They needed a quick-hitter; something that would be able to catch Kakashi off guard and allow them to regroup. Luckily, he had just the thing. Naruto focused as he molded his chakra into wind, allowing it to seep from his pores and coalesce into a thin, invisible cloak surrounding his body. He felt himself become significantly lighter- almost as if he was beginning to float -and as he finished the technique, shot forward towards Kakashi whose eyes widened at the blonde's unexpected burst of his speed, even his sharingan barely able to follow his student's movements. Only his finely tuned instincts borne from his decades of experience as a Shinobi allowed him to bring his arms up in time to block the inevitable strike, though his shock only increased as instead of attacking, Naruto blew right past him towards where Sakura and his clone were engaging in a Taijutsu bout. Kakashi's head spun after Naruto, his eyes narrowing as he realized Naruto's goal.
'So, he's planning to take care of my clone with a quick attack and then regroup with Sakura to mount a more coordinated offensive? Sharp tactics, Naruto…' With the head start that he had already, Kakashi knew he wouldn't be able to stop him. The kid had gotten over on him, though for some reason, he wasn't so upset about it.
Sakura grunted in pain as she took another hit from Kakashi's clone, this time it was a punch aimed at her throat that she'd barely been able to redirect to hit her shoulder instead. The force behind the punch still threatened to dislocate her shoulder, and she idly channeled chakra to the point of impact to heal the bruising that would no doubt have appeared otherwise, as well as any other damage that may have resulted from it. All the while she continued to attempt to tag the man with her Chakura no Mesu to no avail. She'd been unable to hit him even once, even with her blinding speed. It had been going on like this for a while, Kakashi's clone stealing blows with his superior Taijutsu skill while she tried everything she could to touch him even once, meanwhile healing the damage she received from each of his strikes. By now, she could feel the drain on her chakra as she maintained her technique and healed herself at the same time; this couldn't go on forever. While her chakra control was impeccable, and allowed her to expend only what was absolutely necessary to perform a Jutsu, some techniques were just inherently higher cost than others, especially used simultaneously. It didn't help either that by now Kakashi knew not to give her space to cast a Genjutsu, which was her true specialty. Even with the Sharingan, he could detect them more quickly, but he still had to take the time to dispel each one, and even the second that would take could prove to be costly for him. Even so, he knew that Sakura wasn't built for prolonged Taijutsu exchanges, preferring to utilize her speed and Chakura no Mesu to end exchanges quickly, if she ever needed to get in close. He would use that to his advantage.
So, he kept the pressure up, turning his body sideways to seamlessly dodge a spear hand to the chest that would have severed his aortic artery had it landed, lashing out with a fierce side kick in response that connected with her chest, and he felt bones creak under his sandals as the air left her body and sent her flying away from him. He would give her no time to rest however, as before she could finish her flight, he used Shunshin to reappear behind her, fist cocked back to unleash a devastating punch to her cranium that would most likely concuss her, if not put her out of the fight for good. Right before it landed, though, he was blindsided by a vicious punch that crashed into his jaw so quickly that his Sharingan could only make out a shock of blonde hair before he was dispelled. Having landed his surprise attack, Naruto acted quickly, turning and catching Sakura out of mid-air before she hit him, skidding back slightly from the force with which she'd been sent.
His control over the wind cloak shrouding his form wavered, before it dispelled completely. The Kazeyoke-ban (Wind Shroud) technique was still in its experimental phase, having been developed fairly recently after Jiraiya had told him of the Raikage's own signature technique, which utilized lightning to such an extent it allowed him to be the fastest man in the entire Elemental Nations. Currently, Naruto's own version was nowhere near refined enough to be on the same level, and he didn't have enough chakra control yet to sustain it past simple quick-burst movements and surprise attacks. It had served its purpose here, though it likely wouldn't work again now that the surprise factor was gone. He'd been saving it to make a play at the bells at some point, but Sakura's well-being took precedence. His chances of successfully snagging the bells by himself was practically zero, after all.
"You okay, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked the girl in his arms worriedly, breathing out a sigh of relief once he got a response.
"Yeah, I'm fine. That bastard sure can pack a punch-er kick, though… Thank you, Naruto." She said gratefully as he set her down, channeling chakra to quickly heal the fractures in her ribcage she'd sustained from the clone's kick. She looked to Naruto, who had his eyes trained on the real Kakashi several meters in front of them, seemingly waiting for them to continue.
"We can't let him separate us again. I hate to admit it, but as of now, we're no match for him alone…" Naruto said, not taking his eyes off of their opponent. "Sensei said something about you using a Genjutsu earlier. Do you know more?" Sakura nodded in affirmation, before realizing that he probably couldn't see her do so.
"Yeah, a lot more. Do you have something in mind?" She was curious now, just what was her old teammate cooking up?
"I'll attack Kakashi-sensei head-on. Cover me with constant Genjutsu, I'll make sure to keep his focus on me and prevent him from using any large-scale techniques. Whenever you see an opening, go for the bells. We can't just attack him individually anymore, he'll pick us apart one by one. So we've gotta combine our strengths and work in tandem if we want any chance of getting those bells, 'ttebayo!"
Sakura nodded at this, trying to fight down the blush that was forming on her face. When did Naruto get this authoritative? She was once again reminded that he'd changed, not just as a combatant but as a person as well. Though, she had to admit, she quite liked this side of him.
"Right! Let's go." She now looked towards Kakashi with determination in her eyes as she readied herself to enact the plan. It was as good as any other. Taijutsu-wise, she knew Naruto could contend with Kakashi from the exchange she'd seen, even if he wasn't as fast as him. That's where she would come in, though. She would even the playing field by bombarding the Jonin with Genjutsu that would throw off his senses and prevent him from capitalizing on any openings Naruto would have. This was the home stretch, the real battle started here.
"So, polished Taijutsu skill, some decent Fūton manipulation, more efficient use of clones and nice battle tactics… All very impressive, but I haven't seen anything that warrants three years of absence, Jiraiya. Kakashi hasn't even been forced to use any Ninjutsu yet, past a Kage Bunshin and some clever use of Genjutsu." Tsunade said from her perch on a tree overlooking Training Ground Seven, studying the combatants intently. There were no surprises from Sakura, she'd helmed most of her training, after all. She knew the girl's strengths and weaknesses well.
'She'd have even less weaknesses if she wasn't so damn stubborn about being a Genjutsu specialist… once that damned Hatake got in her ear about it, that's all she's been focused on, the bastard. Who needs finesse when you can just bust your way through anything?' She thought bitterly. She'd never forgive the man for robbing her of her legacy by babbling to her student about some Genjutsu garbage. After that, she'd never been so much as mildly interested in Tsunade's fighting style, the Hokage only having been able to pass down her vast medical knowledge to her, something she took an avid interest in. Past that, the girl had poured all of her energy into becoming proficient at Genjutsu, learning the art with help from Kurenai and working with Kakashi to round out her own fighting style. She supposed she couldn't be too upset though, even without Tsunade's own monstrous strength, Sakura had become a fine Shinobi. Nearly a Genjutsu master who excelled at close and long range, with various Suiton techniques to supplement her capabilities, and a skilled sensor to boot. As it was, she was on the precipice of a promotion to Tokubetsu Jonin.
Naruto, however, had definitely surprised her with some of the skills he'd shown so far, easily around Sakura's level as a combatant. However, she'd expected a bit more from him after being exclusively trained by a Shinobi of Jiraiya's caliber over the better part of three years. Her thoughts were interrupted by a bark of laughter beside her from the man himself leaning against the trunk of the tree.
"You think this is all I taught him? How lowly you must think of me. Just sit tight, Hime. You haven't seen anything yet!" Jiraiya said with a smirk full of confidence. His original goal had been to train Naruto to properly utilize the Kyuubi's power while shoring up his basic skills as a Shinobi, but after an incident early on in their training, he'd pivoted to training him as a Shinobi first and a Jinchuriki second. Once he'd imparted onto him the true potential of his signature technique, the Kage Bunshin, the boy had progressed rapidly, shattering Jiraiya's original timeline and leaving the Sannin ample time to train him in more advanced techniques and abilities. He'd even started to develop his own unique techniques, like the Kazeyoke-ban, though most of these were currently either unrefined or unfinished, not fit to use in the heat of battle. Now, even if he was still somewhat undeveloped as a Jinchuriki, only being able to control two tails- and even then, just barely -As a Shinobi, Naruto was rock solid. That's why Jiraiya knew, as he trained his eyes onto the battlefield his protege was currently on,
He was just getting started.
Hundreds of miles away, in the deserts of Kaze no Kuni, two figures stalked towards Sunagakure no Sato, draped in high-collared black cloaks with red cloud imprinted onto them, conical straw hats atop their heads, the white torques hanging from the edges swaying in the desert winds. One figure seemed to be hunched, shuffling alongside his partner towards their destination. The taller one broke the comfortable (depending on who one asked) silence, groaning in exasperation.
"Sasori, are we close yet? I can't stand all this fucking sand in my sandals, un!" If it were up to him, he'd have simply flown here, but was talked down by his partner from doing so. Something about "remaining inconspicuous". As if Deidara cared about that crap! With what they were planning to do, it didn't matter if they were conspicuous or not, they'd have the entire village to contend with soon enough anyway, especially considering Deidara's unique style of "art". The aforementioned Sasori spoke, his voice almost unnaturally deep.
"Stop whining, Deidara. We won't be long now. Are you ready for this?" Sasori asked, though he didn't truly care much for his cohort's answer. They wouldn't fail this mission. He'd make sure of it himself if he had to.
"What the hell kinda question is that, un?! I've got more than enough clay to take this whole shitty village out in one go! I've got this in the bag, un." Deidara scoffed. Who did Sasori take him for, some wet-behind-the-ears Genin? He wouldn't be caught dead without enough clay for this type of mission.
"Don't get too overconfident, idiot. You're going up against a Kage here, and we need him alive." Sasori said simply. He knew his words weren't heard, though. He'd been partners with the man long enough to know that this was just who Deidara was.
"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya, just make sure no one interferes, alright?" Deidara said with an arrogant smirk. "By the end of this, Sabaku no Gaara will know true art, un!"
A/N
So that's the chapter! So yeah, I changed some stuff. Sakura won't be a Tsunade clone in this one. Personally, I found it kind of lazy that she ended up being one in canon. As of now, her abilities are more geared towards support, she's a capable close range fighter but it isn't really her thing. Against someone like Kakashi she's pretty much free eats. As the story goes on that might change, though. I'm trying to strike a balance between making the characters not weak but still leaving them room to grow in their abilities. That applies to Naruto as well. Next chapter, you'll be seeing a lot more of what they can really do as we conclude the bell test, along with the start of Gaara vs. Deidara, though it won't be exactly how you might remember it.
(A bit of a side note: Kakashi is a good bit stronger at this point than his canon counterpart was at the same time. He hasn't been sitting on his laurels All this time either, he's pretty much knocking on the door of low Kage level at this point, which is why he's been handling Naruto and Sakura so easily.)
As always, I'm not perfect, so let me know if there's anything that I could've done better, feedback is always appreciated. Till next time!