Chapter two
"What?! So Iruka-sensei wasn't joking, and we really can fail and get sent back to the academy?!" Sakura suddenly yelled, causing both Naruto and Sasuke to cover their ears, the sound on this one would impress the soon to be known sound village. "Exactly that, but now that we know the stakes how about we introduce ourselves hmph?" Sakura looked stunned but just sighed, "Well, why don't you start the Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi looked up at the sky and the nodded, "Well my name is Kakashi Hatake, my dislikes I keep to myself, and well my goals really are not a concern here." Even Naruto was stunned by the answer, it really didn't tell the genin anything. "Um, okay. Well I am Sakura Haruno, my goal is-'' she giggled and looked at Sasuke, "something I dislike is people who get in between me and my goals!" Sakura said glaring at Naruto, "hmph, you say something?" Naruto said looking over at her with a blank stare. "CHA! Who does Naruto-baka think he is playing cool, he isn't Sasuke!" her inner voice shouted. 'a fangirl, we have to work on that stat…' Kakashi thought to himself with an awkward eye smile.
"that leaves you up next blondie." Kakashi said to Naruto, of course he already knew more than 99.9% of the village about him. Kakashi's heart felt heavy with how similar Naruto looked to his father, with his hair growing out it was uncanny, and only flooded him with memories of his past. "Naruto Uzumaki, I guess I like ramen and fighting. I am the next hokage." He said calmly, looking up Kakashi with a glint of frustration. Naruto knew it was either lord third, or Kakashi's request to be their sensei though Naruto was leaning to it being lord third. Naruto's demeanor was incredibly different than three years ago, he had not talked to Hiruzen since the day he found out who his parents were. He still didn't understand why the village blamed him for his parents' death, he didn't even know if he forgave his parents for dying on him. Was that selfish? Maybe, but the abuse Naruto endured throughout his life he felt justified everything he felt. "Only one left now." Kakashi said staring at Sasuke, "Hm. Sasuke Uchiha, I don't really like anything, but my goal is to kill a certain someone." Naruto's eyes darted to Sasuke, 'he's talking about his brother, isn't he? I'll never understand how someone could kill their clan just to test their strength. Though it's not like I ever had a clan that lived to my birth to begin with.' Naruto thought to himself. "Charming! Well, I will see you all at training ground 3, ja ne!" with that Kakashi disappeared through a puff of smoke, and for some reason Naruto felt like someone was watching him.
In lord thirds office stood Kakashi and Hiruzen, "Well Kakashi, do you think he is dangerous? Or truly wishes to become hokage someday?" Hiruzen said with a serious tone, "I don't think its fair to think he'd ever go rogue, given everything he now knows about his parents. If you want me to be honest lord third, the problem involving Naruto is he looks just like his dad. Once he is out on real missions his father's enemies will take notice, I give it less than a year before he's marked in the bingo book. Hell, I give it three months before the villager's demand answers." Hiruzen sighed, "I kept the secret for so long, it nearly killed Naruto more than once, do you remember that day, Kakashi, when we truly thought we lost him?" Kakashi frowned, "I wish I didn't, stabbing a 7-year-old child sixteen times? The only reason he is alive is because of the nine tails, which begs a ever bigger question, how is he going to react when he finds out what is inside him, and how that thing inside him killed his parents? More importantly, that you left that part out when you told him who his parents were." Hiruzen remained unnerved, "Should Naruto find out, and make the wrong decision that dangers this village, we will handle it." Kakashi sighed, "if I can speak freely lord third, every problem that COULD arise, all goes back to you withholding the truth from him and the village, even if it would alert his fathers enemies."
With that the conversation ended, and the night in Konaha was young. Naruto slowly walked up to ichiraku ramen, a childhood staple. For the first time in three years Naruto was nervous, why? Because Ayame was about to rip the boy a new one. "Welcome to ich- Naruto!" Teuchi shouted and had a huge smile on his face. "Headband!" was all he managed to say to which Naruto smiled. "that's right, but tomorrow is the true test with our sensei." Teuchi quickly fixed up a large bowl and put in front of Naruto, "first bowls on me, son! It is so good to have you back." Next, Naruto's heart skipped a beat, "Dad who are you giving free stuff to?!—Naruto!" Ayame said, dropping a spoon that clanged before running out the shop and hugging him. Naruto turned slightly red and returned the hug, "Three years you idiot! Couldn't even say hi?!" she said with a sad smile, she was happy to see the new ninja truly. "I know, life got complicated pretty fast and I guess I shifted my focus on training." Teuchi laughed, "well that explains why you shot up so fast! I know my ramen is the best of all the lands but it aint exactly gonna help you grow big and strong!" Naruto chowed down after, he knew his three-year isolation wasn't good for him, but what else could he do? He needed to get strong, and prevent more cycles of hatred, so no one had to suffer the way he did.
The next day, training ground three
The three genin of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were on time at training ground three. Who wasn't there though? Kakashi of course, leading Naruto to sigh and climb up and sit on a tree. "What are you doing, Naruto?" Sakura asked looking up at him, "He's going to be an hour late minimum, and I didn't get much rest last night anyway." Sakura looked puzzled, when did Naruto become so relaxed and well spoken? Was she just never paying attention or did something change one day. "Oh, I couldn't sleep much either. Do you think this test will be hard?" Naruto glanced down at her and Sasuke who was curious too, "Maybe. Knowing Kakashi though whatever the test is a façade. He wants to see if we-" before Naruto could finish Kakashi appeared in a puff of smoke. "Hey! Sorry I was late an old lady was crossing the street and I had to help!" he proudly yet flatly said with an eye smile. Naruto could do nothing but face palm. 'Is this really going to work out? I.. I want to be an arm's length from my past, but can I if Kakashi is my sensei? And it's only a matter of time before he shows up.' Naruto thought to himself, not even noticing Kakashi began explaining the test, the bell test. 'Shit, it's a cooperative test to see if we will help each other. This isn't good. If I can't convince these two to help me, we'll fail!' Kakashi finished, pulling out a little orange book. "Begin!" Naruto gritted his teeth and scattered with his teammates, "At least they're smart enough to not fight me head on…" Kakashi thought.
Naruto watched from a distance before looking to find Sasuke or Sakura, finding Sasuke first. "Tch, you're not going to like this Uchiha-san, but you figured out he is testing our teamwork skills, right?" he asked, his voice rather flat, "don't act like you know more than me, teme!" Sasuke shouted gritting his teeth causing Naruto to face palm. "Whatever, you'll see, believe it!" Naruto said with an annoyed look, 'why did I say that?' Naruto thought to himself, referring to the believe it before jumping along some trees. "No, Sasuke, I'll save you!" Naruto abruptly stopped himself and jumped to see behind him, it was Sakura, scared of... nothing? Naruto's gasped, "Sakura relax it's a genjutsu!" He jumped towards her with the release hand sign but right as he went to activate it, she passed out. 'You idiot, no way Kakashi-sensei used a believable one on you.' He thought to himself, it was too late though, and his position was revealed as he was right in front of Kakashi. "She didn't seem too pleased to see her lover like that."
Naruto's eyebrow twitched, despite his lack of respect for her as kunoichi at this point, feelings don't change that easily. Naruto straightened his back and got into fighting form, "it's useless you know, sensei?" Naruto said looking at Kakashi's lone eye as he read his book. "And what is useless Naruto?" Kakashi asked in return. "You know they won't fight with me, not at this point anyway, and if we do learn we'll be back at the academy… I guess I just have to snatch those bells for us all then?!" Naruto said with a big smile before quickly appearing in front of Kakashi, reeling a side kick to his head which was promptly blocked by his open hand. 'No way a genin is that fast, I almost didn't fully track him.' Kakashi thought, impressed and shocked. Naruto used his momentum for a double overhead axhandle that left a small double fist sized hole in the dirt, "Wind Style," Naruto shouted quickly running through three hand signs, "Freezing breath!" a stream of freezing wind blew towards Kakashi causing him to jump back. "I guess I won't be able to read my book while fighting you, huh Naruto?" he asked with a creepily massive eye smile. "Tch!" was Naruto's reply before launching three kunai towards him, "Multi shadow clone kunai jutsu!" Naruto shouted, the three kunai turning into nine. 'A play on lord thirds Jutso!' Kakashi thought, the kunai striking him only for him to turn into a puff of smoke. When Kakashi looked ahead, Naruto was gone with Sakura's body.
Sasuke was seething, he knew Naruto had grown but this much?! He'd never even see them use those jutsu and how he's fighting a jonin! "Sasuke!" Naruto said landing next to him gently setting down Sakura, "Surely you realize it now, right?" he asked almost sounding desperate, if he failed, all his dreams went up in smoke. Sasuke clenched his fist, "Test your strength you bastard, show me how much you improved!" Naruto was taken aback causing him to yell back, "Seriously?! You wanna do this now you whiny bastard!" Naruto said while reaching out and grabbing Sasuke by his collar, which Sasuke returned grabbing Naruto's. "Well done, you argued and got your comrade killed, if this were a real battle." Kakashi said, holding a still fainted Sakura, a annoyed look in his eye. 'Shit!' both Sasuke and Naruto thought. "Sasuke now or never!" Without another word Sasuke and Naruto were locked in, Naruto trying to kick Kakashi high, and Sasuke swinging for his legs. Kakashi moved away, allowing Sasuke to flip his hands, and graze the two bells on Kakashi's belt, with that distraction, Naruto grabbed Sakura and kicked off Kakashi's shoulder. Naruto and Sasuke left trail marks on the dirt from stopping their momentum when they jumped back, Naruto looked down at Sakura before gently setting her down.
"You ready Sasuke?" Naruto asked with a grin, and before he could answer Kakashi stuck out his hand. "Enough, we're taking a lunch break," Both Sasuke and Naruto immediately glared daggers into the jonin, "be proud kiddos, you already have gotten further than everywhere else I have failed." Kakashi smiled, 'so he hasn't passed anyone before…' Sasuke thought to himself. Kakashi asked Naruto to carry Sakura as they walked into an open field, he put her on his back and carried her. "N-Naruto?!" she asked rather loudly by his ear, "You fainted, please don't move too fast. We haven't passed or failed; we aren't sure what is next." Naruto said coldly and Sakura frowned. 'They look like they fought, and all I did was faint.' Sakura thought as her head sank behind Naruto. Kakashi tied Sakura to a post and gave Naruto and Sasuke a bento lunch box. "How are we supposed to resume if one of us goes hungry?" Naruto asked, still holding his unopened food. "You'll have to find out! Do not, under any circumstances help or feed her or I WILL fail you!"
Kakashi said and left in a puff of smoke. After about twenty seconds of silence Naruto scoffed, "As if I ever gave a damn what anyone ever told me to do." Naruto opened his box and used the chopsticks to try feeding Sakura, Sasuke ate a bite of his food before sighing and offering some of his too. "What are you guys doing?! Just eat, I was too weak against a basic attack." Naruto held the chopsticks near her still which had a piece of meat. "if we are going to beat him, we have to do it together, and none of us should be hungry." From a distance, Kakashi felt relieved, watching them finally be the first to put two and two together. Sasuke nodded, "Naruto is right. We'll accomplish nothing alone." A sentiment Sasuke wouldn't carry for very long. Sakura almost teared up and took a bite from Naruto's chopsticks, which was followed by a loud bang, smoke and an angry Kakashi. 'Shit!" Naruto thought, "You!" Kakashi shouted, his lone eye filled with rage. "You pass!" the three were dumbfounded, "So it had nothing to do with the bells?" Sasuke asked, as Naruto began untying Sakura from the post. "It was always about teamwork, something I hope I'll drill better into you three. Don't be late for our first day of training tomorrow! 9am sharp!" Naruto just stared, "So 11am, maybe?" he asked blankly causing a grin from Sasuke and a chuckle from Sakura. Kakashi didn't answer and smiled, leaving in a swirl of leaves. "Well damn, he actually kinda scared me and I dropped my damn bento box." Naruto said with a frown, food (not just ramen) was still a undying love. "Maybe we can all go eat together, team bonding?" Sakura asked nervously, used to the rejection from Sasuke now nervous it would come from both her teammates. Naruto looked at her and nodded, and looked at Sasuke who just looked away "Whatever." Sakura smiled and jumed, "Team bonding!" With that, teams seven history was to be written.
HELL YEA! Hope that was fun, first action sequence was short I know, but cmon you've seen my shitty past stories. I do not want these 12 year olds too OP just yet. If youre wondering, no, our foxy friend still hasn't made himself known to Naruto, and Naruto not known to him. Ooooo so much to write. AOT chapter is next, and ill try releasing 2 more chapters for each of my stories before this year ends.