Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

The Alternative Hypothesis

Opposite to the null hypothesis, the alternative hypothesis is what you want to see. It is the answer you want to have. In other words, when the alternative hypothesis is present, what you're observing is not coincidental. There is a relationship between your variables. Perhaps even a causal one. Congratulations, your hypothesis is supported by strong statistical data.


With four genin outnumbering the two seasoned killing machines, Kakashi decided the smartest thing would be to divide us equally. He, Sakura, and Naruto would guard Tazuna on the unfinished side of the bridge. While Haku, Sasuke, and I would be stationed at the Bridge's entrance with all intentions of taking out the goons we could and blocking in the ones we couldn't.

Personally, I found this line-up lacking. Yeah, okay. Having Kakashi with one group and Haku with the other made sense. This way there'd be an experienced ninja to direct us genin when we undoubtedly began to panic or stumble. What I didn't get was why Sasuke had been placed with Haku. Considering the events leading up to now, what data did Kakashi have that suggests Sasuke would listen to Haku? And what about teamwork? Sasuke was barely willing to work with Sakura and Naruto; people he's known for years and had been training with nonstop since graduation.

Did Kakashi decide to divide us based on our hair colors? Uncommon and shocking hair colors on this side. All the boring brown and black hair colors on the other. But I didn't ask for his reasoning and Kakashi didn't provide it. There were bigger, scarier things to focus on.

"How many should we let pass before we move?" I asked; squatting on a tree branch and hidden by its leaves. Sasuke was next to me. Close enough that our shoulders nearly pressed against each other. His eyes were fixed on the spot where the dirt road turned into the bridge.

From an adjacent branch, stood Haku; tucked against the tree trunk. But still close enough that we could hear his whispered reply. "As many as possible. We don't want enemies attacking on all sides". Which… sure. That sounded good. But there had to be a balance here. Wait too long and Kakashi and the others would be flooded. "We will go when I signal", Haku added; repeating the directions he gave before we even left Tazuna's house.

And why was Tazuna here instead of holing up in some safe location with his family? Because we needed him as bait to lure out Gato's goons. Not for the first time, Tazuna proved he was a brave person. The old man didn't even flinch when Kakashi brought up the matter to him. All he had done was take a swig of beer and ask, "My family gets our money back if you fail to keep me alive, right?"

It was still early morning. The midnight coastal fog had yet to burn away. At least it was useful; providing coverage for Kakashi and the others who didn't have trees to hide in. I was calmer than I thought I would be. More alert than should be possible. Given how little sleep I'd acquired the night before. Breakfast had been a challenge. Never in this life, Anzu's cooking aside, have I had to force my portion down. However, as soon as we got moving, it was like my brain flipped a switch. Worry, neuroticism, fear; these things were turned off. And hopefully, it would stay that way until the battle was over.

As we waited, aloft in a tree, I thought about Ibiki's lesson in compartmentalizing. I don't think he intended for it to be applied in this situation. But… In a way, compartmentalizing was more useful here.

Sasuke shifted next to me; holding his breath as the first of Gato's goons started to arrive. They walked in a pack. Some had their swords held across their shoulders as if their weapons were bats and they were casually walking home from the baseball field. They were an unkempt bunch. From wearing dusty clothes to the sun damage and scars on their faces. And loud too. Even from high up, we could hear them grunting and chortling as they discussed how good it would feel to waste some ninjas. The hidden villages needed to be knocked down a few pegs. And how much they were looking forward to the reward Gato promised once the uppity bridge builder was officially dealt with.

Haku might as well have been fused with the tree; he barely moved as dozens and dozens of men passed under us before stepping foot onto the bridge. My muscles tensed as my dominant hand lingered over my kunai holster. "Wait", Haku whispered to us as Sasuke did something similar.

"Hey!" One particularly loud goon called as he passed by our tree. "Drinks on whoever gets the bridge builder's head".

Haku flicked his wrist and suddenly three senbon stuck out between his fingers. "Just a little longer", he whispered.

A chorus of laughter could be heard as the goons kept marching forward. "Better hope that person isn't you, Jiro". Said one goon to the other. "Your wallet wouldn't survive".

Someone let out a startled scream that echoed from somewhere on the bridge. Haku bent his knees. "Now", he ordered as he sent three senbon sailing through the air.

I sprang forward; withdrawing a kunai before my feet fully left the branch. Three goons in the back choked on their last breaths as their bodies dropped to the ground; three senbon embedded in their necks in identical locations.

My first target was a man with a mohawk donned in a sleeveless shirt. His weapon, some sort of curved blade, was held relaxed at his side. Having heard his colleagues fall behind him, he turned to investigate. Just in time for the soles of my sandals to collide with his chest. His eyes grew to the width of teacups; mouth open wide to call for help. But there was no time for him. Fluid and swift in my follow-through, I… used too much force. Blood squirted as my kunai sliced a smile into his throat. I could feel it splatter against my face as the mohawk guy gurgled. It felt warm and just a tad thicker than water…

No time to think about that now. Mohawk guy started to feel less sturdy under my feet. Acting as if he were a springboard, I pushed off. Tucking into a backward somersault, I rolled away. Airborne as Mohawk fell. First, his knees crashed. By the time I landed; crouched in a lunge with one arm keeping me balanced and the other holding the stained kunai ready, Mohawk lay face down in the dirt. Not moving.

My hand tremored and for a second I forgot to breathe. Though any chance of being stuck dwelling on the sight was spoiled by a second body crumbling on top of Mohawk. This one had a seeping gash across his heart and a kunai buried in his gut.

Sasuke landed in a defensive stance a few feet away. Despite having no injury, his expression bore a painful grimace. I started breathing again as the goons scrambled. Some tried to figure out what was happening. Others reacted to the screams and shouts happening on the bridge. A handful attacked.

Haku appeared to intercept two of the charging goons. He moved so fast that I couldn't determine what type of weapon he used. "Mind your kunai and shuriken", Haku called to us; briefly sparing a glance over his shoulder before blocking an incoming blow from a bow staff. With some fancy footwork and a couple of jabs at pressure points with precision a Hyuga would be jealous of, his opponent was defeated. "Don't run out", Haku finished his warning before jumping away with a burst of chakra to avoid an incoming blow.

It wasn't a reminder I needed. Using the same kunai from before, I spun to avoid the short reach of some goon's sai. That left him open to side attacks. So, I plunged the blade into his kidney and yanked upward until I found his ribcage. The goon yowled in pain and rage as he made a last-ditch effort to swipe at me with his sai. Too bad his arm couldn't bend like that. Foreign blood coated my hand as I freed my Kunai and hopped away to avoid the falling weight.

My peripherals picked up a flash of movement. Chakra reacting, it reached out of my body as I twisted to intercept. A hand with its fingers spread out and curled like claws attempted to grab me. But my chakra was faster and the attempt was met with a wall that pushed back. A bald guy with tattoos on his face blinked owlishly as he was forced to slide away from me.

Once a few feet away, my chakra retreated. I panted as only half of it returned to me. Flicking my wrist, I let the blood-drenched kunai fly and watched as it made a home in the bald tattoo guy's throat. He continued to blink; confused and unsure, as he toppled backward.

I allowed myself a moment to breathe as my finger looped around the hilt of a new kunai from my holster. How many was that? The thought made me shudder as my stomach churned. It wasn't a calculation I wanted to work out.

Behind me, there was a strained cry followed by a loud thud. I turned in time to see Sasuke kick a sword out of the hands of a corpse as he retrieved an impaled kunai. His nostrils flared on every exhale. He stoically refused to glance down at the stained ground as he tried to kill the tremor in his hands.

We locked eyes in the next moment. A grim understanding passed between us as goons continued to fall. This…. This feeling was definitely not talked about at the academy. Haku landed nearby; perched on top of a body whose life he had just ended. The long parts of his hair that weren't held back in a bun swirled around his face as he balanced; not a fleck of blood on him. "Move forward", he told us in his normal gentle voice. "Keep them on the bridge".

And… pushing all thoughts and feelings aside, we did.


The bridge was slippery. And not because of morning condensation. Ducking to avoid a blow to the head, I countered by charging forward and jamming my knee into an uncomfortable place. My opponent barely staggered. His mass outweighs my force. There was no time to panic. Although my heart tried when it skipped a beat. My chakra bubbled inside of me as I extended it to respond. The problem was, we were midway on the bridge by this point and I'd been using my chakra walls… force fields… deflection things whenever someone got too close.

The goon's lip curled back; revealing yellow teeth as he hefted his spear into a tighter grip. Out of breath, I barely flinched as the man brought the spear down. It whacked against my chakra. The spearhead lobbed off and flew away from us both. But upon impact, my chakra dispersed. Like a mirror that was shattered. None of it came back to me.

Out of breath and feeling warm, despite the chilling sweat on my body, I crouched into a defensive stance. The goon leered as fighting continued all around. Damn it. Ninja or not, this wasn't an opponent I wanted to face at a short range.

Chuckling; quite proud of himself for someone who hasn't accomplished anything yet, the goon started forward in a slow menacing approach. Or at least, it felt like that. Raising the now headless spear over his head, gripped with both hands, the goon chopped down; aiming for my skull.

I dashed left and tried to impale a kunai into the goon's side that was left vulnerable. However, it failed to hit anything important. There was just too much of him. Grunting at the cut, the goon swung in my direction as blood stained his kimono top. Jumping back, I tried to think. What should I do? What do I need? My chakra was depleted. Limiting me to weapons and taijutsu. Which also wasn't ideal. Fatigue and a dwindling amount of sharp objects were working against me. Things were happening too fast to come up with a backup plan. Hell, my weird chakra manipulation had been my backup plan.

Chuckles tried again and again and again to club me with his broken spear. Each attempt was paired with an aggressive step forward. I countered each time with a jump back. Impressive really. That we hadn't run into anyone else yet. Where were Haku and Sasuke? When had I last seen them?

At the fourth jump I made to avoid the goon's swipe, my foot slipped out from under me. It felt similar to sliding on a slip of oil in a garage. A comparison I desperately tried not to make as my world tilted and I found myself flailing backward.

Backward, I couldn't curl up into a ball. Backward, I couldn't plan for a landing. Falling is easy… when you expect it.

My head slammed into the metal handrailing of the bridge. Color danced across my vision as my eardrums rang. Slumped and aching against the side of the bridge, I tried to regain myself; watching as chuckles got closer and closer. I wasn't fast enough. My body froze as Chuckles raised the broken spear over his head once more. A maniacal glint appeared in his beady little eyes and a gleam of sweat shined on his bald head. He was chuckling again. Pleased and ignoring the wound on his side. Still, I couldn't move. Not even a finger.

"Rion, duck!" Came the roar of a familiar voice. Almost sounding like a battle cry. Seven orange-clad and red-stained Narutos leaped into the fight. All airborne, they convened on chuckles; punching and kicking any surface area they could find.

Now. Finally! The goon staggered. Forced under the deluge that was Naruto, he stumbled forward in my direction; dropping his broken spear as he tried to swat the Narutos away as if they were flies.

I only needed one more breath before I could react. Reducing myself into a curled-up lump, I sheltered against the side of the bridge and covered the back of my head with my hands. In a matter of seconds, the goon's legs met my sides. It was just the right obstacle applied under Naruto's attack that made chuckles fall forward. Over me and off his feet. Over the railing and tumbling into the water; taking seven Narutos with him.

Scrambling to my feet, I clenched the railing as I peered down at the water. "Naruto!" I shouted. There was no hint of orange. Just disturbed rippling water as the goon sank. What was Naruto even doing here? He was supposed to be with Kakashi and Sakura. Only meeting up with my group once the goons were greatly reduced and we met in the middle. Why did that idiot charge ahead?

A fingerless-gloved hand gripped my shoulder. Turning under its hold, I grabbed the hand and the forearm attached to it with every attaching of flipping the new assailant over railing to the join his friend. However, I was met with a stationary force bearing gray spikey hair and one lone visible eye. "It's okay", Kakashi said; withdrawing his hand. Behind him lay a pile of bodies. And he seemed unbothered by the goons still moving around us. "Look", Kakashi ordered before pointing to a fight happening a few feet away.

And amid everything… was Naruto. More than one. But I didn't take the time to count. Naruto threw a shuriken at his enemy. Naruto teaming up with other Narutos; brawn Vs. brawn. Naruto growled and threatened anyone if they even thought about hurting Tazuna.

"They were just clones", I said during one long exhale; relieved that the real Naruto hadn't taken a swim. My shoulders slumped, making my posture terrible, as my brain finally started to catch up. Kakashi was here. Naruto was here. I was here. Sasuke and Haku were not. Balling my hand into a fist, I thumped the flat part of it against my forehead. It wasn't Naruto who had charged ahead. In this situation… I was the idiot. My eyes scanned the sea of shrinking goons; searching for any sign of my group. How… had I gotten so far away from Haku and Sasuke and not notice?

"It's okay to fall sometimes," Kakashi said. Like Haku, he was completely clean and seemed unbothered by the massacre happening around us. From behind his left shoulder, a man with a pierced lip rushed towards us with a furious yell. In each of his hands were twin daggers. Kakashi barely blinked as he twitched his fingers and swung his arm. Then, suddenly, there was a shuriken sticking out of the man as he collapsed to his knees. "It's okay to fail sometimes", Kakashi continued; barely pausing.

Fail. That's exactly what I've done. Stupid! So, stupid. Why did I move without the others? It was like I hyper-fixated on the task. All that existed was the target in front of me. And then the next and the next and the next. Not once did it occur to me to check in with Haku or Sasuke. Nor to pace myself. It made me vulnerable and I… I…

Kakashi gave me one of his hidden-behind-a-mask smiles. Given our current environment, it felt absolutely sinister. "You're allowed to make mistakes because your comrades will catch you".

His words repeated in my mind. Not the ones Kakashi just said. But back when we'd been in the forest. You need to learn how to fall. Something in me ached and it wasn't caused by all the physical activity. No. That wasn't true. Mistakes, sure. They weren't always avoidable but were recoverable. Failing though. I wasn't allowed… I couldn't afford…

"Report", Kakashi barked; suddenly in full commander mode.

Academy training had me straightening my spine on instinct as my mind pushed away all pesky feelings once more. "No serious injuries. My chakra's depleted, and I'm almost out of weapons". Between breaths, the words fell easily from my lips as my hands fidgeted. Behind Kakashi, Naruto took down two more. And I … wanted to join him. Yet, fearing to do so at the same time. Ugh! Nothing is making sense.

Nodding once, Kakashi jerked his head further down the bridge. "Help Sakura protect Tazuna", he ordered. Half turning to re-enter the melee, Kakashi waited to say one last thing. "Good work, Rion".

I disagreed.

It's okay to fail. It's okay to fail. It's okay to fail. That one sentence kept replaying over and over as I dragged my drained and exhausted self away from the fight.

Nothing about this felt okay.