Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Naruto or any characters in this story; it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.


Chapter 10


As soon as Iruka had said that name, Naruto had recognized it; of course, he did. Since learning the name when he met his mother and later finding the adoption form and reading about him in his father's journals, Naruto had been looking for anything else regarding the elite Jonin. Of the three people her mother had named that day, it was Kakashi's that made him the most curious. He knew his godfather was up and about writing smut and that Tsunade left the village before he was born but Kakashi was an active Jonin, that much he knew. He had tried to find anything regarding the man who was supposed to be his adoptive brother but unfortunately for the blonde, his searches weren't that fruitful. The little pieces he knew were that Kakashi had barely been a teen when he was born, that he was considered a genius, and that the man hadn't had an easy life. There were a few notes that mentioned him being an orphan and how he was grieving the loss of his teammates but not much other than that.

When he went to the cabin, he would sometimes stare a hole into the form while his mind wondered what life would have been like if he had an older brother. He didn't fault Kakashi for not adopting him since Kakashi had barely been a few years older than he is now. He understood that but he didn't understand why he never showed up. If he was that close to his father why didn't he ever just check on him or something? Ever since he met Yoshino, she had always been there and it seems she didn't know about him being her teammate's son beforehand but Kakashi definitely knew.

At the blonde's scream, Hinata visibly jumped out of her seat after being startled by the blonde Uzumaki beside her. For his part, Iruka was just as surprised as the rest of the class. It wasn't out of the realm of possibilities that the jinchuriki knew about Kakashi. After all, the copy ninja was pretty famous. However, they didn't teach about him in the academy. Still, his name will undoubtedly appear in the history books sooner or later. What surprised him was the reaction. Maybe he knew about Kakashi's lateness or reputation for returning Genin to the academy.

Either way, it wasn't the proper way to express yourself about your new Sensei. So he scolded the blonde and told him to sit down. Although fuming, the blonde did so but with a scowl on his face.


Meanwhile, all the to-be Jonin-Sensei and the Hokage watched the events unfold from

Hiruzen's crystal ball. Although the crystal provided an image of the events, it lacked sound, so there was slight confusion about the blonde's reaction.

"That's him, right?" a female Jonin with red eyes and raven-colored hair asked rhetorically with an air of wariness.

"Uzumaki Naruto, the jinchuriki of the Kyūbi." Answered a bearded Jonin with tan skin, spiky brown hair, and a cigarette between his lips.

"Kurenai, Asuma." The hokage called their attention and told them with a glance not to discuss it openly. Asuma wanted to scoff. Everyone in the room knew that the kid held the Kyūbi but shut his mouth regardless.

"He seems mad for some reason." Another Jonin noted.

"Maybe he knows Kakashi's reputation for sending Genin back to the academy." Joked Asuma causing a few of his fellow Jonin to snort.

Meanwhile, Kakashi didn't take his single visible eye from the crystal ball. He didn't have his Sharingan eye uncovered, so he was unable to read Naruto's lips, but he had a bad feeling about it. Hiruzen also watched intently, but without sound, there wasn't much they could learn.


Naruto was so absorbed in his thoughts and anger that he didn't pay attention as the other teams were assigned. His thoughts and feelings ranged from anger to imagining what Kakashi was like and if he would react in some way to him. Would Kakashi start to be like the brother he was supposed to be or what would happen? As angry as he was, he was equally curious and the turmoil made his head spin.

"In the afternoon, you will be introduced to your Jonin Sensei. You are dismissed for now but come back in two hours." Iruka instructed.

Naruto took that as his cue to get the fuck out of there. He was so distracted that he didn't even notice when Hinata tried talking to him. The blonde rushed out of the academy and went to the closest place he could get some peace and quiet. Since the clearing was too far away he settled for the second best place, the top of his father's head that was carved into the Hokage monument.

The sound of the wind and a few birds rang out, as the sun shone above him, were all that accompanied Naruto at the moment.

"I wonder what you would think about him Tou-chan. Hell of a brother you left me with." Naruto muttered to the wind as he lay in the monument and the sun showered his skin.

The slight breeze and silence did have a comforting effect that helped calm down and get his head straight but he was still mad. Eventually, his stomach rumbled, and he remembered that he had forgotten his lunch at the academy in his rush to get out of there.

'Fuck! I guess Ichiraku's it is.' He thought before making his way toward his favorite restaurant.

When he arrived at the famous ramen stand Teuchi greeted him.

"Hey there Naruto." He saw before the scowl the blonde held. "What's the problem kid?"

Naruto let out a great sigh. "Nothing. I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed I guess." Said the blonde making it clear he didn't want to talk about it.

"Alright, should I get you the usual?"

Naruto thought about it for a second. "Give me a bowl of salt ramen and then a bowl of pork ramen." He didn't like the salt ramen as much as he enjoyed pork ramen. However eating it always reminded him about his mother since it was Kushina's favorite. So he ate it from time to time.

He didn't have to wait long for a ramen bowl to appear before him, and his mood instantly improved once the delicious scent of his favorite meal touched his nose.

"Itadakimasu!"

He viciously started slurping his ramen, and his mood went up as the bowl's content went down. That's why he didn't jump as a first reaction when a hand touched his shoulder. He turned his head and found Iruka there.

Without a word, Iruka sat beside Naruto and only spoke to order his meal. They ate quietly except for the noises Naruto made while eating.

Naruto finished his meal and was about to pay when Iruka stopped him. "I'll cover this one Naruto. After all, we didn't have ramen after you graduated." He said with a smile.

"Speak for yourself. Teuchi Oc-chan treated me to free ramen the next day after graduation." He smiled. "But thanks Iruka-Sensei." He answered.

Iruka chuckled, paid for the meal, and turned to Naruto. "Let's get going. It's almost time."

They made their way toward the academy in silence. Iruka was curious about why Naruto reacted that way but didn't want to push Naruto. Instead, he let him be and decided to comment on another fact.

"You look better in those clothes. You almost look like a serious ninja, you know. If you had also ditched the orange jacket, you might pass for one." Iruka joked, causing Naruto's eye to twitch.

"What do you mean almost?!"

Iruka proceeded to laugh without remorse. "it's a joke. Take it easy Naruto. But seriously, I like that you changed clothes."

"Well you said I have to take everything more seriously now, so I thought about changing a few things, but the jacket stays with me until I get that vest." He said as he pointed at Iruka's vest that represented his rank of Chunin.

"I guess the jacket is in for the long haul then." Iruka jabbed and laughed again.

"Just you wait! I'll be a chunin before you know it!"

A soft smile made its way into Iruka's face. 'Of that, I have no doubt Naruto. I already learned to stop doubting you.' He thought, but he didn't voice it. He didn't want Naruto to get a big head.

They fell into silence again, and when they were close to entering the academy, Naruto simply said. "It's personal, you know. Why I reacted that way, that is." He left at that.

Iruka couldn't fathom why one earth would Naruto have personal problems with Kakashi. Although he had only met him a couple of times, Kakashi always struck him as a pretty chill man. 'Could it be related to the Kyūbi?' It was a possibility. After all, he had been the same not too long ago. Still, Naruto never outright had a distaste for him or something that made it personal, or so he believed. He decided to look into it, and if he saw that Kakashi had a problem with the blonde, he would report it to the Hokage.

Iruka nodded to acknowledge Naruto's implicit way of asking for privacy, and they continued their way into the academy but not before giving Naruto some advice.

"Listen Naruto, I don't know what problems you have with him but you will be under his command so don't get on his bad side." To Iruka's wisdom, Naruto gained a scowl but nodded accepting the advice.

When they arrived at the classroom, he saw that everyone was seated differently than before.

'Why is Hinata sitting with that asshole Kiba? And what was the name of the kid with the sunglasses?' his eyes then moved to look for Shikamaru and Chōji. He found them sitting together, but it was strange that they were seated with a grumpy-looking Ino. Realization dawned on the blonde. 'Everyone is sitting with their teams. Man, Shika, and Chōji really got lucky being on the same team.'

He then scanned the room for his teammates and indeed found them sitting together. Sasuke with a blank look on his face as Sakura admired him. With a sigh, Naruto went to the empty seat at Sakura's right. The pinkette sent him an annoyed glance that the blonde ignored.

All the new Genin patiently waited for their Jonin to arrive. Some didn't have to wait for long, as Jonin after Jonin kept coming in announcing their names and calling their respective team members. Soon only nine people remained. Teams seven, eight, and ten. Getting impatient, Naruto decided to stand from his seat and started talking with Shikamaru and Chōji.

"You guys really hit the jackpot getting paired together."

"It was always going to happen." Shikamaru said which surprised the blonde.

"Our parents." He then pointed to Chōji and Ino. "Were teammates when they were younger, and the abilities of our clans have good synergy with each other. It was bound to happen that the Hokage would attempt to recreate our parents' success."

Chōji nodded as he ate chips. "That's right."

Naruto let out a sigh. "Well, I guess it was out of the question that we would have ever been on the same team. I wish I had been on the same team as Hinata though."

Shikamaru glanced at team eight and couldn't help but analyze the members. "A Hyūga, Aburame and a Inuzuka. Hinata's team seems to have been put together to be a tracker team, though. With Hinata's Byakugan, Kiba's olfactory capabilities, and Shino's bugs, they are pretty capable of tracking down anyone."

"That's right! Team eight is the best! Ain't that right, Akamaru?!" Akamaru barked in confirmation. The Inuzuka had overheard the conversation and couldn't help to give his two cents on the matter.

Naruto did his best to ignore Kiba but was having trouble as his patient ran thin today. "What about my team? Why was it put together?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes as he analyzed the skillset of each member of team seven. "Your team is fairly balanced. I guess you guys would fill the purpose of an assault team. With yours and Sasuk-."

"What skills does this loser have?!" Kiba interrupted Shikamaru's explanation and pointed at Naruto.

'I swear the day I can use my clan's chains, I'm going to put this asshole on a leash.' Naruto thought as he envisioned the scenario.

"You know what dog breath! I think it's time I put you down so you can stop running your snout! Let's go outside and get this over with!" Naruto exploded. It wasn't the regular bravado that Naruto showed, which was evident to all the other seven people in the room except for Kiba. Naruto was itching for something to take his anger on today. In the blonde's opinion, Kiba's face looked like prime real estate to put his fist on."

"Let's do it!" Kiba didn't back down and squared up to the blonde.

"Naruto-kun, Kiba-san. Please don't fight." Said a worried Hinata.

Naruto might have listened to Hinata, but he didn't have to because as soon as the word left her mouth, the door opened, and in came one of the most beautiful women all the young Genin had seen in their short life.

The Jonin walked in and observed that Naruto and Kiba were about to fight. Needless to say, she wasn't impressed. The woman set a piercing glare at both of them. Kiba backed down immediately but being used to being glared at since he was a kid, Naruto met her glare with one of his own.

Kurenai was a little surprised that the blonde didn't back down immediately, so she started releasing a little killing intent, but she was careful not to overdo it. That did the trick, and Naruto slowly backed down and sat himself.

Kurenai coughed into her fist and talked. "Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino and Hyūga Hinata." The three of them stood in attention. "I'm Yuhi Kurenai and I'm your Jonin Sensei. Follow me." She said in a commanding tone before exiting.

The three of them followed their new Sensei, but not before Kiba sent one last jab at Naruto.

"Saved by the bell loser." And the door closed, leaving only six people in the room.

"Tch. One day I will beat the ever-living Shit out of him."

The six people were divided into two groups after that. Shikamaru, Chōji, and Naruto were on one side chatting while Ino and Sakura tried to talk to Sasuke. Well, actually, they were fighting about who should be the one to speak to him while Sasuke was simply annoyed at the both of them.

Eventually, the door opened again, and a bearded man resembling the Hokage entered.

"Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji and Yamanaka Ino!" He said in a commanding tone.

"Hai!" the members of team 10 all stood in attention.

"I'm Sarutobi Asuma, your Jonin leader from now on!"

"Are you related to the Hokage?" Naruto asked, interrupting the follow-up Asuma was about to make.

Asuma was surprised by the question as he turned to watch Naruto, who curiously had a sour expression on his face. He noted that his tone felt more like an accusation than a legitimate question.

"I am." He answered simply. He didn't have the best relationship with his father and never felt different than the rest for being the Hokage's son, so he saw no purpose in bragging about it. He then turned to his team members. "You three, follow me now."

The three members of Team Ten gave their goodbyes, and only Team Seven remained in the room.

Two whole hours went by with no sign of their Sensei. They had spent the time in almost complete silence until, strangely enough, Sasuke broke the silence.

"Naruto... it looked like you recognized the name of our Jonin. Do you know him?"

"I know about him... but I have never seen him in my entire life." The latter part of the statement had an air of bitterness to it.

"What do you know about him?"

"Not much." It was clear that Naruto didn't wish to talk right now. The confrontation with Kiba and everything regarding Kakashi had the blonde in a sour mood.

"Naruto! Don't be rude to Sasuke-kun!" a wild Sakura screamed.

"Whatever."

'Take things more seriously. Don't get on his bad side. Take things more seriously. Don't get on his bad side.' The blonde was resisting the instinct of setting up a prank for Kakashi but he already felt his will slipping. Just as he was about to get up to set up an elaborate prank the door slid open. A tall, slender man with silver and gravity-defying hair came in and his hitai-ate pulled over his left eye appeared.

'So that's him.' Naruto thought as he looked over at Kakashi. Meanwhile, Kakashi's uncovered eye analyzed each of the genin that would be on his charge if they passed his test.

'My first impression of you... you are all boring."

"I'll meet you on the roof in five minutes." he said and the three saw the man disappear in the blink of an eye.

'His fast.' Was the collective thoughts of Team Seven.

When they arrived at the rooftop, they saw Kakashi leaning against the rail with his hands in his pockets.

"Well, you three finally decided to show up." The three Genin sweat dropped at the Jonin's hypocritic statement. "Take a seat."

The three Genin sat, the blonde with a permanent scowl as he glared at his Jonin.

"Let's begin with introductions." Kakashi said with an eye smile.

"What kind of things should we say Sensei?" Sakura asked.

The copy ninja just shrugged. "Your likes, dislikes, dreams, hobbies, that sort of thing."

"Could you tell us about yourself Sensei? We already know each other." said Sakura good-naturedly.

"Yeah Sensei. Please, tell us about yourself." Said Naruto sarcastically which earned him a glare from Sakura. E

Kakashi shrugged. "My name is Hatake Kakashi, I don't feel like telling you guys about my likes or dislikes... I've never really thought about the future... As for my hobbies, I have some."

Sakura sweat dropped while Sasuke held an unimpressed expression, and Naruto's scowl deepened.

'Asshole.' thought the blonde before speaking.

"Your turn blondie."

"I don't feel like telling you about myself." Naruto answered pettily with a scowl as he glared at the man.

'So that's how it feels.' Noted Kakashi after the blonde used his previous answer against him. "Well, do you feel like returning to the academy?"

"You can't return me to the academy." said Naruto flatly.

Kakashi just gave him an eye smile. "Of course I can. At the moment, you guys aren't even an official genin."

"Huh?" came out of the three members.

"Sensei what do you mean? We have already graduated from the academy." Sakura spoke.

"You think just because you graduated, you got what it takes to be a ninja?" he said. " The academy was only to see if you were capable enough, but abilities and skills aren't everything to a ninja. Your classmates are probably going through a test at this very moment to determine if they have what is needed, a test with sixty-six percent of failure. To be considered a ninja of our village, I have to give you guys my approval... or I could be bluffing. Care to find out blondie?"

Naruto's expression of shock quickly regressed into his previous scowl. "Name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like ramen, training, and fūinjutsu. I dislike a lot of people. I guess my hobbies would be to train, and my dreams are..." Naruto stopped.

'What are my dreams?' he actually didn't know. 'I want to surpass Tou-chan, but that's more of a goal...'

"I don't know what my dreams are." he said as he realized it himself.

'He is into fūinjutsu? Curious. I wonder how he compares to them.' he thought as he imagined the silhouette of Kushina and Minato standing behind Naruto.

Naruto saw the way Kakashi's single seemed to look through him and was slightly unnerved.

"Uh... Sensei?" Sakura's voice interrupted his trip down memory lane.

"Alright, how about you pinky."

"I'm Sakura Haruno." She began cheerfully. "What I like... I mean, who I like is..." Sakura turned to see Sasuke, who didn't pay her any mind. "My dream is..." Sakura was still looking at Sasuke.

Kakashi sighed. 'It seems the report was spot on. She is more interested in love than in her shinobi career. "What about your dislikes?"

"Naruto, he is annoying and rude." Responded Sakura.

This made Naruto sigh and think. 'I don't know what I ever saw in her.'

"How about you?" Kakashi directed his question to the last member, who had yet to introduce himself.

"Uchiha Sasuke. I have a lot of dislikes, but no likes in particular. I don't have a dream; I have an ambition. The ambition to restore my clan and kill a certain man without fail." Said Sasuke concisely.

A part of Naruto could understand Sasuke better than the Uchiha knew. 'Kaa-chan also wanted to restore our clan...' thought the blonde.

'As I expected...' Though Kakashi as an image of Itachi and then the massacre came into his mind.

"You three certainly are a colorful and interesting bunch." he said. "As I said before, you guys aren't official Genin. In order to be a member of my team, you guys will have to pass an exam that I have prepared for you."

"Bring it on already then!" screamed Naruto.

"Don't be so hasty." Kakashi looked up to the sky. "It's already too late today. We will meet at training ground three at five A.M, and I suggest you skip breakfast, or you will throw up." And with that, Kakashi left in a swirl of leaves.

"Show off." Naruto muttered and started walking to get out of there when Sakura's voice stopped him.

"Naruto! He could have failed us just because of how you acted, you idiot! You are so irresponsible! What is your problem with Kakashi-Sensei anyway?"

Naruto scowled, he thought he had behaved himself all things considered. "It's none of your concern."

"Stop trying to act cool! Only Sasuke-kun can pull it off."

Naruto just gave her an annoyed look and silently jumped off the rooftop.

"Hmph! Who does he think he is anyway? Just because he got better in the last year, he thinks he is so awesome now, but he still is a loser, isn't that right Sasuke-kun?" Sakura turned to where Sasuke had been standing only to find him long gone.


Naruto arrived at his usual training spot only to find Hinata training there by herself, practicing her juken on the beat-up training post. It seems she was training with her Byakugan because she saw him coming and turned in his direction.

Hinata quickly turned off her Byakugan before Naruto could get too close. She still didn't like it when Naruto saw her with her clan's dōjutsu activated.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." She noted the scowl present on his face Naruto's and became worried that he didn't pass the exam his Sensei had given him. "Is s-something wrong?"

"Hi Hinata. No... I'm just annoyed. My supposed Sensei arrived three whole hours late, and it turns out that I have to meet him at freaking five A.M and pass another to be an official genin... speaking of which." Naruto's scowl disappeared. "Did you have to take an exam also?"

Hinata nodded. "Kurenai-Sensei also made us take a test. W-we needed to find her after she put all of us in a genjutsu."

"I'm glad you passed!" he said, suddenly more upbeat. Naruto clapped his hands together. "I can't wait for tomorrow! I will also pass -ttebayo!"

"Such a youthful statement!" A voice Hinata had never heard sounded around the clearing.

Naruto smiled as he recognized the voice of his ex-training partner. "Bushy Brows!" He turned towards the direction the voice came from to greet the friend he hadn't seen in a long time, but what he saw left his mouth hanging open.

"Bushy Brows... what the fuck are you wearing... and what the hell did you do to your hair?!" Lee was now wearing a green and way too tight spandex and also had cut his hair into a bowl-cut.

Although Hinata wouldn't ever express herself that way, a similar thought crossed her mind as she studied the new arrival. She was curious because this place in the forest was pretty secluded and one was unlikely to stumble upon and he also seemed to know Naruto.

"Oh, you mean my youthful uniform?" he said, excited to discuss his uniform.

"..."

"It was a gift from my Sensei! It's breathable and moisture-wicking and perfectly designed for free movement!"

"..."

"I'm sure Gai-Sensei would give me another one to gift it to you!"

"No!" Hinata's thoughts made their way out of her head as she imagined Naruto wearing the green spandex. The simple image mortified her and plus, she really liked how her blonde crush looked in his current clothes.

Lee turned to Hinata. "You are a Hyūga! Please spar with me and let me test my flames of youth and the results of my training against your mighty juken." He said as he got into a fighting stance.

"Mmm..."

"Bushy Brows calm down! You sure are acting differently than the last time I saw you... speaking of which! We have barely seen each other, you bastard!"

"My deepest apologies Naruto! My training and missions with my team have been taking all of my time!" He said as he bowed.

"It's alright Bushy Brows. I was joking. Man, we really haven't seen in a long time! I even got another training partner!" Naruto pointed towards Hinata. "She is Hinata, and as you said, she is a Hyūga."

"A pleasure to meet you, Hinata-san! I'm Rock Lee." he introduced himself with a bow.

"Nice to meet you, Lee-san." Hinata said meekly and returned the bow.

"Bushy Brows' teammate is a Hyūga. What was his name? Neki?"

"Neji Nii-san." Hinata said in realization.

"Nii-san? You never told me you had an older brother," commented Naruto as he turned toward Hinata with a raised eyebrow.

"We a-are cousins but..." Hinata had Naruto enough to know that her life inside the clan was complicated."

"Yes! Neji!" Interrupt Lee. "He is my eternal rival that I strive to beat one day!"

"So what are you doing here Bushy Brows?"

"I was looking for you to congratulate you on graduating from the academy and test my progress against yours in a youthful battle of geniuses of hard work!" Lee explained as he burned with passion.

"Geniuses of hard work?" Naruto repeated.

Lee nodded fervently.

Naruto just shrugged. "Well, there isn't anything to congratulate me on. I haven't taken the test my Sensei is supposed to give me."

"Oh..." Lee deflated.

"But I'm up for the spar to test whatever you meant." he said with a smirk.

"Yosh!"

Lee and Naruto fell into stance as Hinata stepped aside. They engaged in taijutsu, trying to see what the other had improved. Naruto instantly noted that Lee's taijutsu was sharper, with no holes he could exploit. A couple of blocked strikes later he realized that Lee's strikes were a lot heavier also. They both kicked up a notch and started going faster and faster. After a while, Naruto was surprised that Lee could keep up with him at his top speed. Ever since he started training with the prayer beads his speed had increased dramatically, and since he was his father's son, he took great pride in his speed.

"Your flames of youth burn with the heat of the sun!"

Naruto didn't know how Lee had time to talk, he tried answering Lee, but every time he opened his mouth to retort he had to block a knee. Lee continued to up the space until Naruto was completely on the defensive. He didn't have time to dodge or counter. All his efforts were concentrated on keeping Lee from cracking him with a strike.

Hinata was amazed that Lee could keep up with Naruto's speed. If the blonde had something in spare other than chakra, it was speed. When they first started sparring Hinata had a lot of trouble even following the blonde's movements and here was Lee making Naruto look slow in comparison. Finally, Lee broke through his defenses and landed a punch in Naruto's nose that sent him flying. Naruto only stopped because a tree had been in its path. With a loud crack, he hit the bark.

"Naruto-kun!" screamed Hinata and rushed to check on the blonde.

Lee rushed towards Naruto, but Hinata shouted, completely forgetting her shyness. "Stop!" Lee came to an abrupt halt.

"Fushy fows fou fit fuckfing fard." Naruto's nose was evidently broken.

Hinata took some bandages out of her pouch and started helping Naruto. "Ouch, ouch, ouch." The blonde said as Hinata pressed the cloth against his nose.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun but please try not to move." said Hinata as she soaked up the blood, which didn't take too much time thanks to Naruto's accelerated healing. After 10 minutes Naruto's nose was back in place.

"I heal quickly." explained the blonde after Hinata mentioned how surprised she was that Naruto's nose healed itself. He had been aware of his superhuman healing factor for a while now and knew it was partly thanks to the Kyubi.

After some time chatting Lee bid his goodbye and Hinata and Naruto started making their way to the Hyūga compound. Thanks to Yoshino's order, it had become a habit since the dinner where Naruto had walked to and back from the Nara compound. As they walked, Hinata held a slight frown on her soft features, which caused the blonde to wonder.

"Is something wrong Hinata?" he finally asked after a while.

Hinata started playing with fingers as she struggled to find the words. "It's j-just... you said that you b-barely had s-seen Lee-san since he g-graduated and I got t-thinking that w-we p-probably won't see each other too much."

Naruto frowned. "It's true... I have barely seen Lee in the last year..."

They walked silently for a while, and Hinata had resigned herself to not seeing the blonde too much. They were about to reach her compound when Naruto spoke loudly. "I have an idea! Why don't we try to meet in the clearing whenever we can? Just go there when you have time and I'll do the same! We are bound to see each other at some point, and if the other one isn't there we can train by ourselves! How those that sound?" Naruto talked excitedly.

Hinata smiled and nodded at the idea. "I w-would like that." she said just as they arrived at the main entrance.


Naruto woke up as the sun hit his face. "Mmm." Naruto showered in the heat that the morning sun provided him with. He opened his eyes groggily, turned to stare at his clock, and saw it was way past 5 A.M. It was almost 8 A.M.

"... Shit! I forgot to set my alarm at 5!"

Naruto jumped out of bed and rushed to put his clothes on as fast as possible. After quickly dressing, he automatically went to his fridge, grabbed some premade onigiri, and sped off toward training ground three.

'Please! Please let him be late again!' Naruto thought as he approached the training ground.

He arrived at his destination and saw Sakura sitting on the ground, clearly bored, and Sasuke standing with a blank look.

Sakura saw Naruto approaching and started screaming. "You are late! How could you possibly be so irresponsible to be late today of all days?!" she then saw the half-eaten onigiri on Naruto's hand, and a tick mark appeared on her face. "And you are eating! We weren't supposed to eat! You idiot! We have been here for three hours! Waiting for you and Kakashi-Sensei to appear!"

Naruto let out a massive sigh after hearing that Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. "Oh thank Kami!" he said between breaths. After regaining his breath, Naruto took another bite of the onigiri in his hand, and his taste buds registered the flavor for the first time.

"Yuck! Why did I put tomatoes in this?"

"Naruto!" Sakura Shrieked and attempted to punch Naruto, but Naruto effortlessly weaved out of the way.

Sasuke eyes drifted toward the onigiri in Naruto's hands, and his stomach gave an involuntary and loud grumble.

"Do you want it?" the blonde offered onigiri to Sasuke, who just turned his back on him. Naruto shrugged and gulped the remaining onigiri in one bite.

"Don't you have any manners?!" Screamed Sakura with disgust.

Naruto ignored Sakura and sat on the ground waiting for their late Sensei.

The hours passed, the sun continued to rise, and there wasn't any sign of the copy ninja. Although Naruto had been three hours late, he quickly became annoyed at the lack of Kakashi's presence.

Out of boredom, Naruto started to knead and release small amounts of chakra occasionally. He wasn't expecting to detect anything besides Sasuke and Sakura, but he just wanted to be sure Kakashi wasn't fucking with them. An hour went by as he checked every 15 minutes and found nothing. Finally, nearly an hour before noon, he felt the slightest sensation.

'Thirty-seven meters... at my seven." Naruto tried to move as discreetly and subtly while taking out a kunai.

"I found you!" The blonde turned on his heels and threw the kunai in the direction he had sensed Kakashi.

The kunai hit nothing but air.

"What in the world was that?!" Sakura had been falling asleep when the blonde had screamed causing her to jump.

"I thought he was there." Grumbled Naruto.

"I was there."

Kakashi's voice sounded behind Naruto. This time it was Naruto's turn to jump.

"A ninja must never leave his back uncovered. If it happens again, you will regret it... anyway, good morning all of you."

"You are late!" Sakura screamed.

"Well you see, a black cat crossed my path, and I had to take the long way here." Explained Kakashi while Sakura and Naruto glared at him. While Sasuke just wondered why Kakashi would do something impressive one second and the next, he would act like a fool.

Kakashi saw the unimpressed eyes of the preteens and coughed into his fist. "Oh well let's begin." He walked to a training log and set a clock on top of it. "The clock is set for noon. You have until then to take these bells away from me. Those who fail will be tied to those logs and must watch me eat my delicious bento." Kakashi then heard two loud growls coming from Sakura and Sasuke but not from Naruto.

"You ate breakfast, didn't you?"

"I don't feel like telling you."

"..." Kakashi was sure he would have to learn a whole new definition of patience if the blonde were to pass. "Well, it was only a suggestion anyway." Sasuke's and Sakura's eyes started twitching.

"Hold on. Why are there only two bells?" asked the girl with a sizable forehead.

Kakashi gave them an eye smile and proceeded to explain. "There are only two bells because at the very least one off you will be tied to a log and will fail the mission. If you fail the mission, you will be returned to the academy. At least one of you will return to the academy after today if not all three of you. You can use any and all weapons. You won't be able to take the bells away from me if you don't come at me with intent to kill."

"But Sensei isn't that dangerous?" asked the Kunoichi, who seemed to be the only one apprehensive about using lethal weapons, while Sasuke just looked determined, and Naruto was excited and had a little too sadistic grin.

Without being prompted, Naruto took out another kunai and rushed at Kakashi. The Jonin swiftly grabbed Naruto's hand and reversed it, putting the sharp side of the kunai at the back of Naruto's head. 'He is fast.'

"Too hasty... I didn't even say start... but at least you came intending to kill." Kakashi shoved Naruto back towards Sakura and Sasuke. "Enough games. Start!"

At the signal, the three preteens jumped away to hide. Kakashi briefly glanced around the clearing to see if could spot anyone.

'Okay everyone is pretty well hidden.' Thought Kakashi but then heard a scream.

"I'll get those bells from you!" Naruto shouted.

'He is really direct and brash.' Naruto was about to rush at Kakashi but he saw that the man was pulling out something from his pouch. To Naruto's confusion, it was an orange book.

Naruto glanced at the book and saw a drawing on the cover... a man chasing a woman... he recognized that book. It was his godfather's work. If Naruto was ready to come with the intent to kill before now, he was out to gut the copy ninja.

And then Kakashi opened the book and started reading which caused Naruto's temperament to boil over. "I'll teach you the first thing abou-"

The copy ninja never got to finish because a rageful scream interrupted his explanation and then he saw Naruto rushing at speeds far greater than what he used previously while brandishing a kunai.

'He is really fast.' Kakashi mentally acknowledged. 'I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree. I may have to postpone my reading.'

Kakashi had just weaved under the first slash and then the blonde slashed downwards. To his surprise and slight panic, Naruto wasn't aiming for him or the bells... he was aiming for his precious book. Kakashi had to block the vertical slice with the metal padding of his fingerless gloves. The kunai rebounded out of the blonde's hand, but he caught it with his left and hurled it toward Kakashi who weaved just in time, but the blade managed to graze the collar of his chunin vest, just a few centimeters away from his jugular.

Kakashi looked at the torn part of his vest and stored his book back in his pouch for safekeeping.

"Done reading your smut?" Naruto shouted.

A whizzing sound alerted Kakashi. Without turning to look towards the sound, he jumped away, and several shuriken landed where he just stood. Without missing a bit, Naruto chased down Kakashi and threw a punch at his face, but the copy ninja weaved out of the way and jumped back again. 'It seems someone tried to take advantage of my attention on Naruto... and I can't read while fighting him... I wouldn't call this teamwork.'

"Oh, you are familiar with the series? But let's be clear, it isn't smut, it's a romantic novel that studies the relation-"

Naruto didn't let Kakashi finish as he started engaging him again with even more ferocity but not brainlessly.

'His attacks are almost random, it's hard to find a pattern, but they aren't uncoordinated.' Kakashi noted as he blocked another punch.

Kakashi looked at the torn part of his vest. 'He is so intent on attacking me he hasn't even attempted to take the bells...' Kakashi stored his book back into his pouch to keep it safe.

Another set of half dozen shuriken flew from the trees Kakashi's way, but again he swiftly dodged them but noted something peculiar. 'The aim of this shuriken... they seem to try to be leading me somewhere. But where? Maybe they are working together on a trap, but I won't make this easy.'

Naruto threw a spinning kick, but Kakashi ducked. As the blonde finished spinning he ready a right hook meant for Kakashi's jaw, but when he threw he hit nothing but air and found that his target was no longer there.

"Where did he go?!"

"I told you not to leave your back. A ninja shouldn't ever let the enemy take them from behind, you fool." Kakashi's voice sounded from behind. The silvered-haired man crouched behind the blonde and held a tiger hand seal.

"Konohagakure Hiden Taijutsu Ōgi: Sennen Goroshi: (Secret taijutsu of Konoha: One thousand years of death)!

Kakashi performed the Kinjutsu and jabbed his finger into the blonde's rectum. Kakashi expected the blonde to scream and go flying but instead the Naruto before him burst into a puff of smoke.

The real Naruto, hidden behind a tree, shivered at the memory of his clone. After the memory, Naruto came out of his hiding spot.

"What is wrong with you?! That shit is wrong on so many levels!" screamed the blonde.

"That's for trying to cut my precious book in half." Although outwardly Kakashi didn't seem surprised by the high-level technique he was using. 'A kage bunshin? Where did even learn that?' He must have made it when he first hid... and he used it as a distraction while he analyzed my moves... not bad, not bad at all.'

"That was for trying to ruin my book." Kakashi said nonchalantly. "It was a nice trick, but you will need more than a clone to get me."

To his surprise, Naruto developed a smirk. "More than a clone? Sure! No problem!"

The shuriken that were previously thrown blew into a big cloud of smoke and were replaced by six Narutos who quickly launched themselves at Kakashi and wrapped themselves around Kakashi.

'They were clones!' Kakashi realized too late and started struggling against the multiple Narutos. He saw the real Naruto running full speed towards him, brandishing a kunai, and panicked slightly. He tried to use a kawarimi but could not weave the necessary hand sign with the clones sticking to his arms like glue. As the blonde grew closer, Kakashi freed his right arm and threw the clone grabbing his right arm towards the original.

The original had evaded his clone, giving Kakashi enough time to punch two clones out of existence. Barely a second later the original Naruto came ready to stab Kakashi, but with his now free arms, he managed to catch the blonde's hand from the wrist with his right arm and punched the original in the face with his left. Naruto staggered back in pain, and Kakashi used that opportunity to steal the kunai from the blonde's grasp and slashed at the three remaining clones.

Naruto recovered from the pain and dove toward the cloud of smoke caused by the dispelled clones.

"You are mine!" the blonde screamed as he entered the cloud of smoke only to come flying out of it instantly. A downed Naruto clutched his stomach tightly as he grasped for air. He didn't take into consideration that he had lost sight of Kakashi and the man had received him with a sidekick to the stomach that knocked the wind out of him.

"Son of a bitch!" Managed the blonde from the ground. He looked up to see the dispersing cloud of smoke, expecting to see Kakashi standing lazily but he wasn't there. Panicking Naruto turned as fast as he could, hoping Kakashi wasn't behind him again, and couldn't help to feel relieved that the copy ninja wasn't there.

After confirming that Kakashi wasn't behind him eyes started bouncing around the clearing but found no sign of him. What he did find was a small object shining below a tree a few meters away. Standing with great difficulty, Naruto made his way to what he guessed was a bell.

The blonde scoffed. "Does he think I'm stupid?" Naruto made a cross sign, and a clone appeared beside him. The clone tried to grab the bell but got snatched by a rope trap. Naruto dispelled the clone and went for the bell but when he was about to grab the bell burst into smoke, revealing it to be henge by Kakashi. Naruto was too close, and Kakashi was too fast. The Jonin clocked Naruto right in the jaw, and the blonde went limp and fell unconscious to the ground.

"You aren't that smart apparently. Fell for your own trick. A ninja must learn to see underneath the underneath." Kakashi said, and then his eyes fell on the unmoving blonde, who couldn't take in Kakashi's wisdom due to his current state. "I may have overdone it. Well, time to see what the other ones have." As he finished the sentence a heard of shuriken came his way, but he lazily sidestepped. Kakashi turned his attention from where the shuriken had come. "So there you are."

'Shit! This guy never drops his guard! I better move before he comes!' Sasuke thought from the bushes.

"I wonder where Kakashi-Sensei went?" Murmured Sakura from behind the thick foliage.

"Wonder no more Sakura. Shinobi battle skill number two: genjutsu." Kakashi made a rat hand sign and snared Sakura in a genjutsu.

The copy ninja had used his sensitive nose to track down. He had smelled a familiar floral green scent. 'It's the same shampoo I use for Pakkun.'

"Aghhhhhhhh." Sakura's scream was heard throughout the forest.

The ex-ANBU winced slightly at the loud scream. "I think I overdid it again..."

Kakashi shrugged and went looking for Sasuke.

"Sakura?" asked Sasuke to no one in particular.

"Worried about your teammate?" The voice of Kakashi surprised the rookie of the year, and he turned in the direction it came from. Sure enough, he found Kakashi leaning against a tree with the same orange book he had pulled when he first fought Naruto.

Sasuke snorted, and his eyes went toward Kakashi's hips. "Neither Sakura nor Uzumaki got a bell from you, but I'm better than them."

Sasuke scowled at the taunt but kept his cool, unlike Naruto.

The Uchiha threw some shuriken to move him to the location he wanted and then threw a kunai at a rope that activated a premade trap. Kakashi was surprised by the trap, and Sasuke used that moment to rush in and attack him. Sasuke threw a powerful left backheel kick, but Kakashi lifted his arm to block it and grabbed Sasuke's leg. The Uchiha followed up with a punch, but the Jonin used his free hand to catch it, and Sasuke twisted his body and used his remaining leg to throw another kick, once again, Kakashi blocked, but Sasuke smirked. He reached for the bells with his free hand and managed to graze them, but Kakashi shoved him just before he could grab them.

'He is slower than Naruto but there isn't time to read... but it seems Sasuke does want the bells.'


Naruto woke up, rubbed his sore jaw, and looked around, unsure how long he had been out. Shaking the dizziness off he stood and started looking for Kakashi as he activated his sensory mode. Since Kakashi was engaging Sasuke, finding him was a lot easier. As soon as he sensed him he started running in that direction he arrived in time to see Sasuke weaving hand signs.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no jutsu (Fire Style: Great fireball)"

'He knows a nature transformation already!' Naruto thought jealously as he saw a stream of fire coming out of the Uchiha's mouth and enveloping Kakashi.

'Did he get him?' Naruto thought as he observed from a tree branch.

When the fire cleared, there was no sign of Kakashi. Having seen what the Jonin did to Naruto earlier, the Uchiha turned immediately, but he saw no sign of him.

"Below you." a hand came up from the ground and grabbed Sasuke's ankle. "Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no jutsu (Earth Style: Double Suicide Decapitation).

Sasuke was dragged down to the ground until only his head stuck up.

Kakashi climbed out of the ground and crouched in front of Sasuke. "Shinobi battle skill number three: ninjutsu." the silver-haired man saw Sasuke struggle to get free. "There, I didn't overdo it this time."

A laugh sounded that alerted the both of them to the presence of Naruto. He found the scene too hilarious not to burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing about?" the sound of Kakashi's voice sounded behind Naruto. The blonde deduced it was a clone since he could still see another Kakashi crouched in front of Sasuke.

This time the Kakashi's presence didn't preoccupy Naruto, and he smirked.

"Boom."

Kakashi heard the characteristic sound of a paper bomb about to go off, and suddenly the tree they stood on and the ones surrounding them were blown to pieces.

Kakashi sweat dropped. 'Talk about overdoing it.' then Kakashi stuck his hand up and caught two shuriken in between his fingers that came from behind him. A second later from all sides, four Narutos rushed Kakashi. The Jonin threw the previously caught shuriken and dispelled two clones before he kicked one in the chin and punched one in the ribs. The one that got a strike to his ribs fell down beside Sasuke.

Kakashi looked up to the sun. 'It's almost noon, and they haven't gotten even close to figuring it out.' he then saw that the blonde was struggling to stand up. 'I don't think he will be moving a lot for the next few minutes.' Kakashi vanished in a shunshin.

"Bastard! Get back here!" exclaimed Naruto as he grabbed his aching abdomen.

"Uzumaki! Get me out of here!" Sasuke ordered.

"W-why should I?" the blonde asked as the pain made him stutter.

"Because it's almost noon and I haven't gotten a bell!"

Naruto's eyes widened. 'Shit the bells!' He had been so obsessed with Kakashi that he completely forgot about the bells. Being reminded of the objective got him thinking. 'I'm not at a hundred percent and there is little time left... Shit. I don't want to do this, but I don't want to return to the academy.'

"Uzumaki!" screamed Sasuke again.

"Okay, okay, okay. I'll get you out but on one condition."

Sasuke knew he was in no position to negotiate just said. "Fine."

"Let's work together to get the bells."

"Why would I do th-." Sasuke stopped his mouth, thought it over, and found it wasn't that bad of an idea, but he was still reluctant. "Fine." he said after a couple of seconds.

Naruto made some clones, and they started digging Sasuke out of his current predicament while the real Naruto was trying to see if he could sense Kakashi. Just before Sasuke was freed, Naruto sensed two chakra signatures that he supposed were Kakashi and Sakura.

"Let's hurry. He is where we began with Sakura."

"How do you know?"

"The same way I knew he was here with you. I'm a sensor."

Sasuke just nodded and followed the blonde.

When they arrived at the clearing, they found Kakashi walking with an unconscious Sakura slung over his shoulder. His sensitive senses seemed to alert him to the presence of both preteens, and he laid Sakura down before he turned in the direction they both were.

"So which of you is going to try this time?" he asked towards the bushes.

"We both are!" said Naruto as both jumped out of their hiding spot. Kakashi merely raised an eyebrow, and both Sasuke and Naruto fell into a stance but as soon as they gave the first step the bell rang.

"Time is up." Kakashi turned around, grabbed Sakura again, went to a log, and tied her down with a rope. "Congratulations, you both get to eat lunch. Sit down next to Sakura." Kakashi went and grabbed some bento boxes before throwing them in their direction.

A few seconds later Sakura woke up. "Ugh... what happened?"

Kakashi ignored Sakura's question and spoke. "Concerning this excise, there is no need for you guys to go back to the academy..."

"What. All I did was lay unconscious. Is that okay?" asked a surprised Sakura. Naruto let out a breath, and Sasuke smirked in satisfaction.

"Yes. The three of you must quit being a ninja." Finished Kakashi.

"Quit?! What do you mean by quit?" demanded Naruto angrily.

"I say quit because you're all squirts that have no idea what meaning a ninja means."

"Fuck you!" Naruto's temperament got the better of him, and against his better judgment, he rushed Kakashi head-on. In the blink of an eye, the blonde lay on his stomach as Kakashi put his weight on top of him.

He turned to look towards Sasuke, who had made a movement to rush at him, but Naruto beat him to it. Just based on seeing what had befallen the blonde the Uchiha standdown.

"As I was saying, you are all squirts. Neither of you have the qualifications to be a ninja. Do you think being a ninja is easy?" Neither of the 3 genin responded.

"Why do you think we are doing this exercise in teams? Do you have any idea what the true purpose is?" Kakashi questioned but no one responded.

"Teamwork."

Three pairs of eyes widened at the realization. "This test is aimed to see if you could work together, but you failed miserably. Only Sasuke and Naruto decided to work together towards the end. I don't know if I'm impressed or disappointed that you did it without knowing the purpose of the exercise. Regardless, neither of you tried to involve Sakura, so I guess I'm disappointed. If you had worked together you could have gotten the bells.

"Wait a minute but if there were only two bells why would the three of us work together? One of us would always have to return to the academy. Is not possible to work together under those circumstances."

"That's the purpose of the exercise! Are you all brainless?" Naruto struggled harder from under Kakashi. "On a mission, self-interest has no place! You were supposed to set aside your own ambitions and prioritize teamwork to focus on the mission... Sakura! You didn't even try to get the bells; your sole focus was on Sasuke even when Naruto lay unconscious." The Kunoichi eyed the ground in shame from her tied position. "Sasuke! You claimed to be better than your teammates and cast them aside. If I had to guess, you only decided to work together after Naruto helped you." The Uchiha scowled, but he internally recognized what the Jonin was saying. "Naruto! Your hotheadedness made you forget about the bells and your teammates. You could have tried to get the bells multiple, but you were so focused on me. You only asked Sasuke to work together because you were too injured to keep flying solo. In addition, you two decided to work together but didn't care about Sakura."

The three members took the criticism of their Sensei.

"A ninja indeed needs individual skills but teamwork stands above that. In a mission, individual actions that disrupt the team's functioning will throw you into a crisis and lead to death... for example." In an instant, Kakashi took out a kunai and held it to Naruto's jugular. "Sasuke! Kill Sakura or Naruto dies!"

The three Genin opened their mouths in shock. "That is what will happen as long as you prioritize individual actions above the collective." Kakashi stored the kunai back in his pouch, released Naruto from his grasp, and stood up. "Look at this." he said as he walked towards a stone monument with endless names written on it. "The names written on this stone are from ninjas killed in action. Several of my friends' names are engraved here... and it won't be long until you guys join them if you don't work together."

Naruto knew of at least to name he was talking about. Uchiha Obito and Nohara Rin. He had read about them in Minato's journals and knew they had died in the last war.

"I'll give you guys one more chance. However, if you think I was rough on you, prepare for a lot more."

"Naruto, Sasuke. You are allowed to eat but don't let Sakura have any. If you feed her you will be disqualified on the spot. I make the rules here, understood?" Kakashi said and left. Well, he never really left. He just hid behind a tree, suppressed his chakra signature as if he were on a mission, and observed what the three Genin would do.

It wasn't long before Sasuke offered Sakura his lunch and Naruto suggested that it should be his lunch that went to Sakura since he had eaten anyway. Kakashi smiled under his mask at the scene. He was ready to pass them, but he wanted to play a little trick before to see if they would stick together.

You three! You broke the rules. Do you have something to say before I ..."

"We are a team." Interrupted Sasuke.

"And we don't abandon anyone!" finished Naruto with a glare as he readied a Kunai.

"Is that so? In that case, I will..." Kakashi started to make hand signs, and Naruto and Sasuke got on their guards. "I will pass you!" said Kakashi, never finishing his last hand sign.

"Pass us? Why?" asked a baffled pinky.

"Because you worked as a team even when I told you not to do it. You put aside the personal benefit and worried about the team. In our world, those who break the rules are garbage, but those who abandon their friends and comrades are worse than garbage. The exercise is finished. Everyone passes! Team 7 will report tomorrow for duty." Said Kakashi with a thumbs up.

Sakura celebrated and Sasuke gave a small smile but to Kakashi's surprise Naruto didn't immediately celebrate; instead, his glare hardened on the Jonin hardened.

"Well you are dismissed. I will meet you tomorrow here at eight A.M"

Sasuke and Sakura left shortly after but Naruto stayed rooted in place as he glared at Kakashi.

"Is there something you wanted to talk about Naruto?"

The blonde didn't know what he expected the copy ninja to do but he wanted for him to say something or do something but as the seconds passed his disappointment grew. At this point, his disappointment had outgrown his anger.

"It's nothing worth talking about now." he said cryptically and spitefully to the Jonin before leaving.

Kakashi studied the blonde's retreating figure. 'I may be late, but I'll watch over him, Sensei.'


Author's Notes:

Well, that's the chapter I hope you like guys. As always thanks to MN306 for being the beta and thanks to bored 1345, Dia Conran Uzumaki, sixthdragneel, Cas Erik, STAG98, Thelow, and Jonathan Cardoza Sanchez for the comments and reviews. Hope you like the chapter and don't forget to comment and review.