Episode 4: The survival test.
Naruto and the triplets waited in the classroom for their Jonin for what felt like hours.
Sizilien: Why is he so late?
Naruto stuck his head out the door and looked up and down the hallway. But still, no sign of him.
Sasuke: Just sit down, Naruto.
Naruto: No. How come only our teacher is late? I'm ready to train already. I'm sure everyone else is already ahead of us!
Sizilien and Neveda: We're aware.
Suddenly Naruto starts setting up a prank for their teacher.
Sasuke: What are you doing now?
Naruto: When he opens the door the chalkboard eraser will fall on his head. It's what he gets for coming late.
Neveda: Do you really think he's gonna fall for that?
As Kakashi walks through the door, the eraser hits him in the head and the two girls and Naruto burst out laughing.
Sasuke: He actually fell for that?
Kakashi: Well my first impression has been made. Let's hope you can improve on it.
Kakashi takes them up to the rooftop.
Kakashi: All right. Why don't you introduce yourselves one at a time?
Sizilien: What are we supposed to say?
Kakashi: Things you like. Things you hate. Dreams for the future. Hobbies. Things like that.
Sizilien: You should introduce yourself first. Show us how it's done.
Kakashi: Me? I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and hate… I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future? Not really any. I have a lot of hobbies though.
Naruto: That told us nothing.
Sizilien: At least he told us his name.
Naruto; Okay I'll go first… My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like ramen and girls, and I really hate being disrespected. And sometimes I like reading comics and cooking. As for my dream, I want to be Hokage!
Kakashi: Okay. Next.
Neveda: I'm Neveda Uchiha. I like my siblings. My dream is to move to another village and become the Kage there. My hobbies are singing and training. I really hate anyone that I don't like.
Sizilien laughs a bit.
Sasuke: My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things and I only like vengeance and my sisters. What I have is not a dream because I WILL make it come true. I will eradicate the person that destroyed my clan.
Sizilien: My name is Sizilien Uchiha. I like anything that has to do with expressing yourself through the arts, and I like training, too. I hate most people on this Earth. My hobbies are my likes. My dream is to help Sasuke and then move away and become the leader of the land of fire.
Kakashi: Good, you're each unique and have your own ideas. We'll have our first mission tomorrow. It will be a survival exercise. Of the 27 that passed only 9 will stay genin. The other 18 will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. This test will prove if you are ready to become a ninja.
Naruto: That's not fair! We worked hard to get here! What was the graduation test for if you're just gonna do this!
Kakashi: That was just to select the candidates who might become genin- or not.
Sizilien and Neveda: Makes sense.
Kakashi: That's just how it is. Be at our training spot tomorrow at 5 AM, and bring your gear. That's it. You're dismissed. Oh. And make sure you skip breakfast. You might puke.
The next day….
Sakura woke up early and grabbed her bags. 2 ninjas escorted her to a boat and she set sail for the academy.
Meanwhile Team 7 was gathering at their training spot.
Naruto: Morning.
He yawned.
The triplets however, were wide awake.
They waited for 5 hours until Kakashi showed up.
Kakashi: Morning everyone. Ready for your first day?
Naruto: You're late!
Kakashi: Whatever. Let's get started. I have a timer set for 12:00. Your assignment is simple. You just have to steal some bells from me. That's it. If you can't get them by lunch time, you don't get lunch. But you get to watch as I eat lunch in front of you. Start.
Sasuke and Neveda jump away to hide.
Kakashi: Ninja must know how to hide and conceal their movements. Mind on telling me why you two didn't hide?
Sizilien: If we told you that would ruin all the fun.
Sasuke hid low to the ground in a bush, and Neveda hid in a tree.
Kakashi: I assume you have a plan in mind?
Sizilien: Maybe. Maybe not. I still won't tell you.
Naruto: Now I'm gonna defeat you!
Kakashi: You know, I'm surprised you're going along with their plan, Naruto Uzumaki. Actually, I'm surprised they even let you in on it. I wonder how it feels to hang out with a person with the very beast that destroyed the village in them. Don't they shut you out? How does it feel to be alone like that?
Sizilien: Nice try sensei. Naruto already knows about your manipulation skills.
Naruto: I'm sorry, what did he say? I was too busy looking at his weird ass haircut.
Sizilien and Naruto charged at Kakashi after that wonderful sentiment.
Kakashi: A head on attack? Not unexpected, but amusing all the same.
As Kakashi reached for his book, Naruto stopped in his tracks, but Sizilien ran around Kakashi so forward and backward escapes were pointless.
Sizilien: Naruto, remember what Sasuke said about taijutsu! Follow his steps and this fight will be a piece of cake.
Kakashi: Heh… It's funny that you think fighting a Jonin will be easy.
After he said that, Kakashi began to read.
Naruto: What the-
Sizilien: Don't let your guard down Naruto, he didn't take out his book for no reason. The fact that he is relaxed enough to read a book during a fight means that he's very experienced and has every trick you can think of up his sleeve.
Kakashi: Good observation skills. But a ninja isn't just brains, come at me so I can gage your taijutsu.
Naruto rushed forward with a fairly easy attack, a punch. Of course, Kakashi blocked it but he was distracted. A clone came up behind him . He easily destroyed it, but the smoke blocked his vision. Sizilien jumped through it and tripped him. As she went to grab the bell, Kakashi transformed into a block of wood. Sizilien whipped around in time to dodge a punch, and it was finally Nevedas turn. The world around them began to shift around them and Naruto and Sizilien disappeared. Unbeknownst to Kakashi, they left with a bell.
Naruto and Sizilien stayed hidden under water for the next phase of her plan. Thanks to Sizilien they could breathe underwater. Suddenly Neveda threw a barrage of throwing stars at Kakashi. He dodged them all, but that wasn't the point of the weapons. Attached to them were paper bombs! Kakashi jumped away in time, but he dropped his bell. The bomb exploded and buried the bell. But this was Nevedas genjutsu world. Where there looked to be a mound of dirt, was actually Neveda grabbing the bell and jumping away. Naruto and Sizilien then jumped out of the water to distract Kakashi while the world transformed back to normal.
Naruto summoned clones to help them fight too.
Naruto: I hope you're not too egotistical. Kakashi sensei. It'll really hurt your pride when you lose to a bunch of 12 year olds.
Kakashi: You get too ahead of yourself. You really think the worst student from the academy could beat me?\
As Naruto went in for a punch, Kakashi once again turned into a log.
When he reappeared, Naruto and Sizilien were nowhere to be found. Sasuke stayed in his hiding place as he threw shuriken and throwing stars at him all at the same time. They all hit him. Or did they?
Episode 5: Kakashi's final decision.
What looked to be Kakashi's body transformed into yet another log, so Sasuke's attack did not hit.
Sasuke immediately started racing to his next position, knowing that if he stayed where he was, Kakashi would find him. Neveda also rushed to her position to help Sasuke. Unfortunately, she got lost along the way due to Kakashi's own genjutsu, so Sasuke would have to do this on his own. When Kakashi finally found Sasuke, he tripped over the string that he pulled out. Then they both circled each other until they reached a clearing to fight. But the fighting was pointless, as Kakashi fell, Sizilien grabbed his bell and gave it to Sasuke.
Naruto threw weapons from afar to aid Sasuke, but Kakashi dodged, still focused on Sasuke. As Kakashi jumped back from the shuriken and kunai, he tripped over another string and just barely missed another barrage of kunai.
As Kakashi hurried to get up, Sasuke appeared behind and kicked him with his heel. Kakashi blocked it, but Sasuke went in for a punch. Kakashi blocked it again. Now Sasuke only had his left arm and right leg to attack because Kakashi was holding the other two limbs. Sasuke twisted upside down and went to kick Kakashi's head. Kakashi blocked it with the interlocking hands he was using to hold the other limbs. When Kakashi realized Sasuke was now in a direct position to grab the bells he jumped away. But then he noticed the bells weren't there.
Kakashi: You kids… So I guess everyone gets lunch and passes then? Come with me.
Kakashi leads them to the clearing they started in and hands them bento boxes. Sasuke digs and so does Naruto, but Sizilien and Neveda share theirs and don't really eat.
Sasuke: If you don't eat right now I swear to god.
Naruto: Yeah, you're already skinny.
Sizilien: But-
Sasuke shoves food in her mouth. Kakashi watches this encounter quietly. His smile hidden behind his mask.
Kakashi: You guys pass. You understood that you must use teamwork to pass. On an actual mission, working together leads to mission completion. However, if you had not worked together, I would have immediately failed you and would have made you drop out of the ninja course entirely. So, good job and congrats. You pass. Those in the ninja world who break the rules are scum. But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.
The 4 cheer and continue sharing their bento boxes with each other.
Kakashi: Squad 7 starts its first mission tomorrow!
Sizilien and Naruto: Yes! Woohoo!
Kakashi: You guys can go home.
Sizilien: We did it Neveda we're ninjas!
Naruto: Ninja! Ninja! Ninja!
And so, they all walked into the sunset together, wondering what tomorrow would hold…
But far away there was a great evil they were about to encounter. An encounter that would change their lives forever.