Sasuke reached Training Ground Seven at 4:59 AM, trying to ignore the sleepiness he felt behind his eyes. Once he reached the middle of the training grounds, he saw Natsumi and Sakura walk up as well. Sakura was yawning and rubbing her eyes while Natsumi just stretched out an arm, not making a sound.

It was now 5:00 AM and Kakashi had yet to arrive. The three stood there, each looking around for any signs of their Sensei. Sakura sighs as more time passes.

Several hours later, around 10:00 AM, the three genin were sitting in the grass half asleep in boredom. Kakashi appeared.

"You're late," Natsumi said dryly, glaring at him. Sakura nodded, agreeing.

"Yeah!" Kakashi shrugged.

"Sorry, I got lost on the road of life," he lazily said, looking at the three of them. There was a brief pause, and he raised his hand, revealing two small bells. They made a jingle sound. Sasuke stared at the bells. He walked over to a tree stump and placed a clock on it. He pressed down on a button. "There. It's set for noon," he says. The three genin stare at him, confused, and the bells rang again. "Your task is quite simple. You just have to take these bells from me. That's all there is to it," he explained, making the bells ring softly again. "If you can't get them by noon, you go without lunch. You'll be tied to those posts and you'll watch while I eat my lunch in front of you." Kakashi beckoned at the three wooden posts. The three genins' stomach's growl, with Natsumi's being the loudest. She blushed ever so slightly in embarrassment before quickly coughing to cover the noise.

'So that's why he told us not to eat breakfast. So he can make it harder on us,' Sasuke thought to himself. Sakura blinked once and frowned in confusion.

"Wait a minute! There's three of us. How come there are only two bells?" She asked, holding up the number two on her right hand. Kakashi does that weird eye smile again.

"Heh, well, that way, at least one of you will be tied to the post and ultimately be disqualified for failing," he explains casually and rings the bells softly again as if he was taunting the three. "The person who fails will go back to the Academy." He paused and seemed to think thoughtfully to himself for a second before continuing. "Then again, all three of you could flunk as well." He stared at the three genin. "You can use any weapons, including shuriken. If you're not prepared to kill me, then you have no chance of getting the bells." He no longer hung the bells from his fingers and now held them in his fist. Natsumi scoffed.

"Sounds simple enough," she said, putting her hands behind her head. Kakashi narrowed his eyes a little at her.

"People who are arrogant are sometimes the weak links," he said slowly to her. Natsumi glared at him. Kakashi shrugs and looks at the other two. "When I say start, you may begin." Quite suddenly Natsumi charged at Kakashi with one hand in a fist, winding it up. Sasuke and Sakura watched. Natsumi was very fast, faster than the other genin, but not fast enough for Kakashi since he caught her punch and twisted her around with his arm hooked around her neck. He didn't choke her, but his arm laid there as a reminder. Sakura stared at her with wide eyes and Sasuke's brows were furrowed. "Don't be in such a hurry," he said to Natsumi, still keeping her restrained. "I didn't say start yet." Natsumi struggled against him, trying to get out of his grip, but it was no use. Sasuke and Sakura backed away and Kakashi let Natsumi go. She quickly walked forward with her cheeks red, full of embarrassment.

'He's quick. I didn't even see him,' Sasuke thought to himself.

"But you came at me with the full intention to kill me. So—how can I put this?" He paused and went back to that thoughtful thinking face. "I might be starting to like you guys." Natsumi just shrugged and the others did nothing. There was a brief pause. "Get ready. And... start!"

The three genin jumped off. Sasuke hid in a tree. He did not know where Natsumi went, but he saw Sakura standing in front of Kakashi, with a fighting look in her emerald green eyes.

"You and me, right now!" She demanded, adjusting her gloves as she always did. Kakashi shrugged indifferently.

"Okay." He pulled out an orange book and the title read 'Icha Icha.' Sakura glared at him.

"Why do you have that book out for?" She asked, annoyed.

"Oh, this?" He doesn't look at her and seems to be reading it. "I just don't think you'll be too much of a challenge." Sakura growls in anger and she rubs up to him ready to attack. Chakra glowed off her hand. Sasuke stared.

'Since when has she been able to do that?' He wondered as he watched the pinkette. Sakura tried to land the punch but Kakashi just dodged. Sakura's punch landed on a tree trunk and the trunk snapped off from the stump. Sasuke stared in slight shock. Even Kakashi removed his eyes from his book. He probably didn't expect the girl was capable of doing that.

"Huh, maybe there's more to you than I thought," he pondered, seeming to be talking to himself more than Sakura.

"Damn right! Cha!" She winded another chakra infused fist back and aimed at Kakashi again. This time Kakashi blocked it by catching it. He slid back a little. Sakura grins throughout all of this. Who wouldn't be glad to be doing somewhat well against an elite ninja? Sasuke continues to watch the two fight, observing.

Kakashi switched from defense to offense and started aiming punches and kicks back, still glancing at his book that was in his hand every once in a while.

"Lesson One: Taijutsu," he lazily said, continuously kicking at Sakura. Eventually, she lost her footing and fell backwards, landing on the grass. She gulped slightly, now seeing the Jonin leering over her. "Good, but not good enough to get the bells," he said. In one swift motion, he grabbed her arm and threw her in the water. With a splash, she fell in the lake.

Sasuke scoffed slightly. He should have figured she would lose. Kakashi then disappeared and Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He figured he was now after Natsumi. After a few minutes of silence, he climbed out of the tree he was in and looked around to see Sakura doing the same. Her clothes were soaked, and she was brushing her pink hair out of her face.

"Sasuke-kun!" She ran up to the boy. Sasuke had a hand in his pockets.

"Hn?" He asked—well vocalized.

"Maybe we should work together," Sakura explains. "Me and you could get the two bells! We know each other, right? We barely know who Natsumi is! For all we know, she could be a backstabber! If us two get the bells—"

"No," Sasuke said a little too coldly. There was a brief pause. "I'm getting the bells on my own. I don't need help from anybody. You and Natsumi can just fight it out." After that, he walked away despite Sakura's shouts of protest.

He walked deeper into the woods and it was silent besides for the leaves crunching as he walked on them. He was on alert, slowly gazing at the scene.

There was a scream—a scream of horror. In surprise, Sasuke whipped his head around in the direction of the sound.

'That sounded like Natsumi... Where is she?' He wondered and began walking in the direction of the scream he heard seconds ago. It was only one scream, so he just had to hope she did not move so he could find her. Wait, hope? He shook his head to himself. No, it was not like he cared about her well being all too much. He just wanted to find her so he could find Kakashi and get the bell. That is what he told himself anyway.

Another few minutes passed by and he stumbled upon Natsumi. She was hanging upside down in a tree, being hung only by a rope around her ankle. Sasuke scoffed.

"What happened to you, loser? You don't seem like the type to fall for a small trap like that," he said, somewhat teasing, somewhat insulting.

"Genjutsu," Natsumi muttered in reply. Her slightly more pale face definitely portrayed that she had a spook. Sasuke scoffed.

"Hn." There was a brief pause. "Want me to help you out?" He asked, with an uninterested tone. Natsumi scoffed.

"You're not concerned about having more competition?" She asked. Sasuke shrugged and then shook his head.

"No, not really. Sakura probably won't even get a bell anyway." Natsumi just shrugged.

"Well, if you're gonna get me out of here, can you hurry up? The blood's rushing to my head," she said. Sasuke just shrugged and let out a slight scoff.

"Whatever. You could try to be a little nicer about it," he said. He grabbed a kunai out of his holster and cut the rope. The rope fell and so did Natsumi. She managed to land on her feet in a crouch position before standing up.

"Thanks, I guess," she said, rubbing the back of her head. Sasuke nodded.

"Whatever." He put his kunai back in his holster. "Do you know which way Kakashi went?" He asked, looking around. Natsumi shook her head. "No. He's either watching us or is fighting Sakura again," she said with a shrug. Sasuke just nodded, and started walking in a random direction.

'I need to get that bell.' How else was he supposed to kill his brother? If he was sent back to the Academy, he would only be slowed down from achieving his ambitions. Natsumi walked too, but in a different direction. That seemed to be the end of their conversation. If it was even considered one... He wouldn't fail like his other two teammates to get the bell. "I'm not like Sakura or Natsumi," he said to himself."

"Say that after you get a bell, Sasuke," Kakashi replied. Sasuke quickly looked behind him to see Kakashi there, leaning against a tree, reading his perverted book. Kakashi then walks forward towards Sasuke. There was a long pause of silence before Sasuke threw several shurikens at Kakashi. He quickly dodged by moving out of the way, however. "There's no point in using regular attacks, Sasuke," he said. That was when Sasuke smirked. The shuriken was only a distraction. He threw a kunai up that cut some rope, launching shurikens and kunai at Kakashi. He jumped out of the way to avoid getting hit and dropped his book, but then Sasuke jumped up behind him. Kakashi quickly turned around and blocked an incoming kick by catching his foot. With his hand, Sasuke aimed a punch at the silver-haired Jonin, but his arm was caught too. He kicked again with his free leg, but like the others, it was stopped. Fortunately, he was upside down and had a perfect reach for the bells. Just as his fingers grazed them, Kakashi jumped back, dropping Sasuke.

"Damn..." Sasuke said as he landed on his feet. Kakashi just nods to himself.

"Interesting... Both you and Natsumi managed to touch the bells," he said quietly, picking up his book and dusting it off. Sasuke grits his teeth together.

'Natsumi almost managed to get one as well...?' Sasuke panted a little, drained.

"Well, you are different from the other two. Neither of them tried using traps like you did, I'll grant you that," he said, complimenting him. Sasuke let out a slight growl and quickly put his hands together, forming hand signs. He took a deep breath.

'Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!' He opened his mouth and shot out a large spray of fire towards Kakashi. Once the flames disappeared, Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. Sasuke quickly looked around, nervous. 'Where did he go? Behind me? Above?' Suddenly, the ground broke below him, revealing Kakashi's hand as it grabbed Sasuke's calf. Sasuke looked behind him in surprise.

"I'm where you least expect me," Kakashi said and grabbed Sasuke's other calf, pulling him into the ground and Sasuke let out a scream. Kakashi jumps up and crouched right in front of him. "Right under your feet. Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu." Sasuke was grunting, struggling to get free. His neck and down was completely stuck in the ground. "Can't move, huh? That was ninjutsu, the third shinobi lesson." Sasuke assumed Kakashi taught Natsumi the second lesson: Genjutsu. "You were right. You are different. But... different isn't always better," Kakashi said and stood up. He opened his book and turned around, walking away. "They say that the nail that sticks up, always gets hammered down." He disappeared and Sasuke sighed.

"Oh, great!"

Sasuke was not sure how much time passed, but eventually Sakura stumbled upon him. She ran up to him with her face full of concern.

"Sasuke-kun! Are you alright?" She asked. Sasuke just nodded, not really able to shrug in the position he was in.

"Just help me get out," he said in a bitter tone. Sakura nodded and without a second thought began pulling him out.

After several painful tugs and pushes, Sasuke was out of the ground. He did not offer any thanks.

"I've got to get a bell before lunch," he said. It did not leave much time at all. Lunch had to be soon... Sakura sighed.

"Sasuke... are you still trying to get one of those bells?" She asked hesitantly, as if she was not sure herself whether she wanted it or not anymore.

"Not too long ago I touched one," he said. "Next time I'll get one." Sakura frowned, probably a bit jealous and adjusted her gloves.

"But, uh... it's almost lunch. There's not really enough time left... So maybe we should just give up and try again next year!" She herself seemed to be cringing at her words. Sasuke groaned in annoyance and glared. He looked like he was about to say something more, but then a clock could be heard.

It was ringing too.

'Darn it!' He had failed! He sighed and cursed and began walking back to the middle of the training ground. He heard Sakura follow behind him, quiet.

Sasuke and Sakura were sitting on either side of the middle post with Natsumi being tied to it. Sasuke glanced over.

'What did the loser do to get tied? None of us got the bells.' Kakashi appeared with his arms crossed, staring down at them and the three genin's stomachs were growling, wanting to be fed.

"Uh, oh. Stomach's growling, huh? That's too bad." He held up the number one on his hand. "Oh, by the way, about this exercise? Well, I decided that I won't send any of you back to the Academy." Sakura's face lit up.

"Wait, really?" Sakura asked, with a hopeful tone. Sasuke smirks and Natsumi just nods in approval. "All three of us—" Kakashi does that strange eye smile.

"Yes, all three of you are going to be dropped from the program, permanently." The cheers, laughing, and smiling stopped and the three genin groaned quietly in frustration at the man.

'Dropped from the program?!'

AN:

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