A/N: Bell test. Sorry in advance for any perceived edginess or tackiness.

Naru jumped into a tree and watched Kakashi carefully.

During his explanation, the emotion rolling off of Kakashi wasn't something she could name easily, but felt similar to what she felt from shopkeepers who smiled with offerings of free food only to appear with rotten meat or, a memory she had only reminisced on yesterday, when Mizuki had asked her for a favor to help her graduate early. It was also similar to how she felt when executing a particularly cruel prank.

Mischievousness, maybe, but with a more malicious intent, with the intent to trick and upset rather than for fun.

She cursed herself mentally for not having tried to dig up possible genin tests. Anko had literally mentioned yesterday that Kakashi-sensei wouldn't fail them. She should've noted the mere aspect of failing the post-academy exam, but alas, Naru was not one for details except for maybe her pranks. However, if there's anyone that she could just ask right now…

'Kyuubi, psst are you awake?'

Here goes nothing.

"What do you want to dare wake me up from my nap, lowly brat?"

Naru thought it was kinda funny how the Kitsune tried to act so clever and highly, but called her "brat" like Anko did.

"If you woke up for no reason, I will eat you next time you come back here-"

'-Ah, uhm, so do you happen to know what the bell test is and how to face it?'

"Hmm, ah yes, that test, fitting for one like you"

'How so?'

"You've correctly deduced that you cannot face that man alone. It is a test in trickery. You must convince your teammates to work together to acquire the bells and then betray them to keep one for yourself."

'Sooo, Kakashi-sensei was tryna use like divide and conquer on us 'cuz he knows he can win against us alone?'

"Yes. Seeing through that deception was the 1st test. The 2nd one is to trick your own teammates."

'Okayyy, tricking them...like pranks right?'

"Yes, exactly that. You shouldn't have much trouble with your skills."

'Haha, you don't need to flatter me, but thanks Kyuubi, you can go back to napping now.'

"If you so wish, I can lend you some power, brat…"

'Hmmm, maybe I'll think about it. If I need it, I'll use it then.' She smiled on her face, but she wasn't sure if he could see it.

Naru knew she probably shouldn't completely trust the Kyuubi (he even said that there would be a cost each time she called upon him,) god forbid, the Sandaime found out, and she knew to take everything he said with a grain of salt, (a saying she heard a long time ago, but she couldn't tell you what it meant) but you would have to be dumb to not listen to anything a 1000 year old demon had to say, even if it was mostly riddles and tricks. Naru was the prank master of Konoha and no one has ever managed to get back at her; she could handle it and, besides, nothing he's ever told her has been completely wrong yet.

She noticed Kakashi-sensei was gone and felt through her emotion sensing, looking for his brand of grief and melancholy, her least favorite feelings amongst the sea of darkness that was the village's collective emotions. While it was a useful tool for sensing, she could never get used to the weight of that darkness seeping into her day in and out.

But then, that's why she was going to be a ninja, to change that. She would be hokage and the villagers would acknowledge her and be happy.

She noticed him next to Sakura, but her usually bright persona, with complimentary viciousness, was dampened with fear, and Naru raced towards her. Hopefully she hadn't run into any of the traps Naru had set up earlier.

Right as Naru had them within eyesight, Sakura let out a cry of alarm and crumbled to her knees. As the jounin turned away, muttering, "lesson 1: Genjutsu," she sent out 20 clones to catch his attention and then lure him away into the forest towards her traps. Naru then dropped down by her, to hear her mumble, "kai."

Sakura grabbed at her hair and bunched it up in her fingers. "How could I let myself be caught in a genjutsu? So much for wanting to specialize, haha," she said weakly, tears still in her eyes from whatever horrid thing Kakashi-sensei probably showed her.

'Now you comfort her and then offer assistance in your objective.' Naru could only imagine the kyuubi's face was as if he was picturing a tantalizing piece of meat, which Sakura might as well be to him. But also, he always seemed deeply amused and gained a deep sense of satisfaction with Naru's pranks.

'Shut up, I know what I'm doing. Anyways, Sakura was always gung-ho about teamwork at the academy. That'll probably work best.'

Naru set a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Haha, you can't blame yourself for falling for a genjutsu from Kakashi-sensei, he's a jounin after all. I doubt either Sayu or me would've done any better. In fact, there's no way any of us will be able go up against him, let alone get a bell. This test is a farce."

Hook

Sakura looked up at her. "Huh, what do you mean a farce? Do you mean Hatake-san lied to us?" her voice hinting on panic.

Naru was now rubbing circles on her back. The last time she probably touched Sakura was when she grabbed her dress to save her from one of her biggest pranks at the academy. Come to think of it, she'd never pranked Sakura before. "Nono, I think it's a part of the test. I hate to say it, but even I know I can't go up against a jounin alone. No way you or Sayu could."

Line

"He tricked us into competing against each other rather than working together, making it less work for him and the academy had always tried to reinforce teamwork. Of course," Sakura muttered to herself, mind whirling.

Well Naru didn't actually know, given her extensive truancy, but she's heard enough of Sayu grumbling about 'compulsive teamwork' and Sakura always emphasizing equal work in group projects to assume it'd probably had something to do with that, at least enough to convince Sakura.

"So…so he's testing our teamwork, then. Alright, we should get Sayuri then." Sakura got up and dusted herself off, her green eyes hardened, resolute.

And...sinker?

Well, Sakura drew a different conclusion than her from the test. Oh well, it would be easier to catch her off guard with her trick then. "Yeah, that's the spirit! Let's go. Follow me and you won't get hit by-"

Someone was rapidly approaching.

-and Naru spun around.

"And just what are you two plotting?" Sayu deadpanned.

Well, this made things easier for Naru.

"Oh, Sayuri-san. Naru helped me figure out that Hatake is trying to trick us with the bell objective and that it's actually a test of teamwork," Sakura managed to squeak out.

Sayuri's eyes flickered towards Naru for a split second. "Teamwork, how obvious," she replied dryly. "…but you mean to tell me Naru, the dead-last, not only helped deduce the supposed 'trick' of this test, but Naru, a notorious trickster, agreed to teamwork as a solution?" she deadpanned.

Sakura withered under her monotonous gaze. "I- well, the two bells are there to make us compete against each other, but there's no way a single genin could go up against a jounin, let alone steal something from him. And Naru may be a troublemaker, but she has some skill with trap-making, so maybe with the three of us…"

Sakura...Sakura finally complimented her? Too bad Naru was too wary of Sayu to properly absorb that. But still! Another person acknowledged her! And it was Sakura!

"Don't deign to lot me in with the rest of you, but for now I'll oblige with this hypothesis of yours." Then Sayu narrowed her eyes and said with a bored air, "But then, what if that isn't the true aim of the test? Who will take responsibility and give up their bell?"

Nothing like a white-lie...

Sakura looked between them, looking worried that she would have to be the one to give up her bell.

Naru grinned, showing off her canines, "I swear on my dead family's honor, I will rock-paper-scissors with you for a bell. I think we both understand the meaning of tough luck," she said cheekily, hands behind her head.

Sakura sighed and slumped her shoulders back in relief. Naru would be feel bad about tricking her once she passed.

Sayu let out a huff and rolled her shoulders back. "Hn, you go in first. I'm not dealing with the death trap you made of the forest. If you lead me into any of them, you will pay dearly," said as if without a care in the world, but Naru understood her threat very well.

And so, after a few hatched plans, Naru led them into battle.

Kakashi inspected a singular trap on a tree.

He had encountered many so far and found it difficult to not trip at least some because of just the sheer number of them in the forest and how they were haphazardly placed around. It was almost like booby-trapped rooms he had encountered in ANBU. Except not as well hidden or expertly placed, of course.

Naru approaching Sakura, rather than rushing straight at him immediately, was outside of his expectations. He would've especially thought she absorbed Anko's boldness. Even her introduction was rather loud and bright like Anko's entrances.

But then, he was reminded bitterly that he was thinking of old Anko, from before things changed, before Orochimaru defected, before Anko replaced Itachi on his ANBU squad. That Anko had been one that Danzo suddenly decided was responsible and best to take care of Naru.

As for the reason Naru didn't have a negative reaction to the bell test, that was because she either didn't care to process the gravity of the situation right then and there, a bit air-headed. Or she hid what she was really feeling and could've already been working out a plan. And the ability to hide that, at their age was either credence to her inheritance of Minato's nonchalance or Anko's snake-like influence: both frightening possibilities.

Or, Kakashi could just be overthinking it. They're only genin. Troubled genin maybe, but even most Chuunin haven't mastered emotion masking.

Oh, but for something most Jounin don't master, Naru had mastered Shadow clones and already seemed to, at least, understand how to use them as a lure. Kakashi wondered if Naru could probably make use of the memory function in intelligence missions.

Another point for sabotage over frontline assault.

But with that chakra...she was still a wild card.

Now as for Sakura, Kakashi knew most people couldn't just stop a genjutsu from taking hold, unless you were a Hyuuga or Itachi. But those weren't really comparable: hyuugas because they don't see the world the same as others and Itachi because he understood Genjutsu at such a fundamental level, he was able to combine it with fūinjutsu. Even Kurenai wasn't at that level yet.

But Sakura...it was too early to tell if she could really reach his kouhai's level, but she had potential to become a genjutsu mistress, and it would be remiss to squander that...

That is if they passed. He was getting ahead of himself. Nothing good came out of getting attached too quickly. And besides, talent wouldn't do them any good if they couldn't work together.

But really, who is he kidding? He just spotted them huddling before heading into the forest together to go after him. It was going to take some good acting to try to break it apart again.

That being said, he would've thought Sayuri would be their barrier to success. What he expected from her report and her demeanor was an obstinate child, who made it her duty to be as difficult as possible to most. But her teammates did not treat her like some great annoyance, she wasn't reported as someone massively disliked by students, and she seemed to very easily go along with her teammates. Maybe she had her own secretly cruel, vindictive streak, but that didn't seem right either.

Well, he would find out eventually. It couldn't go as bad as Itachi had. Kakashi would make sure of that-

"Fire release: Fireball Jutsu."

-if he didn't die by pyromania first, damn Uchihas. He barely heard the jutsu being called, mostly smelled the fire.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naru shouted.

'That on the other hand was not subtle.'

But now he was surrounded by roughly 50 Naru's hanging around on trees, with the Uchiha standing right in front, also up in a tree. And Sakura was nowhere to be seen.

She could be transformed, but Kakashi saw no threat and opted to take out his Icha-Icha. Sayuri did say she hated perverts.

To which, she responded by lunging at him, not that it would stop him. It was easy enough to dodge and walk back. Avoid a roundhouse kick from the left, bat aside a left hook, grab an incoming elbow from above and- despite her lithe form, Uchiha was erring on the thin side. Maybe the Uchiha funds weren't as endowed- before he could twist her arm and decide if the Thousand Years of Death weren't too perverted to do on teenage girls, multiple kunai came at his head, that he had to let go of Sayuri to dodge. How annoying.

With the sudden respite, Sayuri went through more hand signs: "Fire release: Mythical Fire flower jutsu."

Dodging the balls of flame wasn't an issue, until he saw the Naru clones all around him throw shuriken after them. Well he could always-

-he grabbed Sayuri's feet and tried to pull her down under. And he rather thought he succeeded until he looked back and saw a blonde head poking out of the mole hole he made. Naru stuck her tongue out at him before promptly bursting to smoke.

What?

The actual Uchiha, was a little ways away, leaning against a tree, slightly swaying...until she vomited all over it.

Kakashi wrinkled his noise. "Lesson #2: taijutsu. And that is why we follow orders."

Sayuri didn't say anything. She just eerily smiled, slightly off-putting him. When would the buzzer go off? He wanted to get back to Icha-Icha.

Too bad another 50 naru clones were jumping down on top of him. Kakashi sighed. Well at least all he would have to do is blow a fireball up to clear-

-a fireball was coming right toward his Icha-Icha.

He changed his jutsu to a water-style to cancel out the fireball. But the Naru's were still raining down. Even worse, their teeth were sharp, nails were longer and had an aura of red chakra to them.

After one set of claws got dangerously close to his novel, Kakashi tried to hide it away. And then a swarm of red-chakra cloaked Naru clones started pouring out of the forest at ground level as well.

Well at least they dispel in one hit.

Which was easy since he had 4 limbs free, to kick and punch. Until a hole opened up under his left foot and he stared down into Sayuri's familiar red eyes and predatory grin.

Startled as he was by multiple things as well as losing his footing, he couldn't say he wasn't disappointed that Sayu managed to stab a kunai through his foot and ground, trapping it.

And then, to make it worse, his other leg gets grabbed by a Naru clone. But instead of it dispelling when kicked it into the ground, it poofs and Sakura is now there with a rope around his leg tied to kunai that is stabbed into the ground. Sure it wasn't the best way to restrain him, but credit for creativity he supposes.

It wasn't that Kakashi couldn't get out of this mess easily enough, but he struggled to come up with a jutsu that wouldn't incapacitate them and end the test right there.

Alas, the timer rang to save him and the rest of the Naru clones crumpled on to the ground beside him.

"Maa, test's over and I still have my bells. But I suppose you all-"

"Naru, play me in Rock-Paper-Scissors, now as agreed."

"Could I have my bell, Naru..." Sakura seemed rather shy about it.

Wait, what bells.

Kakashi still saw the bells hanging from his jacket.

That is, until he went to grab them and his fingers went through. And that's when he embarrassedly realized he was under a genjutsu.

She must've pulled it off while my senses were clogged by Naru's chakra. That's something else...

Well, there was no point in failing them. They seemed to have understood the point of the test-

"Sensei, I figured out the trick of this test. You wanted us to work together and then betray our teammates to keep the bell for ourselves, so that the easily fooled would failed, right?"

-maybe not...

"W-what no, why would that be the case? Why Hatake-sensei want you to betray your own teammates?" Sakura pointed out.

Kakashi sighed. "Sakura's right, also call me Kakashi sensei. My foot is starting to hurt, so I'll make it brief, I've decided to pass you, but if you are to be my genin, you must live by this saying:"

Naru looked annoyed and threw the bells at his feet. Sakura twisted her foot into the ground and Sayuri was nonplussed.

"Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash"

"But we're a team now so surely we can get alone right?" Kakashi preened.

"Oh god, I'm on a team with useless idiots," Sayuri pressed her hands to her face.

"Well, as long as none of y'all slow me down. I don't need any of you to become hokage," Naru boasted and then stalked off.

Sakura looked back and forth between the two.

Kakashi had his work cut out for him.

A/N: I had 2500 words here prewritten about a year ago and just didn't have the inspo to finish the chapter...sorry about that. So I'm getting it out of the way now. It'll be a bit difficult to continue as idk how much my writing style has changed, but nothing is abandoned until I say so lol.

Also title is Replicant by Yorushika.