3/3 multichapter release complete

(this likely won't happen again for a long, long time. I overestimated my ability to stay on task for this release method.)


3. The Bell Test

Kakashi stood in front of the modest memorial with his friends' names inscribed on it. A few orange and red leaves fall around him as he wished his father's name could've been given the same courtesy, knowing very well why it wasn't. Most days, he understood that.

Some days, he resented it.

Shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts away. He didn't have the time to spiral.

Focusing on four names in particular, he asked them whether he really could handle the responsibility of leading a team so young and inexperienced. It didn't go well the last time; it didn't end well even when he only had to look after one. Shaking his head more roughly, he bowed and prayed they would watch over them if they passed. That his experience washed away the folly of his youth.

Tradition done, he made his way to the training grounds.


Stretching in his tiny apartment, Naruto grinned as he got ready. Grabbing one of his bigger bags, he started shoving as many weapons and traps that would fit. Most of them were given to him by the old man and Iruka-sensei, but the students' stipend allowed him to get a few odd ends.

Packed up, the blond ran to the training grounds. He was sure that he had a great chance of passing. Naruto had made more progress this week than he had in years at the academy!

Reaching the grounds, he sees Sasuke walking away from Sakura-chan, who was putting something in the bag at her feet. It looked a little small and empty… Had she already chosen a specific weapon she liked? "Good morning, Sakura-chan! Was that bastard messing with you again?" He locked glares with coal eyes. "I can rough him up, for ya!"

She only rolled her eyes at his offer. "No, he wasn't messing with me. He just had something to say, is all." She blushed as she glanced over at Sasuke.

Naruto pouted as he glared over at Sasuke again. He'd thought this was his chance to become more important than him to her. What exactly did he say to make her forgive him so quickly? She never got over anything this fast, even when he apologized! 'Lucky bastard,' he thought with crossed arms.

He turned with a huff and asked, "Can you help me with the movements again? I think I got most of them right, but sometimes my chakra will stop moving."

The pinkette squinted at him like something wasn't right. "Is it the movements you don't understand or the chakra?"

Naruto felt cold sweat rolling down his temple as he responded. "Of course, the movements." He gave her what he hoped was a truthful smile. "I've been getting better at balancing those uh… um… energies!"

Sakura-chan hummed with suspicion but let it drop.

He really wanted to say he understood how to balance his chakra properly. But yesterday he figured out if he wasted a bunch of that physical stuff before molding his chakra using the movements. It was a lot closer to that syrup consistency that she told him it should be. It was a hell of a lot simpler than the first method he came up with.

The only problem was that it left him feeling tired and a little light-headed. Sakura-chan told him not to use that method because of that. But the way he saw it, if the fox can take away his soreness after some sleep, then all he had to do was take a nap during their break and all those side effects would go away. All he had to do was find out how to do it on command and then he'd be set.

Unfortunately, during training, he had to do it the 'right' way, so he started imagining his water can and leaky hose. He frowned at the sludgy feeling it had. Why wouldn't Sakura-chan just let him do it his way? How did she know when he wasn't doing it 'right' anyway?

He was about to start the motions when a loud pop caught their attention.

Kakashi-sensei was on time.

Naruto glared at the man. 'Why was he early?' If he was going to pull something like this, he would have meditated before coming out here. He gave their sensei a once over. What was he trying to pull?

Grabbing his stuff, he fell into the half circle they made around Kakashi-sensei.

"I've set this alarm to go off at noon." he pulled a clock and set it on a stone base in front of a carved tablet. Naruto glanced at the area, following a pole up to a flag with Konoha's symbol on it. "Here I have two bells… your challenge is to steal them before the timer sounds." The gray ninja crossed his arms and looked at them like he believed it would be impossible for them. "Anyone who fails doesn't get any lunch. Instead, you will be tied to one of those stumps."

'That's why he told us not to eat breakfast!? The bastard!' he glared harder.

He rattled the bells. "Since there aren't enough bells to go around, one of you is definitely headed for the stump. Whoever that is will be the first to fail and be on their disgraceful way to the crucible to continue their career practically un-mentored. Or back to the academy to try for another jounin next year." He shrugs. "Whichever fits their lacking abilities more."

He gave them a considering look that Naruto felt lingered a little too long on him. 'Was he calling him a disgrace?' He thought with a scowl.

He leaned away from them as he added flippantly, "You may use whatever you have at your disposal to get these bells. Attack as though you mean to kill or you'll never stand a chance."

"But," Sakura-chan sounded thin and unsure. "That-that's dangerous!"

Naruto felt a pit in his stomach at the thought of killing someone. He wasn't sure he could without good reason. His face suddenly scrunched in confusion. 'Wait… He couldn't even dodge an eraser.' A shaky grin spread across his face. 'He's bluffing!'

Locking his hands behind his head, he called him on it. "That's a lot of confidence for someone who couldn't even dodge an eraser. You're gonna get yourself killed!" He laughed a little nervously.

Kakashi-sensei only sighed, "you really shouldn't wear your ignorance so proudly. Moving on, we'll start on my signal."

Naruto felt himself boiling. This guy's job was to help them, but all he's done was watch and give orders. Now he's even insulting him!

Pulling out the kunai from his leg holster, he spun it to get it resting in his palm. He moved to throw it like a tiny javelin, but before he could start, he suddenly felt his arm strain as his knife was pointed uncomfortably close to the back of his neck. His head kept from jerking back into it with a steadying hand.

Too shocked to move, he could only hear the surprised gasps and crunching gravel coming from either side of him.

"Ah ah ah," he said in an almost mocking tone. "I didn't say 'go'."

Naruto noticed a marked increase in tension. Apparently, their sensei was much stronger than he'd shown.

"It seems like you all are taking this more seriously. Good." -his grip loosened- "Now then, ready… steady… Go!"

They all jumped into action. Sasuke and Sakura-chan were out of sight when Naruto got into his tree. Looking into the clearing, he saw that their teacher had only moved back to his spot near that stone monument.

The blond glared at the man before grinning.

-Clone-

[Kage Clone Jutsu]

-Dog-Boar-Ram-

[Transformation Jutsu]

He was a little miffed when he only made one clone, but said nothing as his copy used transformation to become invisible and ran off with his bag. Transformation has always been his best jutsu, Kakashi-sensei will never see it coming. Laughing, he jumped down into the clearing.

Chest puffed and arms crossed as he sent his chakra to his limbs while making some more with his method. "All right! Let's have a match worthy of the greatest warriors!"

Kakashi-sensei rubbed at his nose through his mask before rubbing at his head. "I think you've got the wrong idea about this situation…"

His apathy made Naruto's blood boil and his temple throb. "The only wrong thing here is that lopsided haircut of yours!" With that, he charged at the gray shinobi.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to beat the basics into that simple head of yours." He rubbed at his chin. "Stealth is a lost cause, so… taijutsu, it is."

Skidding immediately to a halt when he saw the man reach into his hip pouch. What was he gonna pull out? The Old Man told him Jounin got special treatment when it came to gear. 'Wait a minute,' he thought as his face scrunched, 'why is he reaching for something when taijutsu is hand-to-hand?'

He tensed as Kakashi-sensei pulled out… a book. He even seemed to forget about the blond all together.

"Haa!?"

"I'm almost finished with it and wanted to see how it ends. Carry on." He waved his hand for him to continue dismissively. "It won't make much of a difference considering your horrid technique."

Naruto was so angry, he felt like his head was going to explode. Without another thought, he launched himself at the distracted man. Jumping, he twisted into his punch to an uncomfortable degree to give it some extra strength.

Kakashi blocked him without taking his eyes off the book.

Using the leftover momentum, he kicked out at his head.

The man ducked easily and turned a page.

The blond dropped into an unstable landing and launched himself again. Keeping low to match Kakashi's squatting form, he wound up striking out with his whole body.

When his fist was supposed to connect with his head, Naruto nearly spun in a complete circle as the gray shinobi disappeared. "Huh?"

Stumbling and barely staying on his feet, he looked around in confusion. Tensing before he could fully stand back up when he heard a yell.

"Naruto, get out there!" Sakura-chan? "He'll kill you!"

"What!?"

"Too late!"

Turning to look behind himself, Kakashi-sensei was practically kneeling with his hands forming the tiger seal. His eyes blew wide.

"Konoha's most secret and sacred technique: A Thousand Years of Death!"

Naruto felt a pain in his backside before feeling a force send him flying. Screaming in pain and panic as he fell into the river that cut through the training grounds.

As he sank, he began to seethe and boil. That slave driver had done nothing to prove his worth as a mentor. All his progress is owed to Sakura-chan and that gray loser has done nothing but insult his efforts. If this is what he had to look forward to under him, then he would be better off going back to the academy with Iruka-sensei!

A sudden flood of memories that weren't his own invaded his mind. An image of freshly turned earth gave him an idea. That so-called teacher did not respect him or his goals. And he was gonna make him regret that!

-Clone-

[Kage Clone Jutsu]

'Or my name isn't Naruto Uzumaki!'

With a puff of smoke, the blond was surrounded by ten copies. Jumping out of the stream with four of them, they all launched shuriken at the reading Kakashi.

The elder shinobi, without even looking up, grabbed two and threw them to deflect the other eight.

The Narutos, undeterred, immediately followed up with a relentless barrage of attacks. Forcing the disinterested man to flip and dodge as he idly flipped through his book.

Whenever a clone tried to grab at him, Kakashi would simply throw or kick it into another blonde, dispelling both. Naruto grinded his teeth against a headache as he made more to replace them. He had those fresh clones launch him at the gray man.

Kakashi easily side-stepped the knife, his back to the stream.

Naruto smirked as he threw a kunai at the man, who only leaned to dodge it.

Only for his foot to sink into the ground with a metallic thunk. He suppressed a groan as he looked down. That's when six Narutos breach the stream's waters to latch onto the trapped man. Two on each leg and one on each arm, their legs wrapped around his torso.

"Can't dodge now," Naruto mocked as he snickered. "Time for some payback!"

He pulled back his fist as far as he could as he walked up to the excessively grappled man. Swinging, his victory was ripped from him as he struck another Naruto.

"Ow! What's the big idea!?"

"Huh?"


"I won't be tricked, Kakashi! I know you just transformed into me!"

Kakashi distractedly watch the cluster of Narutos wail on each other as he pinched at his nose's bridge; he really didn't want to sneeze with his mask on. Was it really necessary for the boy to fill the entire area with chakra? Or was it just energy? It was oddly light compared to the space immediately around the original and his copies. Whatever it was left his sense of smell being overwhelmed by sunflowers, unable to detect the trap. The elder ninja wasn't sure if that was intentional or not, but he was leaning toward a happy accident. Luck was an important aspect for a ninja, he supposed. Looking back at the display, it was as funny as it was concerning how long it was dragging on.

Focusing back on his smarting ankle, he supposed he should be grateful this one was smooth instead of serrated as pulled apart the jaws. His ankle wasn't broken, but it's certainly going to have an ugly bruise. He sighed. 'I've dealt with worse.'

"Hey!" One of the Narutos called, "drop the jutsu. If he's here, then they'll just be two of us."

A bruised Naruto fisted his collar. "Why didn't you think this sooner, ya idiot!?"

"Because I'm you, ya dumbass!"

The two Narutos scuffled a bit before the group separated him… from himself. Kakashi rubbed at his temples.

A moment later, the blond was alone. Kakashi could've sworn he saw some tears along with a "Damn it" coming from the bruised figure. Kakashi wondered just how behind Naruto's basics were if he couldn't imagine that his superior would use the myriad of ways he could slip away. Where was his oversight?

'This one was going to have a long road ahead if he really wants that Kage title.' He sighed at the realization that it was going to be his job to point him in the right direction. Maybe… he should go talk to Iruka?

He sighed again as he forced himself back to the task at hand.

While Haruno warned him of potential danger, she hadn't moved to help. Sasuke had done nothing whatsoever. It reminded him of his own actions when he was around their age. That didn't bode well for their chances of passing or as a team if they do.

He wondered if they would still be here if he had understood that earlier? He shook that thought away.

Tracking Sasuke's muffled chakra signature, it reminded him of the sharp smell of ozone before lightning strikes and tinder burning, and found him hiding in the canopy nearby.

Hearing a gasp, he looked back to Naruto, pouncing at a bell he had left under a tree. Falling right into the trap.

Walking up to the violently swinging and swearing child, swinging the disarmed leg trap as he went. He noticed he had completely lost track of Haruno again as he picked up the bell by its string. That level of chakra control was unexpected for someone like h-… someone her age.

"That was actually a good use of your jutsu and surroundings. Unfortunately, I'm better, so I used it against you." He gave him a mocking once over. "And to fall for such an obvious trap was… stupid." The extra effort he put into his swinging and cursing made him smile a little.

"Shinobi must be able to find hidden meanings within hidden meanings." He crossed his arms as he gave the boy a hard stare. "They won't survive long otherwise."

"I know that!" The blond glared. His blue eyes were exact copies of his father's.

Kakashi wondered how no one has figured out who his parents are. Blond hair and blue eyes weren't exactly a common combo of features. He guessed it was easier to not think about the possible parentage of their scapegoat.

"Yeah. Of course you do," he drawled. "And you meant to end up exactly where you are."

His face turned so red Kakashi felt a little worried. Should he cut him down?

"Stop mocking me!"

He supposed helping him would be mocking him too. He rubbed at his neck as he thought about how he should handle this.

A sudden increase in ozone was his only warning. Immediately sending chakra into another substitution tag he'd prepared, he continued telling the blond what exactly he did wrong in his attempt. Then he was impaled by several kunai and shuriken. A few cutting the blond down. Only to be strung back up by the second trap.

The gray man rubbed at the pinpricks on his face and wondered if he should've just activated the tag directly instead of letting the seal's safeguards detect injury. These minor scratches burned. The scream from the blond as he watched him turn into paper scraps, and being strung up again, was at least amusing.

The coal brunet was moving to reposition. He was about to move to follow when he finally caught the scent of moonflowers.

There she was.


The pinkette understood that Kakashi-sensei told them to attack with intent to kill, but she was pretty sure that was too far. She had breathed a sigh of relief when he turned into paper.

On that note, who the hell was their teacher?! Those tags were considered c-rank seals and took an exorbitant amount of time to make and fill with chakra. The village had very few seal experts to make them, so they weren't given out often. And he had used two, back-to-back, for something he could obviously dodge on his own. That meant he had enough to burn, which meant he was an elite among elites.

"What is someone like that doing as a mentor?! Shouldn't he be out doing high-level missions, or something, instead?" The voice questioned.

Sakura ignored it for fear she would speak aloud in her frazzled state. Not like she had an answer, anyway. She ran as quickly as possible while she tried to look for Sasuke. He could get hurt if he tried to attack him alone, especially now that he must have angered the experienced shinobi.

The voice made a disgusted sound. "Why are you trying to help Sasuke?"

'I'm not… i-it's just that…' She blushed as she tried to defend her actions. 'We need to work together if we want to get through this exercise unscathed.'

"Right." It did not sound convinced. "And we didn't go to help Naruto despite him being closer and more visible because…?"

'...'

It sighed in frustration. "Weren't you still mad at him?"

Sakura felt her face get hotter as she ran up a tree for a better view. 'He-he apologized.'

The voice made a mocking humming sound. "And you forgave him? Just like that?"

The girl puffed out her cheeks in anger as she looked around for movement. She didn't hold grudges that often. 'He meant it.'

"Yeah," the voice started as she jumped down. "And the sweets that came with it had no sway on you whatsoever, huh?"

Now that was just uncalled for. She glared as she whispered-shouted. "Shu-"

It died in her throat at the sight of their teacher languidly reading his book. Sliding into the brush for cover, taking care to make as little sound as possible while keeping her eyes on the idle instructor. Just as she thought she was in the clear to move, she heard a voice.

"Haruno, behind you."

Whirling around, she came face to face with Kakashi-sensei. She screamed and bolted.

She noted the sensei she had been looking at had disappeared. A genjutsu? Did he waste another tag he had placed somewhere behind her? Or was he just that fast?

Pushing those questions out of her frantic mind, Sakura pushed a majority of her chakra into her legs and feet. Leaving only enough in the rest of her system to keep up her coordination.

Relying on instinct and vague feelings to evade capture, the girl ran up trees, only to jump to the adjacent one and run down when a leaf moved against the wind.

Jumping from tree to tree only to run parallel with the ground and break the line forward when something didn't look right on the next tree.

Jumping to the ground only to kick out, attach herself to the trunk and run back up the tree at the sight of a leaf being obstructed by nothing in its fall.

Feeling close to running out of breath, she tried to hide.

Ram-Snake-Tiger

[Clone Jutsu]

Sending out several incorporeal copies, she made her way into the sea of trees. Only gaining enough time to catch her breath before she was found and running again.

Jumping to the ground yet again, she made several more copies that ran in all directions as soon as they hit the ground. Running up a tree near a few other images of herself, she jumped around until she found a split trunk that made a spot just big enough for her to sit comfortably.

Scrunching her eyes closed, she forced her breathing to even out as she tried to focus on the true chakra around her. Allowing the barest amount of her chakra to mix with it so she could try to gain an understanding of her surroundings. At least that's what the technique was supposed to do. From what she read from the family journal, the chakra the body made was an extension of yourself, so it should work like the other senses. Another way of interacting with the world. That was the only reason she knew to jump as her instructor lunged at her. Screaming, she tried to evade Kakashi-sensei, only for him to grab her loose hair.

Momentum obstructed, she fell to the ground. Wobbly getting up, she rubbed her head where she was sure would find a bald spot.

"Yay, another fracture. Just when I thought we'd have to miss our daily hospital visit." The voice grumbled as a shooting pain went through her wrist and ankle.

Sakura ignored it as she frantically looked around, hand hovering over her leg holster. When she spotted him, his hands were flying through a brief sequence she recognized. Clenching her eyes shut, she flared her chakra, hoping it would be enough.

Opening her eyes carefully, she found her mutilated and bloody crush begging for help.

She passed out screaming.


Kakashi took a deep breath through his nose as he rubbed it. Reminding himself that it wasn't actually flowers he was smelling usually helped get rid of the irritation. He wished it would do the same for his now ringing ears.

He begrudgingly admitted that he was impressed with her instincts for evasion. He even lost track of her due to the mess of clones once or twice. It seems she had some talent for genjutsu, too. She at least played to her strengths.

However, she had to catch her breath multiple times. And the moment she was hidden, her chakra suddenly became noticeable. He could only assume because she lost her grip as she tried to catch her breath. Worse of all, she hadn't tried to attack him once. Kakashi didn't know if he should applaud her for being so aware of her lacking physical abilities or scold her for not even trying.

This one will be a pain to deal with in a different way. Her limits seemed physical and hard set. Unlike the easily remedied, if tedious, problems plaguing Naruto. He shook his head and put it off for now.

Looking at the girl, he felt a bit bad as she foamed at the mouth. "Maybe… I went a bit too far with that genjutsu?"


The last Uchiha tensed and felt his nerves fray a little when he heard that last scream. "That…" That sounded like she was in actual danger.

He moved in the direction he heard it before stalling. A knot formed as he thought of that night and the phantom screams he was forced to hear on repeat. He shook his head and reminded himself that this was just an exercise and Kakashi couldn't actually harm them… at least he didn't think he was allowed to… right?

He shook his head more roughly. "No… if she wants to take on this career, she'll need to take care of herself," he muttered, knuckles turning white as he tightened his fists.

Memories of running after a figure with long hair in a low ponytail. They turned to him with a smile, only for his eyes to turn red and become covered in blood behind their parents' corpses.

'She'll be left weak and vulnerable otherwise.'

Pushing those memories and feelings away, he looked around and listened out for the other one. There was no way he was still strung up, so he'd better be doing something worthwhile rather than goofing off.

'Maybe…,' he looked back in the scream's direction. 'I should get their help with this plan?'

He scoffed at himself and tightened his fists further, feeling a burning in his palms. That slave driver had already beaten those two with ease. There was no excuse worth trying to bring them closer to him. They would just be dead weight.

He didn't need them. Nor were they his responsibility. Having to drag them around would just be a distraction.

Everyone he ever cared for are dead, or dead to him. All his focus needed to be on his mission to avenge them. He had no need for replacements. He glared at the ground.

"I'm nothing like them," he muttered.

Unsure if it was to reassure himself, or out of jealousy. He couldn't allow for any deviations or weakness. He could never be that way again.

He had to be better.

"Save your boasts for after you've gained a bell, Sasuke"

Sasuke whirled to look at Kakashi, who was leaning on a tree, book in hand. He scowled, but didn't correct the meaning behind his words. He owed this man nothing.

"They have their own strengths to offer and have earned their placement in this cell." He said languidly. Sasuke's surprised he didn't choke on his hypocrisy.

"That rings false coming from someone trying to chase away Sakura and treats Naruto like a joke," he scoffed.

He only turned a page. "I suppose my dislike for the girl wasn't very hidden… but seeing her continue despite the difficulty is enough to ease the poor impression I've built." He tilted his head before continuing. "I don't quite remember treating the blond one like a joke."

He shrugged. "As their prospective teacher, I noticed they were lacking and needed different approaches to correct them. The same courtesy that I'll give to you."

The coal brunet sneered. "You just left us to figure everything out on our own. Sakura has done more teaching than you."

The elder shinobi smiled with his eye. "Exactly what was needed," he answered cryptically.

Sasuke glared. He wouldn't be surprised if Sakura's helping was nothing more than an accident he's taking credit for. The man seemed as lazy as that Nara kid.

"Now then, I've heard nothing but great things about the late Uchiha clan, the most elite of the founding clans of Konoha." He straightened up and faced him, eyes still on his book. "I'm looking forward to seeing what they could impart."

Sasuke's glare grew caustic as he brought up his family. He lunged.

"Really," the man sighed.

Before getting in close range, the coal brunet jumped back, throwing shuriken.

Kakashi tried to say something only to cut himself off at the sight of many tanto flying his way. Jumping out of the way, leaving the tree behind him to become a pincushion. He flinched and stumbled when he landed.

Before he could stabilize himself, Sasuke appeared behind him, jumping into a roundhouse kick aimed at his head. Smirking as he sees the book has disappeared.

Bracing himself to land, he jerked instead as Kakashi grabbed his left ankle. Sasuke grit his teeth as he strained his muscles to contort so he could strike the older man with a right hook. When the man grabbed his hand, he immediately went to kick with his free leg. Sending him toppling over, his head pointing to the ground.

His grimace morphing into a grin as he reached for the bells. Just barely touching the shining metal, he was thrown away.

Snake-Ram-Monkey-Boar-Horse-Tiger

[Fire style: Blaze of Glory]

Flipping over so he would land properly, Sasuke released a large fireball, just barely seeing the shock on their mentor's face. Filling nearly the whole clearing with the flames.

Knowing that this jutsu was too basic to work on any jounin worth his title, he flew through two hand seal sequences.

Ram-Snake-Tiger

[Clone Jutsu]

Dog-Boar-Ram

[Transformation Jutsu]

Now invisible, he sent the clone through the dissipating flames while he circled it. Finding the gray man's figure, he directs the clone to attack him, making sure that it doesn't touch the shinobi so the illusion doesn't break.

Skirting around the fight until he got behind the instructor, he pulled out a kunai with an attached explosive tag and threw it. Expecting the man to deflect it and be caught in the blast, the boy was shocked when instead the projectile found its mark instead. Causing the man to disappear in a puff of smoke that covered the clearing when the explosion went off.

'A clone!?' He thought as he dropped his jutsus and relieved the strain on his mind. 'I thought Naruto only had it because of whoever's backing him. Just who was this guy to have a forbidden jutsu?'

"Where'd he go?" Sasuke muttered as he frantically looked around the haze, hoping to catch the blue and green uniform within the gray. "Behind me… above?"

"Below." Kakashi's voice called from under him.

Sasuke gasped at the sudden feeling of his ankles being grabbed.

"Earth style: Groundhog Decapitation Jutsu!"

"Wha-!"


Kakashi grinned down at the disgruntled Uchiha's face sticking out the ground, like a head of cabbage.

He had to admit that the boy was quite a bit ahead of his teammates. The only thing he could really fault the angry child with, aside from his only ambition in life, is his lack of cooperation. Not that they were any better.

He was sure that if they had pooled everything they threw at him together, they would have gotten the bells with little trouble. 'Only because he let them, of course,' he chuckled internally.

If memory serves, the academy allowed the top graduate to pick one technique from the more benign jutsus in the forbidden scroll. The strength of that elemental jutsu, and the jutsu he did after, shows he shouldn't be too far off from the minimum chakra pool needed to safely use the Kage Arts: Clone Jutsu.

Maybe he should recommend that he pick that one. It would certainly let him avoid any headaches if they find out he learned it without permission from the Hokage or his council.

He hummed a half-remembered tune as he left him to go terro-look for the blond and pink one. The genjutsu should have run its course by now. It was going to be a pain to find her again. Naruto shouldn't be too hard to find considering he's been flooding his position with the smell of sunflowers. He really needed to work on hiding his presence.

A quick glance at the sky showed that they were nearly out of time. They hadn't even gotten close to the purpose of this exercise.

'Well,' he thought as their actions of the past week came to mind. 'It's not like they're a complete lost cause.'

He was almost at the clearing where the exercise began when he heard a scream about a severed head. He sighed as her chakra signature suggested that she had passed out again. Her mental fortitude is going to need some work.

The sight of the orange clad blond about to eat both lunches made him want to put his head in his hands. Was his teacher's son really so short-sighted?

Jumping onto the tablet the boy had situated himself in front of, he cleared his throat.

He jolted and faced him slowly. "I was just, uh… making sure no animals took them?"

Kakashi just gave him a deadpan stare. "Uh-huh."

0o🚫🚫o0

After finishing tying the knucklehead to the post, the alarm went off.

.

.

.

Kakashi watched with interest as Sasuke and Haruno entered the clearing together. He had assumed Uchiha would have left the girl after she passed out again to try for another ambush alone. The disgruntled look on the coal boy's face told him he was likely thinking he should have done just that. Yet when he looked back at the girl, it wasn't anger, but a conflicted worry he saw. It was quickly replaced with the disgruntled expression he walked into the clearing with.

Kakashi raised a brow at this behavior.

Neither of the newcomers seemed to question why their teammate was tied to the stump and neither moved to untie him. Sasuke looked like he wanted to do something, a similar conflicted and worried expression crossing his face, but restricted himself and sat down.

Haruno looked at Kakashi and Sasuke, before settling down as though it wasn't worth more thought. He couldn't tell if it was because she didn't want to rock the boat or if their lack of reaction made her think she shouldn't question it, either.

Naruto asked neither for help.

Kakashi took in their behavior and started forging a different tactic to enforce his lesson. Thoughts of his own youth and how he saw new people being foisted on him to deal with… a veil of indifference, or maybe distance, would've probably made him more receptive to working with others. That should get the coal haired one to act in a way to benefit everyone and the girl would likely be quick to follow his lead. Now how to get the blond to fall in line?

'Let's hope they don't blow their last chance.'

He gave them all a friendly smile as they looked unhappy and dissatisfied as their stomachs growled. "My my. Listen to those little stomachs." He leaned lightly against the flagpole. "By the way, for the results of this little exercise… none of you need to worry about having to crawl to the crucible or academy in disgrace."

He let them celebrate prematurely for a little bit. "Because extra schooling or training would be lost on you lot. None of you have a future as shinobi."

"What!?" the girl shrieked. It looked like she had wanted to say something else, but bit her tongue.

Naruto started to struggle and kick in his bonds. "You've got to be kidding me! Just because we didn't get one of your stupid bells, we can't be shinobi?! That's a load of bull-"

His tirade was cut off with a strangled sound of surprise when Sasuke jumped to attack their instructor.

Kakashi only sighed and blitzed the boy before he could pull out a single kunai. Sending him to the ground and keeping him still by sitting on him, placing a foot on his head.

The pink one gasped and looked ready to yell, but settled for glaring fearfully where she sat. While Naruto looked conflicted on how he felt about the boy being treated this way.

He sighed roughly. "Are you lot really so short-sighted or are you just making a joke of my profession?" Glaring at the two in front of him while lightly grinding his heel on Sasuke's head. "Have you even considered why you all were placed on teams in the first place?"

"Uh… what does that…," the girl curled into a loose ball.

Naruto only looked at him in confusion.

Sasuke grunted. Whether in answer or because he was feeling crushed, Kakashi ignored.

He snorted. "Obviously not… so, of course, you missed the point of today's exercise."

"It had a point?" The blond asked.

He used his free hand to aggressively rub at his temple. "Of course it did," he growled, "and that point is what would determine whether you succeeded."

"... you… still haven't told us what that is…" Haruno kept glancing around, barely able to keep eye contact. "Is it really so important to fail us outright?"

Naruto agreed vehemently and even Sasuke seemed to want to hear why it was so important.

"... I don't believe this," roughly dragging his hand across his face. "What was the point of this week?" he grumbled.

"Just tell us already!"

"Teamwork," he huffed at them. Letting it sink into their thick skulls before he continued. "If the three of you had come at me together, then maybe you could have got your hands on these bells." He lifted the bells with a soft ringing.

"Hold on a minute," Haruno's cowed expression shifted to an angry one. "If we were expected to work together, then why do you only have two bells? Even if we had passed the point of the exercise, one of us would still go hungry!" Her arms flailed like a toddler as she straightened up. "What's the point of a lesson on teamwork, if you're gonna pit us against each other?!"

"Dissension was the goal." The confusion on the two in front of him made him want to rub at his face again. "It was supposed to reveal which of you would set aside individual interests and propose to the others that you work together for the good of all."

He gave each of them a hard stare. Sasuke looked back in defiance as best he could, as if to stand by his choices. Sakura curled back into herself as she realized her failure. While Naruto seemed clueless about his own folly, so he started with him.

"Instead… Naruto tried to single-handedly do the work meant for three just to prove he's not all bark." The blond looked ready to argue, but he went on.

"Sasuke took a page out of the blond's book and decided the other two would just hold him back so went it solo." The coal brunet grunted dismissively, but broke eye contact.

"And Haruno ignored Naruto, who was right in front of her, to focus on Sasuke despite not knowing where he was." The pinkette's eyes fell to the ground.

"You are a team! Learn to act as one." Kakashi let out a rough huff of air. "Yes, it's necessary for ninjas to have individual skills, but for genin, that comes later. Right now, teamwork is the only thing that will keep you all alive long enough to reach your goals."

"Individual plays are bad for the team as it puts your comrades in unnecessary danger; to the point you might as well have killed them yourself. Case in point…Haruno!" He smoothly pulled a kunai from his leg holster and leaned down to place it at the crushed boy's neck.

"Kill Naruto, or Sasuke dies!" The girl froze with a strangled squeal while Naruto started struggling in earnest, wailing.

Not wanting to leave them in suspense too long, he finally got off the dark one, allowing him to return to the others. Putting the blade away as he walked off.

Naruto let out a sigh of relief while Haruno muttered, "give me a heart attack why don't you" a bit too loud to hide from his experienced ears.

"The day could come… when one of you may be taken hostage, and you're forced to make such a choice. When you are on a mission, your lives will always be on the line." He placed a hand on the modest monument. "This marker… all the names carved into it are heroes of our village. Ninja deserving of respect. That w-"

"I've decided!" Naruto suddenly interrupted. "That's where I want my name to go-I'll be just like them, a hero!"

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Haruno was curling back up after being startled, muttering something while glaring at the tied blond. Sasuke just leaned onto one of the posts with a dismissive huff. None of them seem to understand the meaning of the monument.

'Do they only know about the major one? Even still, shouldn't they know that this would only be here to recognize the departed while reminding of the dangers they're training to avoid?' He turned fully to the trio of children with a galling thought. 'Did they just leave explaining the dangers for the jounin mentors? That… that seemed… problematic.'

He cleared his throat, regaining their attention. "The names listed here… are not just any heroes…"

The blond squinted in a way that made him look fox-like as he grinned. "Well, what kind are they?"

His sunny disposition reminded him so much of him. It almost felt wrong to dim that radiance. "The dead kind… killed in the line of duty."

He faced the tablet again when their faces fell to shock and concern. "This is a memorial. Meant to honor their sacrifice and remind us to train to avoid having to do the same."

His fingers brush the stone. "It includes the names of my dearest friends."

Kakashi took a moment to consider the memorial. Maybe a few embellishments would make its purpose more apparent, like the large one in the village proper. These heroes wouldn't be so easily overlooked and ignored then.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed those thoughts aside. "Pay attention! I'm giving you all one last chance. And this one will be harder than our little game with the bells." Turning to face the suddenly nervous prospects, he addressed them sternly. "If you're ready to take the chance, then you can eat the bentos before we begin, but… no sharing with Naruto. He goes hungry."

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"He brought it on himself when he tried to eat both the lunches." He waved his hand, unconcerned. "If either of you feed him, you fail then and there."

"My word is law," he glared. "Do you understand?"

They grumbled, Haruno just barely keeping herself from curling away, but didn't argue.

"Good." He vanished with a puff of smoke.

0o🚫🚫o0

Nestling in the trees, he pulled out his book again. He tried to fall into the steamy melodrama, but kept glancing over at the eating prospects.

He hoped that his little display was enough to make Sasuke feel like he didn't need to bring them any closer than he allowed them to. He knew being told to see practical strangers as your new family could rankle. If he wasn't even letting himself heal, it would not differ from telling him to forget the bonds he lost outright. To treat them as though they weren't important and irreplaceable.

He dropped his book onto his chest as he leaned back, eyeing the sky. 'I wished I realized that making new bonds didn't mean forgetting the old ones… maybe… maybe if…'

He sighed and refocused on the children. 'Hopefully, I can at least push him along that path faster than I did.' An uncomfortable feeling weighing down his body as he knew there was no way to force that realization. 'Maybe even make him reconsider that self-destructive path he's barreling down.'

He smiled as he watched the pink one choke as the vengeful boy offered his bento to the tied knucklehead. And as expected, she was quick to follow suit.

Thinking a bit of theatrics were in order, he flew through a few seals for a minor genjutsu. A booming sound vibrates the air as the clearing was cloaked with thick clouds of smoke. "YOU…"

All the genin were immediately on guard; Naruto and Haruno outright screaming, the latter practically cowering.

"Pass." He said conversationally with a little wink. Chuckling as he remembered just how covered his face was.

They looked up at him in confusion. Sasuke looked more unamused and angry. Sakura tentatively questioned why, despite their disobedience.

He shrugged. "Simple really. A ninja's job is to see the hidden meaning in hidden meanings and that includes whether a rule or order is detrimental to you or your team." He gestured at the memorial behind him. "Quite a few of those names wouldn't be there if that was better understood."

Her conflicted expression made him clarify. "Following orders are important, and those who willfully disobey or break rules are worse than trash. However… those who do not care for or support their fellows in arms are worse than that!"

He was glad to see understanding, and a bit of awe, in his new little team. "All right. That concludes today's exercise." He smiled with his eye.

The children celebrated and as they made their way out of the training grounds.

"Hey! Hey! HEY! I'm still tied up here!"

"Oh yeah," Kakashi drawled. "Sasuke, go untie him."

The boy grumbled as he made his way back, insults flowing freely. Inciting an argument from the blond. The older shinobi watched with amusement when he heard a silent chuckle beside him.

Looking down at Haruno, he couldn't help but feel that her mindset could be a problem in the long run. She was far too obedient and rule oriented. If Sasuke hadn't disobeyed himself, it likely would never have crossed her mind.

'Maybe a little trick would get her to at least be more suspect of orders and the like…' He rubbed at his covered chin. 'The best way would be to get her to confront me on her own so… an impossible task, maybe? Her chakra control is so good that it's even listed on her profile so…'

"Haruno." Her smile dropped as she turned to him, discreetly leaning away from him. Had he really been that obvious? "I'd like you to train an important technique for your growth." He went on confidently.

"A… technique?" She looked at him with such suspicion he was almost offended.

He nodded. "Yes, your physical condition is… something that will improve with enough time and training, but you'll need something that will bridge a bit of the gap between you and the boys in the meantime." He leaned over a bit while giving her a very trustworthy smile. "And given the promise you've shown with chakra control. I'm sure telling you about it now instead of later would be best."

Her suspicion was forgotten in favor of an eager excitement. "What kind of technique is it?"

Seeing immediate intrigue at the purpose of a false technique made him feel a little guilty, but pushed on with the excuse that it would make the lesson stick even better.

"It's the most important skill for any ninja looking to make jounin to master and would make becoming a chuunin a breeze."

Seeing the stars that shone in her eyes almost made him come clean. Almost.


I wanted to give a little more insight into their general tactics that will be honed later. Sasuke's being practically the same was intentional.

Sakura was not doing anything sage related, psuedo or otherwise. It's supposed to be a danger sense/analysis skill.

Hope you liked it. Plz comment your thoughts.