Twice Cursed Or Just Plain Unlucky?

6 - Passing Without Realizing (edited)

Enjoy <3

Kakashi stood in front of his team as they took their seats, Sasuke and Sakura either side of Naruto who was tied to the middle post which Tsuki was sitting on top of.

"Uh-oh, stomachs growling huh? That's too bad. By the way, about this exercise, well, I've decided none of you need to go back to the academy," the Jounin announced

"Nani? I passed? But I was unconscious most of the time. Do I still pass?" Sakura asked, Sasuke smirked, Naruto was quite happy like Sakura and Tsuki sighed shaking her head.

'They got their hopes up even after that?' she thought.

"Then . . . then . . . that means all four of us!" Naruto yelled.

"Hai, all four of you. You must quit being Shinobi!" which of course, cast a cloud of depression.

"Drop us from the course? What do you mean?!" Naruto asked. He was kicking his legs and trying to get free of the rope but it wasn't for happening. "Fine, we failed the task of getting a bell, but it doesn't give you the right to tell us to quit becoming shinobi!"

 "You don't think like shinobi, you think like little kids, like gaki (BRATS)."

Gaki seemed to be trigger word for Sasuke, who launched an attack on the sense but ended up on the floor with Kakashi sitting on him, his foot on Sasuke's head. Tsuki jumped to her feet, griping a kunai tightly as her eyes narrowed on Kakashi.

"You've just proved my point."

"Don't step on Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried in a rage.

 "You think becoming Shinobi is child's play. Why do you think we made you into a team to carry out this exercise?"

Kakashi's words made all of them halt in their panic over Sasuke's well-being and they looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"It means you never realised what this exercise is all about."

"What it's about?" Naruto asked.

"Hai, that's what determines whether you pass or fail."

"But I was wondering about that from the beginning," Sakura admitted.

"Are your brains as empty as your stomachs? Do you know what it means to be a four-man cell? Tch, Tsuki told you all about it, you didn't listen to her though."

"Four-man cell? What does it mean?! Dattebayo!" Naruto demanded.

"It's so basic, Teamwork!" Kakashi snapped.

"Cooperation, is that what you meant?" Sakura asked.

"That's what I meant, it's too late now but . . . if you had all attacked at the same time, you might have been able to take them. What a shame."

Tsuki scoffed, so she had been right? Oh well, they all failed so they might as well just resign. What kind of shinobi would she be if she couldn't convince her team to work together?

"You set it up with four people but only three bells!" Sakura exclaimed, "If we worked together, and got the bells only three people could keep them. That would divide the group."

"Exactly, I purposely set you up against each other . . . to see who would prioritise teamwork of selfishness. I wanted to pick out those who could do it. That was the main aim. But look at you four. Sakura, while Naruto was right in front of you, you wouldn't even help him, you were too busy trying to find Sasuke. Naruto, you do everything on your own. Sasuke, you thought the others were so far beneath you, pure arrogance. Tsuki, you were too busy worrying about your teammates you didn't have time to  . . . wait," Kakashi seemed to reach a conclusion in his mind, "Never mind."