Once More by ItsHardToFindAPenName

Chapter 4: The Bell Test Once More!

With a flick of his hand, five shuriken flew from Naruto's place towards Kakashi. Then without any pause, Naruto pulled a kunai out from his shuriken pouch...

...only for his arm to be bent around, the point of the kunai aimed at his neck.

"Hasty, eh?" the voice of Kakashi rose behind him. "I haven't said 'start' yet."

Too fast, Sasuke and Sakura couldn't help sharing the same thought. I can't even see him moving.

Just like old time, Naruto grinned. "You'd better look at your back, sensei."

The tip of another kunai touched the back of Kakashi's flak jacket.

"You used the shuriken as a distraction not only to pull out a kunai, but also to create a shadow clone to ambush me," Kakashi said with an eye smile. "Pretty clever, I must say. Well then, now it's time to start."

He burst into smoke, and the genin leaped away from the clearing.

'I don't understand what you're thinking anymore, Naruto.'

'Oh, chill out, Kurama. It's been a long time since I last challenged Kakashi-sensei. Besides, Sakura and Sasuke need a little time to figure out the meaning of the test, right?'

'Then why don't you just tell them already?' the vixen asked. Naruto grinned.

'Because it's no fun!' Kurama face-pawed.

"Hey Kakashi-sensei, I challenge you!"

Kakashi lifted his eye from his Icha-Icha Paradise. "Well, aren't you a little bit off?"

Naruto didn't say anything. He lowered his body into his taijutsu stance.

00000

(Flashback)

"Ow! How did you even do that?" Naruto screamed, holding his bruised left eye after receiving a vicious punch from Goku.

"Your problem lies on your fighting stance, Naruto." The ape in his human form answered, surprisingly calmly comparing to his usual loud voice. "Your battle style is just like that of a brawler, only consists of attacking blindly while leaving you with a lot of dangerous openings and no way to defend yourself if your opponent counterattacks."

"But I've defeated many powerful enemies with that style!" Naruto protested with a pout.

'And you were nearly dead in most of the cases,' Kurama chided from inside his head. 'Do I need to list them out? Having your body impaled by hundreds of ice needles, letting a fourth of your tenketsu sealed, your heart being damaged to the point that even I and that Tsunade lady together almost failed to repair...'

"Alright alright! I get it!" Naruto growled in frustration. "So what can I do now? It's not like I have the time to think of a new style!"

Goku scratched his cheek. "I don't think I can teach you a completely new style in only one day, but I think you can try this..."

(End flashback)

00000

With a kick to the ground, Naruto launched himself towards Kakashi like a bullet. He threw a flurry of punches and kicks at Kakashi; but the jonin blocked every hit with only one hand.

He was fast... but attacking recklessly like this won't do him any good.

'Damn it...' Naruto thought when breaking away from Kakashi. 'He's too good!'