Book 1: Dancing With Lightning [Naruto]

You Fail!

"Drop us from the program?! That means we can never become ninja! You said if we couldn't get the bells we would go back to the Academy! YOU CAN'T CHANGE YOUR MIND AND KICK US OUT! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!" Naruto screamed from his place on the pole, kicking his legs.

"Unfortunately, he can do that, Naruto." Hoshino said softly.

"Because you don't think like ninja. You think like little kids. Like brats." Kakashi said.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and charged at his sensei...

Hoshino didn't have to do anything because Kakashi had him pinned down in an instant.

"You think it's all about you." Kakashi continued as if nothing had interrupted him and as if he wasn't sitting on a thirteen year old Genin. Sasuke struggled to get out of his grip.

"LET GO OF SASUKE! YOU CAN'T JUST SIT ON HIM LIKE SOME BUG!" Sakura screamed at him.

"You don't know what it means to be a ninja. You think it's a game, huh?" Kakashi demanded, his voice was edged with anger. "Why do you think we put you on squads? Did that cross your mind for a moment?"

"I don't know what you mean!" Sakura exclaimed helplessly.

"I mean... you never saw the true meaning of this exercise! Not even close!" He said.

"What it's about?" Naruto questioned.

"Yes. What determines whether you pass or fail." Kakashi answered.

"I mean... I wanted to ask you that from the beginning!" Sakura tried.

"Use your heads! A four person squad, why do you think we would do that?" Kakashi snapped.

"ARGH! HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHY YOU PICKED FOUR PEOPLE!" Naruto yelled, "WE DIDN'T MAKE THE RULES!"

"It's so basic!" Kakashi exclaimed.

"It's teamwork..." Hoshino said quietly.

All three of them looked shocked.

"... Just working together? Is that what you mean?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "That's what I mean. Too late now, but if all four of you came at me, Hoshino wouldn't be the only one to take a bell."

"You set the exercise up with four people, but only three bells! If we were to work together to take them, only three of us could keep one, which would lead to conflict and the squad would break up!" Sakura accused Kakashi.

"Exactly, I purposely pitted you against each other. I wanted to see if you would overcome that fact. But no... it never even crossed your minds." Kakashi said, anger in his voice. "Sakura! You obsessed about Sasuke, who was gone, while you did absolutely nothing to help your OTHER teammate, who was right in front of you. Even after Hoshino saved you, you abandoned him in an attempt to find Sasuke, again!" He scolded Sakura, who looked down in shame.

"Naruto! You do everything alone. EVERYTHING. You even rejected your best friend's help!" Kakashi moved on, casting his glare towards Naruto, who looked taken aback.

Kakashi turned his gaze to Sasuke, "And you, Sasuke, thought the others were so far beneath you that they were worthless. Arrogance." He hissed, putting as much venom as he could into the word. "Missions are meant to be carried out in squads, and Genin are supposed to have a natural feel for teamwork, but the three of you never even thought about it! Failure to work together could lead to the mission being compromised, and death! For example," He whipped out a kunai and placed his weapon on Sasuke's neck. "Sakura! Kill Naruto now or Sasuke dies! Hoshino! Kill them both if Sakura doesn't do it!"