Waking up at four a.m. to get ready for my first team meeting—it was horrible.
How is anyone supposed to function with such little sleep? Then again, we were told more than once in class that sleep became more of a privilege the higher we go in our career....
Maybe this was practice or something?
Still, it was irritating.
Not to mention, Sensei suggested we not eat breakfast after explaining about the failure rates of the test he was gonna conduct.
It really contradicted with what we were told in class-always eat before missions, or we'll regret not having energy. Still, he was our team leader, he knew best.
Ugh.
Looking at myself briefly in the mirror, I settled on braiding my hair out of the way and clipping it into a bun with senbon and hidden lock picks. A quick dosing of chakra had my flyaway strands sticking in place until I allowed them to unstick later. We were taught that in Kunoichi classes, and it was one useful skill that had stuck to me with ease. Chakra control seemed to be instinctual for me, always has been. However mana by itself...well, I would definitely be getting lots of practice.
Chakra exercises should help me along with my mana as well.
Making sure not to wake up my parents, I sneakily snuck into their room and grabbed another hoodie, this time one made from a thicker material. I didn't want to accidentally shred one and be replacing it. The repairing charm only worked so many times on fabric before it failed completely. I haven't really had a chance to practice it either.
I'd work on it after our meeting today.
Along with the less instinctual spells I knew.
As it is, I held up the thick hoodie. I really didn't want to rip it...
And these weren't really mine, so....
*sigh*
"I really need to go shopping." Mumbling to myself as I softly closed my parent's bedroom door behind me, being extra careful not to wake them up.
They both had to work later, so I wanted to give them peace and quiet, it would make me feel horrible if I woke them up over something stupid.
Hoodie in hand, I headed back to my room to finish getting ready.
Getting dressed in a sports bra and some spandex shorts, I wrapped my hands, wrists and shins the same as yesterday. Then I pulled the hoodie on, casting a cooling charming beneath it whenever it started to feel too hot.
Being a small wind/ice based spell for beginners-less advanced than the battle ready Novice Frost spell, it worked on my first try, though even better as I recast it and fixed my control. 'At least this one works fine...' I thought. 'I'm really glad I don't need to worry about overheating...'
Turning to my dresser for one last thing, I added a pair of earrings to my ears, a pretty pair of oval shaped studs, a ruby shaped like a tiny rabbit being in the middle of it.
From today onwards I wouldn't be removing them unless I had to.
I had loved them immediately when dad had given them to me as a gift last night for graduating the Academy. They looked familiar and the instant I had touched them I knew why.
They were meant for me. Someone who had owned them must have wanted me to have them, as they were connected to my mana in a way that screamed 'I'm a part of you now, never let me go!'
They held an enchantment on them too, one I recognized somehow, even though it wasn't my work.
The moment I was alone I explored the contents with abandon, potions and vials coming to my fingertips first, then candy and packaged food I had never seen before. Clothing was next, but they looked to be made for someone else, as they were too big for me just yet.
Then the weapons.
Throwing knives I've never seen in class before, a pair of beautiful blue bladed katanas with an engraved name on the hilts-Sara Li.
A weird looking pack of discs I decided not to touch, and many foreign looking tools and objects like a thick rope made from an unknown material, a pair of white bone gauntlets encrusted with silver and black spikes that looked to be too big for my tiny hands.
Horns of some kind of animal along with feathers that glowed a rainbow of colors, different sized teeth from some kind of rodent, a couple snake skins and various other things that came from creatures of all kinds.
The last thing that I had pulled out was a case, a completely closed up rainbow painted egg incubator that had a hand print engraving and a note attached saying—'feed me mana, only the best for you, sis,' and a hand painted 'Happy Birthday, Go 19!!!' sign attached with glowing string.
It made me cry uncontrollably behind my room's locked door, my chest filled with a horrible ache and sense of loss.
I had to have known this person, as even the name sounded familiar and brought a sense of familial love when I whispered it.
"Sara Li..."
Whatever deity had intended for my parents to find this at an antique shop in Tanzaku Gai....thank you.
________________________________
'Hey mom and dad-
Thank you for the earrings—
I'll never remove them!
Well, except to clean them maybe...
But I definitely love them, and I haven't changed my mind like you said I would dad!
I'm off to train, MY FIRST MISSION!!!! I'm so excited!
I should be back before dinner,
😁❤️
Love you~
Sakura'
Leaving my note on the fridge where they could see it, I left after filling a side bag with water bottles and some protein bars.
I then shoved a tuna onigiri in my mouth.
What? He never said I couldn't eat a snack, it wasn't breakfast after all.
________________________________
Arriving at the training grounds, I greeted my teammates and started to stretch myself out in preparation for the team's test.
Then I waited.
And waited.
And waited.
.....
..
.....
.....?!
"Where in Inferno's name is Sensei?! Is he really gonna have us wait for hours again?"
"Hn."
"Ah,*yawn*. I know what ya mean Sakura-chan. He couldda let us sleep in."
Groaning, I stretched my muscles out again then walked away from my teammates and fell to the ground, entering a push up position.
"If you two want to join me then have at thee. I don't have time to waste just sitting around, I need to get stronger!"
"I'll join you!"
Naruto was at my side in an instant, doing his own push ups as I counted to myself.
Sasuke joined us a moment later on my other side, not saying anything as he started with properly stretching.
Doing the same physical routine as yesterday, I ignored the envious feeling in my gut as I watched the boys go further than me, pushing myself to do five, then ten more of the strengthening exercises then I had completed yesterday.
(I'll get better. Don't give up or be discouraged, take this feeling of failure and do better!')
Nodding at myself, I prepared to do my running, pulling out my timer and doing a quick runner's stretch on my legs, hips and feet before starting.
I ran for half an hour, pushing myself when I felt myself slowing down, ignoring how I was slower than them both.
I ignored them again and pushed myself harder out of frustration.
"Come on bastard, you won't beat me!"
I watched the two ahead of me run shoulder to shoulder, trying to outdo each other's paces.
The feeling of being excluded from the racing competition the blonde boy started made me want to simultaneously cry and hit something.
I was being left behind, not on purpose though. They probably didn't even notice what they were doing.
As if that made it better....
Getting an idea as I remembered seeing the Rabbit masked guy yesterday, I circulated chakra throughout my legs.
It made a huge difference!
I caught up with the two boys, laughing happily at their surprised faces as I ran faster, my control allowing me to dart past them easily.
Upon the timer going off though, I wanted to groan in pain as I stopped using chakra and took a small break to catch my breath. My muscles ached something fierce!
"Agh! Chakra enhancement makes for double the soreness...I need to stretch out. No, wait. Katas...right." Muttering to myself, I wiped the sweat away as the boys caught up and stopped.
"Hey Sakura-chan, you were really fast! How'd you do that?"
Naruto came up beside me, only panting slightly, his sweaty face curious.
"Hmm? Oh, um. Normal chakra enhancement...I guess? Sorta like what Iruka taught us, only uh....harder? I'm not really sure. It was my first time trying it for running, so..."
We had only been taught how to use it in small bursts in our limbs to jump higher and hit harder and faster, but it took pretty good control to purposely rotate it into the muscles constantly. I was a civilian born who never really tried to train hard, mainly because I had hated getting sweaty or dirty...I was such an idiot.
"Can you teach me?" Sasuke's slightly reddened face from our run came into my view as well.
I was actually surprised Sasuke didn't already know how, and hadn't used it before. Clan kids usually learned it....oh.
That's why then.
I wasn't sure about his control though, and I didn't want him to hurt himself. Sensei would teach us more about it, right?
I answered after I drank some water.
"No. I don't want to give you bad advice. Like I said, I just used it for the first time—for all I know I was channeling my chakra the wrong way. I don't want to hurt you guys just in case. I'm not gonna use it again until I get proper instruction too."
Too many things could go wrong if you weren't trained right....book upon book with magic consequences flooded my mind. A scene of lightning and fire filled my head suddenly and a phantom pain spread from fingertips up my arms and I stumbled, blinking rapidly in shock.
Neither boys noticed and I played it off as if nothing had happened.
Sasuke scoffed suddenly and turned away. "Whatever."
"Eh." I mumbled as I watched him go.
"Fine. Ignore me for caring about the health and safety of a teammate! How fucking childish." Muttering the last part to myself, I turned to the blonde next to me who was watching us both.
"Neh, Sakura-chan, you really won't teach us?"
I glared slightly at him and he raised his hands in defense.
"No. Why? Are you gonna storm away like a brat too?"
"Ah, no way! I'm not bratty at all like that bastard! I believe you!" But you're definitely less mature...
His face looked like a puppy's seeking praise and I softened my gaze, snickering after tapping him on the nose.
"Pfftt! Naruto, don't ever change! Haha!"
"Huh?"
"Never mind. Want to spar with me?"
"Sure!"
Then I got my ass repeatedly beat by a boy worse in Taijutsu than me.
The reason?
He was physically stronger and faster, and had more experience with submissive holds, probably from Kiba and Sasuke using them on him more often than naught in class spars....
At least I was able to get my own hits in, though for some reason he had no bruising after our spar at all.
Not even a bit of blood from my elbow slamming against his nose at one point.
Wow, I must really be weak.
________________________________
"Looks like you guys had some fun without me! Its good to see fresh Genin using their time wisely."
Whirling around from where I was punching and kicking one of three training posts, I saw the silver haired man lazily walk up to us, a cloth bag holding what looked like boxed lunches held in one hand by its knot. (Naruto was practicing on a post, and Sasuke was already finished with his, having moved on to actual Katas and cool-downs.
"S-Sensei?"
"!"
"....."
I glanced over at Naruto's outraged squeak. In time for him to explode with a finger pointing in an accusing manner at the older man's face.
"YOU'RE LATE SENSEI! We've been waiting for hours!"
"Ahh. Well, you see...a black cat crossed my path and I'm superstitious so, I had to turn around and find a different route here.
But then, an old woman needed help crossing the road with groceries, so of course I had to stop and help her. The cat came back with an annoying beast and its baby twin, and I got turned around and....well...I'm here?"
"I don't believe you Sensei!" The blond yelled at him. Sasuke kept quiet, but the stern glare was fixated on the man who would be (possibly) teaching us.
"I don't care." Cue Naruto's face-planting and huff, arms crossed angrily across his chest. Geez, this guy was dramatic!
Staring deadpan at the troll in front of me, I imagined the picture he painted.
Black cat huh?
I wonder if it's all a lie, or if that cat happened to be a person in a cat mask..?
Old lady and groceries, sounded normal enough. Unless he met an old female acquaintance and they had breakfast together. Or maybe she helped him shop for three little Genin? My eyes narrowed at the lunchboxes. Seems plausible.
But a beast and its baby twin?
Sounded weird.
Hmmm.
"Alright you three," taking out a white egg timer from his vest pocket, Kakashi set it down on the giant memorial stone that was situated in the middle of our training posts, also putting down the bag of bentos he was carrying next to it. "I've set the timer for noon, so you've got about two hours to complete your test.
Now, these-" he held up two silver bells on a black string in front of us, before tying them to his belt. "—are your targets. Now listen carefully. To pass you must obtain a bell, the person who doesn't will have to watch the rest eat lunch while tied to one of those posts, and will be sent back to the Academy for not completing the mission."
"But sensei, there's only two bells? Are you saying someone will fail no matter what?" I asked him with a curious face. This whole thing sounds fishy...
"Ah. As I said, the one who is tied to the post will be sent back. Then again, you all three could flunk out too. You can use any weapons, including shuriken. If you're not prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the bells."
He seemed to stop before looking me straight in the face. The boys looked at us curiously as I twitched in embarrassment at being singled out.
"Except for you, Sakura. As I know what you're special language can now do, you are to not use it in this fight or any fight that consists of sparring with comrades, at least until a Jonin or a Sensei has given you explicit permission and are sticking around to watch."
"Ah, um. Alright. W-what about uh...any jutsu I've made? Some are a bit....different than uh, normal Jutsu."
"Those are fine. After all I wouldn't be a Jonin if I couldn't defend myself from an unknown threat." Sasuke scoffed and I raised an eyebrow at him. Was he calling Sensei weak? Or scoffing at my capability?
"Sensei, you couldn't even dodge an eraser, won't us all attacking be too dangerous?" Naruto asked, eyes narrowed in dismissal.
I could tell the man was smirking at the blonde prankster.
"Class clowns are usually the weakest links. You can safely ignore them. Lowest scores. Losers."
"*Grrrr!*"
"When I say start, you can begin."
Ignoring my teammate's growl, I grabbed the back of his orange jacket to stop him from recklessly throwing himself at Sensei.
"Don't get disqualified for nothing Naruto!"
"Let me go, Sakura-chan, I'm gonna beat his ass!"
"Fine." I let go, frustrated at his stupidity.
"I'm not your handler, after all."
The blonde surprisingly settled down, until a mocking chuckle from sensei had him launching himself at the man. He had pulled a kunai from his weapon holster when I wasn't watching him, and aimed it at the grown man's chest.
Only for Sensei to disappear in a blur of speed and reappear behind the blonde boy, left hand gripping Naruto's locks tightly, Sensei's right hand holding the small wrist with the kunai, the orange sleeved arm bent and weapon's sharpened point aimed at the back of its owner's own head.
'Holy shit, I blinked and he fucking suddenly appears like this...how can three kids beat that speed?!'
He let my teammate go then, and I looked the blonde over quickly in concern, returning my attention fully back to Sensei when he spoke again.
"You at least attacked with the intent to destroy me, so how should I say this...I'm actually starting to like you guys!"
Sharing looks with the others, I tensed adrenaline shooting through me. Any second now and he could.....
"Ready? Start!"
Using chakra to jump and run away, I pulled a Disillusionment spell over me and used it to find a good hiding spot to observe the shinobi until I could come up with a plan. I shuddered a bit as I looked for a good spot to hide. The feeling of an egg cracking on your head and an icy film covering you was weird. It wasn't the weirdest feeling a spell could give you though, so I shrugged it off.
I settled in a tree, careful not to move too suddenly as my spell would be see-able to the naked eye.
It was obvious when someone was under it if they moved after all, as their body wasn't truly invisible, just refracting light.
A wavy outline of my fingers clenched into the bark of the tree as I slowly moved the branch's leaves out of my line of sight, giving me the perfect view of Sensei's form below me.
"YOU AND ME, right now, fair and square, LET's GO!"
A sweat drop appeared on my forehead.
'Seriously? There's no way he's this...dumb."
Watching the scene below me in exasperation, I tried to think on how to pass this test successfully.
'Alright. Two bells. Two can pass....but there are only teams of three or four depending on the situation, capable of being an actual team.
There are no two man cells. At all.
Ever.
So somehow the answer to passing has to lie with us all three doing something to pass—the bells being a diversionary tactic to pit us against each other, or stall us as we figure out what we need to do—'
"I'M GOING TO CRUSH YOU! Now you're mine!"
Watching with wide eyes as Sensei completely blocked, evaded and sped behind Naruto too fast for me to comprehend —'I freaking blinked again!' I watched in concern, mind racing as the silver haired man raised a familiar looking hand-sign in front of him. "Tiger, a fire jutsu?" I muttered, leaning closer. I needed to save Naruto!
An urgency rising in my chest, I summoned the energy for my Familiar Spell, throwing the ball of black and blue energy harshly into the field below, startling Sensei and the blonde in front of him.
"Happi-!" I called, using chakra to race over. Guess I lied about using chakra enhancement for running...oh well.
"Hit and run! Defend the younger one!"
Growling and snarling, the transparent wolf immediately sped up and attacked the surprised man, teeth barely clipping his sleeved jacket as he dodged and pulled back.
"Well, this is a surprise!" He continued dodging, and starting hitting the wolf with punches and kicks when it came too close. Luckily Happi was really fast, and it seemed to shrug off the hits easily enough. I had the feeling Sensei was pulling his punches on it.
I pulled the dumbfounded blonde boy behind me, pulling him away by the hand to go hide and recuperate.
"S-sakura-chan, hey, I got this!" Yanking his wrist away from me as we ran through the trees, I stopped and turned, glaring harshly at him.
"Are you really such an idiot? He was close to using a Jutsu on you! Do you even know how to defend yourself from fire?! Naruto, I get that you want to be cool and fight—"
Wide angry blue eyes glared just as fiercely back at me and he jerked further away as my temper had me growling at him.
"-I can take him—I can totally beat him up and get a bell!"
"Shut the hell up! Listen to me! This isn't a fucking game! In a real battle an enemy in his place would have killed you! I-I refuse to let you get hurt or killed!"
I didn't pay attention in my fit of rage but his blue eyes went wide then, his stance softening slightly.
"—shouting out a goddamn challenge because he hurt your ego, attacking head on with no back up plan, not even trying to spot an opening or hiding to think up a strategy or even figure out the true meaning to this test—*Grrrrr!!*"
I couldn't help the growl that escaped at the end.
"Isn't it to get the bells?! Why—!"
"Why won't you listen!"
Sensei's voice interrupted us, even though I knew he was still fighting Happi. I hadn't felt the spell dissipate after all. A clone then.
"Calm down Sakura. He'll learn. Now, this wolf—its one of your new jutsu right? Its not alive?"
"Its sort of alive, but its not killable on this plane, like a Summons—it will disappear if you damage it enough and I can resummon it later. Its just a sp—a jutsu. Anything I summon with the ball of black is unkillable and will dismiss itself like a normal summons."
The man nodded in surprise, looking between the two of us.
"Ah, I see. Don't forget, this is still a test, not a place to have a yelling match."
He disappeared with a small plume of smoke and I blushed furiously at the reprimand in his tone.
Here I was shouting at Naruto in the middle of a test. We would have both been killed if it was a real mission!
I was also a lousy ninja.
A sharp yelp as my wolf was forcefully expelled came forth from the clearing not even two seconds later and I grabbed the blonde boy's sleeve.
"I'm sorry for letting my temper get to me, but I won't take back what I said. We both need more training. If you help me, I'll help you?"
"Its ok!" Cue big cheesy grin.
"We still need to fight —uh..but we could fight...together?" He asked, continuing when he saw my agreeing face. I nodded and grabbed his hand, running ahead.
He followed behind me, and I worked a cloaking spell over us both.
"Whoah, Sakura-chan—"
"Shhh. Stealthy, we need to whisper at most!"
"That felt weird, is this what you used yesterday at school?"
"Yes. Its called Disillusionment. Its um..a secret technique only I can do. Or one of them anyway..."
Actually it was probably teachable. Pretty much everything but straight up elemental spells was probably teachable. Neutral mana seemed to even get better spell results with physical chakra involved at all—even if some spells so far took more insistence to work or had extra unexpected results.
Elemental spells though did not work well at all with physical chakra involved—it was draining to use them too.
I'd have to test more to be sure of that though.
Showing him how to hide in a bush, (didn't really need to do that-he knew how to flatten himself and hid his hair fairly well) and how to correctly slow down his breathing and reduce the sounds he made through movement naturally, I ignored his stuttering and sharp inhale from how close we were to each other. So he really did have a crush on me.
Huh.
Sasuke mustn't find out it was real. He would probably be jealous his boyfriend was interested in another person.
In the distance I heard the distinctive sounds of metal on metal and knew the broody duck butt-head was fighting Sensei too.
"Are all boys idiots? Anyway, Naruto. Have you thought about the true meaning of the test yet?"
"Uh...I told you earlier, its to get a bell?"
Sighing in frustration, I took a breath.
"No. I'm pretty sure the bells are a distraction. I..." an unsure look crossed my face and the boy bumped my shoulder lightly. With him unable to actually see me, I guess he heard my tone and decided to encourage me.
"What is it?"
"Um...
I think we're supposed to work as a team. Think about it—there is no such thing as a two man squad, and sensei did imply we could all flunk out regardless of whether we took the bells or not. Also... he never actually answered my question from earlier, I asked if he was saying someone would fail, no matter what. Remember?"
Seeing the slow wavy nod, I continued.
"I think he was using misdirection to get around my question. He never said one of us had to fail, no matter what—meaning we could all fail, or we could all pass. There is no one person failing."
Understanding lit the blondes face and he grinned.
"So that means—itai! ....sorry, sorry! Don't pinch me! So that means the answer is teamwork! Oh, Sakura-chan your earring is pretty."
"Thanks Naruto." He probably could see the outline of it when I moved...
Rubbing my ear with an irritated look, not that he could see my expression...I hummed in confirmation.
So. He at least is teachable via Stinging Hex.....at least he got the answer right, even if he did speak so loudly in my poor, sensitive ear.
"So we need the bastard to pass...ugh! He's such a bastard!"
"I get you need to keep up the idea that you hate him to protect your relationship, but he's apart of this team too. Everyone's gonna find out eventually, I don't understand why you two hide it. Really, you're both cute, but together you're way cuter. I ship your love Naruto!"
Naruto suddenly fell out of the bush, and without contact against me the Disillusionment cloak covering us faded rapidly from his bright form.
"I'm not gay! I like you! You aren't a guy—" Wow, he's a true pro at whisper yelling—my voice is always squeaky when I try...
Seeing my now visible disbelieving face, I left the bush fully as well, spell completely down when we lost contact and the mana I hadn't wasted I fed back into my tenketsu.
"I think you've got hiding and the real meaning down so now we need your lover to make a plan, so come on. We can talk more later!" Lips twitching at the grumbling blonde, I led him through the forest towards the sounds of battle.
For a moment as we walked I felt my world tilt and suddenly I was standing alone by myself, leaves twirling around me, confused as all hell on what the heck happened.
Where was Naruto? What happened?
Continuing forward, I felt a slight tugging on my hand, then a weird feeling on my left cheek, but ignored the weird feeling as it quickly went away. My brain felt slower kinda, the sluggish foggy feeling familiar but not at the same time.
It was suspicious somehow.
I came upon a scene that had me knowing what had happened.
Seriously?
"Sakura.....h-help me!" Sasuke's half dead form. Really? Sensei knew that crush was dead. Maybe he wanted to make sure?
"Help yourself you fucking fake! Kai!"
I shook my head hard as I came out of the Genjutsu, frustration and disgust at being caught so easily making me grit my teeth as I looked for my blonde teammate. And there he was, laying on his face in the dirt beside me.
He too looks to have been targeted, although, from the drool and blush on his face it was obviously a better illusion than what I had gotten.
Trying to remember how to wake a teammate up from a genjutsu, I sighed as I realized we hadn't been taught that in class. The art of Genjutsu was pretty much glossed over as it took a certain kind of mind to fully understand and use them proficiently. Not to mention very good chakra control.
So we were taught to release ourselves, given a brief overview of what it could do, then were told if we had a proficiency our Jonin Sensei would teach us more.
Sighing, I picked up my teammate the best I could, using a wind based spell to levitate him high enough and situate the boy onto my back. I struggled for a few moments, the weight of the boy being heavier than what the spell was designed for, but I eventually got him up and on my back in a piggyback position.
Then I continued on, groaning at the heavy boy drooling on my shoulder.
________________________________
"Sakura! What..?"
"Eh? Sasuke-san? What the hell happened to you?"
Looking at the head sticking up from the ground in front of me, I resisted the urge to laugh and punt it like a ball...
Barely.
"Stop looking at me like that, and help me!"
"Sure thing, your highness. Just let me drop your princess." Setting my package down -or really just letting him fall-worked either way, I grunted and stretched as the blonde suddenly woke up from hitting his ass on the ground.
"Freaking fatty....lay off the ramen Naruto!"
"S-Sakura-chan! Sasuke? What?"
"Dude, you weigh a freaking ton! Help me dig our teammate up and discuss team strategy."
Using our hands, Sasuke glared at us both as we began digging him out.
"What do you mean, strategy?"
"Haven't figured it out yet bastard? The tests true meaning is teamwork! We have to work together to pass it!" Saying it in such a way...as if its all your idea...I smirked at the blonde boy's smug face.
Cue mcbroody's irritating response:
"I don't need you two idiots to pass, I can do it on my own."
Well then. Like hell I was putting up with that shit!
Standing up abruptly, I stood there, glaring down at the boy.
I smirked.
"Alright then.
Dig yourself out. Then figure out a way to incapacitate a full on Jonin—who you know nothing about- and take the bells." Seeing the boy's face as Naruto stood as well, following my lead, I grinned.
"And then..when we're all sent back, you with your hands holding your precious bell, and Naruto and I with our new sense of teamwork, we'll see how fast you can make it on your own. Want to be a Genin—fine, but how are you gonna get a sensei? They only do three to four man cells—never just Jonin sensei and student, or Jonin sensei and two students. An apprenticeship? But then you'll have to find someone who specializes in what you're looking for who'll take a student that puts himself over their comrades. Tokubetsu Jonin don't usually take apprenticeships often—they prefer working alone or with older teammates, remember? Iruka-Sensei told us all about it!
What about future mission partners? Think they'll accept such a selfish partner who only protects himself?
What about missions then?
Like hell would the Hokage let a Genin out by himself on a mission. You need to be a Chunin to lead a team, and a Jonin to be let out on your own." I crouched down then getting near his face, glaring at him harder, imploring him to put aside his pride.
"Meanwhile, Naruto and I will gladly welcome a willing member, one who we'll put our life on the line for. Someone we'll grow to trust to watch our backs as enemy shinobi try to kill us for money or in the name of their village. Guess who's more likely to survive, Sasuke?
The single ninja who decided to rely on himself, or the team of three who would kill to protect their partners? How do you get stronger when you trust no one but yourself?What's the point in even living when you're that alone, that prideful...strength? What is strength? Three is stronger than one—Think about it!"
Standing up I turned to the blonde, noting his wide eyes and curious face.
"Sakura-chan.....I'm with you all the way! I'll definitely watch your back dattebayo!"
"I'll forever watch yours too, so thanks!"
Hearing a grunt and sigh of frustration, I looked down at broody butthead.
"Alright! Just let me out of this and we can make a damn strategy!"
Grinning at Naruto in victory, we leaned down and dug, speaking on what we should do.
Unknown to us at the time, the clone sent to watch us poofed away, the original man tilting his head curiously.
If one would glance a moment later next to where he stood on near the post that held the timer and bentos, the would see that somehow the time had gained an extra half hour.
"Hmm...couldn't have said it better myself....they better hurry though...hehe..I'm curious now. Oh, Azumi-chan? How naughty~"
Giggles were then heard as the Jonin eagerly flipped through and read one of his favorite scenes again, the noises becoming quite high pitched and perverted.
Three Genin felt a wave of dread hit them briefly before shrugging the feeling off.
They were in a hurry after all.
________________________________
The first sign that his students had started their plan was when a bunch of shuriken and kunai rained on him from the tree line in every direction.
He easily dodged each one, book still held in his hand. Although he was paying more attention to his students chakra now....
"Hey! Watch the lunch! Those things came out of my pocket you know!" And boy did he hate to use his own money...
A strong gust of wind then hit him, not enough to do physical damage, but it definitely unbalanced him enough to where he had to use chakra to stay grounded.
He wondered which of his students knew a Wind jutsu already. Sasuke's fireball was to be expected, after all he was an Uchiha, but wind?
'Could this be one of Sakura's strange Jutsu? Her...what did she call them that time...her spells?'
He got confirmation when a jagged rock came flying suddenly from the wind's direction. He definitely remembered that one.
A popped clone of his had his eyes widening, and himself performing Kawarimi as the wind increased in strength suddenly and caught flame, a massive wave of fire erupting as his Uchiha student lit his female teammate's spell on fire.
"Kuso!"
"Attack!"
Turning around from where he landed facing the forest, Kakashi had to put his book away when eight teams of three rounded on him at once, pink, blonde and black headed preteens surrounding and targeting him in Taijutsu. The boys were even using Kunai, while the female clones were using their fists.
'This has to be all Naruto. He did learn the Shadow Clones after all from Mizuki's betrayal. Still, his control is pretty bad, some of them look sloppily made—as if they're unstable from too much chakra!'
"Well done Naruto, but I don't think your clones will last—what?!" Arms grabbed him from behind, and his attention was drawn to his blonde student's face as the boy held him still.
"Gotcha! Now Sasuke!"
Turning his head back around towards the Uchiha's chakra signature, he went to perform the replacement again, but a huge flash of red light found his body freezing in place and falling over-paralyzed completely.
His eyes being the only thing able to move, he saw his pink haired student's sweaty and drained face as she hovered over him, apologizing. Whatever she had done drained a lot of her chakra reserves, she looked exhausted, about to drop.
Which she did, knees falling onto his stomach and right arm.
"Ah, sorry! I think I need to practice that one more... its too strong for me right now.Please don't be too mad—you said I could use my own Jutsu, so.... sorry, but not sorry? Cuz we totally kicked your ass!"
'Indeed I did say that. Kicked my...? Well. I think I've seen enough.'
With small bandaged hands wandering to his weapons belt where the bells were tied, he inwardly smirked when surprise flashed across Sakura's face as she fell from his stunned form.
With his chakra disrupted, he disappeared in a poof of smoke, the original who had been watching his students fight clapping from a tree nearby as he added the memories of his substitute to his own to mull over.
Jumping down, he called them over to him just as the timer went off and the three preteens looked at each other in shock.
"That would have definitely had me you guys! Congratulations—you defeated a Shadow Clone! But you three didn't get a bell, sooo...!"
Holding up the bells he jingled them mockingly in front of his students.
"Can any of you tell me what the point of this test was?"
"Teamwork?" Naruto asked in confusion.
"Are you telling me, or asking me?"
At the beginnings of doubt on the boys face, Sakura spoke up confidently. A slight sigh of irritation escaping her.
"He's telling you. The point of the test is teamwork. Why do you need to troll us, Sensei?"
"Oh? Me, a troll? How mean of you! Does this mean my new cute little Genin team thinks I'm ugly?"
"Y-you mean?"
"We...?"
"Yep. As our rude little pinkette has guessed, you all three pass. With flying colors! Follow me."
Leading them past the training posts where they worked out this morning, he had them stand before the large stone jutting out from the ground.
________________________________
"Did you look at this stone earlier? The names engraved on it...they are all ninja, who are honored as heroes in our village."
Shaking my head in response along with Naruto and Sasuke's verbal 'no's, I looked intently at what seemed like thousands of names engraved before me.
I choked on my spit suddenly when Naruto began enthusiastically bouncing in place.
"That's it, that's it, that's it! Now I know! I've decided I'm gonna have my name engraved on that stone!" Shock plastering across my face, I turned and looked at him in disbelief and sadness. "I'm not gonna live and die for nothing like a dog! I'm gonna be a hero, a hero!"
"Naruto...you! That's—!" Huffing in frustration. I growled and then continued.
"This is a Memorial Stone....it means those people are KIA, killed in action! Don't ever say you want to die! Okay?"
"O-ok." Wide eyed at my explanation, his body drooped slightly as the atmosphere became heavy with sadness and...guilt?
"This Memorial Stone holds the names of my closest friends. My teammates from my first ever squad."
Bowing my head in silence for the loss he suffered, I watched from the corner of my eyes as my teammates did the same.
Loss wasn't something to joke about. Most people in this world had suffered from it in some way or another.
Even me, as a civilian born. I had lost my Aunt in the Kyuubi attack, and my Uncle and his family from bandits when they attacked our family's merchant caravan. My only living cousin was a boy named Haruno Satoshi, and he too was training to be a ninja.
We weren't close at all, in fact he didn't want anything to do with his Uncle Kizashi and his wife. The last time I saw him in person was four years ago when he was already a Chunin, trying out for Tokubetsu Jonin at sixteen.
"Naruto. While you're enthusiasm to fight can be a blessing in battle, even giving your teammates encouragement at times, giving into taunts that make you reckless and springing blatant traps will possibly get your teammates killed. That Genjutsu I used on you was supposed to be an easily reversible one that Academy students are taught. You should have pulled Sakura behind you to protect once you saw she had been caught in its influence. Instead you tried to confess and steal a kiss. Do I really need to tell you consent is important?"
Shock then hurt overtook me as I turned angry eyes onto the blanched blonde.
"Hehehehe... i-it was just a joke—I -I only asked if you w-would wake like a princess if I—I didn't try to—!"
"Its ...not okay. Please don't ever try to take advantage of a girl again. Not everyone of us would accept an apology." I sighed. "Naruto, how am I supposed to trust you with my life, if I can't trust you with my body? Just...know you're gonna have to make it up to me."
He nodded, face downcast and full of guilt.
"I'm sorry Sakura-chan, I won't do it ever again."
Nodding I looked to Sensei's back as he called my name next.
"Sakura. While you hid well and protected your teammate from a potentially dangerous Jutsu, you stood there and yelled at said teammate instead of calmly and quietly telling him what he did wrong. You should have informed him to follow you quietly and if he hadn't listened, incapacitated him until you were both in a safe zone. During a mission this would be a place of your commanding officer's choice, or a place that has been previously scouted, trapped and hidden from prying eyes and ears.
This I believe was also something taught in the Academy. You all should know the safe zones of any training ground in Konoha. Do you?"
The Memorial stone was one area. If someone went too far, or a teammate was having issues with self control, or an emotional breakdown, the safe zone was there to let their fellow teammates know that upon entering it they were no longer participating in a three way spar or training physically with them.
The only other safe zone area was the red bridge we had crossed to enter the training grounds to start with.
"Yes, Sensei. I'll do better next time Sensei!"
"Good. Sasuke. You know where you messed up-Sakura gave you a complete speech on what would happen if you had decided to go solo. What she didn't say however, is that not a single Jonin or Tokubetsu Jonin in Konoha would accept someone who only thinks for himself as a student, no matter the last name he or she bears! Your scores indicate you are highly capable, a prodigy even. I'll tell you right now, you aren't one. Hear it from your Sensei, instead of through the rose colored eyes of the civilians after your money and bloodline!" Turning around, the man stared the shaking boy down, lone grey eye dark with memories.
"I was once called a prodigy as well. Hatake Kakashi, Genin and battle ready at five years old. Chunin at six years old. Jonin at ten. I was once hailed as the best genius prodigy of my generation. I'll tell you now, that the title Prodigy by itself is not something to be proud of nor to wear with pride. A Prodigy after all is not the same thing as a genius." The of which you are not was plainly implied.
"Prodigies eventually flatten out, becoming normal as their peers catch up to them in age. I was a Prodigy, but I was also labeled a Genius. Do those two titles sound familiar to you?"
He stepped nearer to his students, grey eye intent on the lone Uchiha who was looking wide eyed and shaking in anger.
"I taught your brother." A sharp jerk of his head and Sasuke was staring at the grey eye of our sensei in shock.
"Was captain of his ANBU squad. He, like me was a genius and prodigy. If you truly want to defeat him, then prove to me you are more worthy than him. Prove to me that some fancy title won't hold you back with pride from working with your teammates and serving your village. Prove it, and I'll teach you everything I taught him and more."
I held my breath as the boy gave a jerky nod.
"I'll tell you a secret not known to Genin who are newbies. A secret every team I have been assigned to has adopted!
Usually you learn things like this after a mishap on a mission for the first time. Maybe a comrade has fallen in battle, or maybe you are stuck between choosing the mission directive and a teammate being tortured to death. This is very important, so listen to my words closely, alright. All of you!"
Attention rapt on the man in front of us, we listened.
"This secret is three-parts. Rules if you may, that our team will put above everything else. Because of these..rules, I have never once lost a teammate after my original team during a mission.
1! To Abandon Your Mission Makes You Trash. But To Abandon Your Comrades Makes You Worse Than Trash. Got it?"
"H-hai..."
"Hn."
"Hai!"
Sensei ran through hand seals rapidly and ominous clouds rolled behind him as thunder lit the Genjutsu lit sky. I jumped when the thunder cracked and rumbled right above my head loudly.
"I said GOT IT?!"
""HAI SENSEI!"" We yelled back to him, more enthusiastically, and slightly petrified from this more soldier like man. He looked tense, not lazy or laid back at all any more.
He looked dangerous.
"Good! 2! The Team Is Only As Strong As Its Weakest Member! Understand?"
""HAI SENSEI!""
"3! Look Underneath The Underneath! ...?"
""HAI SENSEI!""
"Repeat our team rules to me, together!"
""1! To Abandon Your Mission Makes You Trash! But To Abandon Your Comrades Makes You Worse Than Trash!"
"2! The Team Is Only As Strong As Its Weakest Member!"
"3! Look Underneath The Underneath!""
The sky cleared up with the scary mood and we relaxed, sharing wide eyed looks each other as the man in front of us spoke up.
He even sounded cheery now.
"Good! Now what are you three doing here still? Didn't I tell you to look Underneath the Underneath? Your sensei is over there with lunch! Go-shoo! Dismissed!" Pulling out an orange book and giggling high pitched and very abruptly at a picture inside I felt my jaw drop.
'Are you freaking kidding me?!'
Turning around, I shared an amused look with Naruto.
Our actual Sensei was leaning against a post, the two bentos from earlier resting on top, while two more were in his hands.
"Come on you three! We've got a lot of basic maneuvering and scheduling to cover, then I have to see the Hokage to turn in my acceptance as your sensei—so hurry up!"
Looking back at the Memorial Stone, I grinned slightly.
Sensei is a troll, yes. But he could be serious when the situation called for it.
He wasn't that bad.