"Believe it, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, I like instant ramen in a cup, and I really like the ramen Iruka-sensei got me at the Ichiraku noodle shop," Naruto started speak, making me contemplate whether or not it would have been better to have been born deaf.
"But I hate the three minutes you have to wait after you pour the water in the ramen cup. My hobbies are eating different kinds of ramen and comparing them," Naruto said, Kakashi was trying (but failing) to look interested. Kakashi was also trying (but failing) to be a good teacher.
I tuned out the rest of his speech as I pretended to be deaf.
I nervously bit my bottom lip, I couldn't think of anything to introduce myself. I envied Naruto's small mind for being able to come up with his likes and dislikes. Maybe I can pull a Kakashi? Nah...
"My name is Sakura Haruno, I like--I mean the person I like," Sakura paused and blushed. I bit my bottom lip in concentration. "My dream for the future is-" she looked at Sasuke before blushing and looking down. "My hobbies are-" Once again she blushed and looked down.
"What about your dislikes?" Kakashi asked, and Sakura looked at Naruto who was grinning at her.
"NARUTO!" She yelled, pointing at him. Her voice immediately got normal again. "Also snakes."
"Okay, the other kid," Kakashi said, looking at Sasuke. I began to wonder how Kakashi managed to make his uncaring expression so obvious underneath so much face covering and masks.
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha, I don't particularly like anything, and the list drags on of what I dislike," he paused, and I shook my head. Figures. "What I have is not really a dream, because I will make it a reality, I will restore my clan and kill a certain someone," he finished, it was silent as we all sat on the roof. I dangled my feet over the stone seat I was sitting on, sadly it was taller than me, like everything else. I wonder if Sasuke realizes just how awkward he made a simple introduction.
"Okay the last one," Kakashi stated, staring at me.
"My name is Sana Itadori. I haven't quite decided what I like or dislike, well I guess I like the color blue," that was stupid. "My dream for the future is still undecided, and my hobbies... I sew?" Why did that sound more like a question?
"Okay...thanks for the normal introduction, all of you are unique in your own ways, meet here tomorrow for your missions, make sure not to eat anything or you'll puke it all up." Kakashi stated, before putting his hands together, and in a instant he was gone in a fog of smoke before any of us could even ask what our first mission would be.
I coughed a little and waved my hand to get the fog out of my face, Sakura had done the same. I slowly got off the brick I had been sitting on, and without a word, I started walking back home.
¥❁¥
I stood unnerved with my fingers twitching at my side, but I didn't allow such useless emotions to cross my face. His beady eyes bore up on me as I stared straight back. I slowly pulled out a kunai, and I quickly threw it by his side, he made no such move to show it affected him. I knelt down at his level and put a different kunai knife up to his small neck. Still no response as he playfully looked up at me. I started sobbing with no tears.
How can I become a ninja if I can't even scare my dog! A small bark was heard under me and I swiftly moved away, looking at the white haired mutt. I glared at it as harshly as I could, but he still didn't move. Was my glare so weak? I sighed silently. More than anything I wished I was strong, but some were not capable in being a ninja. I was good at throwing kunai and relatively good at fighting hand to hand.
That didn't matter to father if I couldn't do Ninjutsu, or even the simplest skills in interrogating that father excelled at. I didn't know how to be monotone, in fact, I didn't know how to be heartless. I sighed and looked up as father came through the open entrance to the garden mother had held so dearly.
"Sana," his voice called, I looked up at the sound of his voice, my orange eyes scanning his for any looks of content. I found none, silently he beckoned me further.
I nodded, a sign showing him I was listening.
"You still haven't improved from the last time I've seen you."
I looked at him confused at the statement, before trying my best to not anger him with the emotions I showed. "In what area should I improve?"
"All of them," he said and I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes. "But most importantly, don't get too friendly with your new teammates," he ordered, and I froze for a second before nodding silently in false understanding. I didn't ask him why, as the look in his eyes stopped me. He nodded and walked away, leaving me by the green garden that surrounded me. "The closer you get, the less likely you are to honing your skills." I heard his voice in the distance before it disappeared.
I knelt down next to the small animal next to me, my hand skimmed over his mane that reminded me of a rug being draped over the puppy.
"At least you're still my friend," I whispered, lifting up the animal and placing him in his small stall at the inside of the house. He promptly ran away. "I didn't want you to be my only friend anyway!"
¥❁¥
Everyone seemed to arrive from different directions at the training ground, each seeming tired, or worn out. Obviously, as sad as it was, they weren't very used to this kind of morning. Sasuke seemed fine, but Naruto went to sleep as soon as he arrived.
I sighed and curled my knees into my chest, looking ahead of me. Sakura was wearing her usual pink attire, and hanging onto Sasuke.
And then we waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
"I can't believe he is late!" Naruto shouted, and Sakura glared at him but her thoughts were probably the same as his. They were more alike than they thought.
Sasuke looked at them, his eyes slightly annoyed as well.
I said nothing. Looking away, I pressed my back against the wood of the tree, holding in any annoyance I had.
"Yo!" Kakashi-sensei spoke, making Naruto and Sakura glare at him, before bombarding him with shouts of 'You're late!', which the Jounin sensei answered with an, "I had to help an old lady across the road."
It shouldn't take four hours to help someone...
He needs better excuses.
"Anyways, lets begin with the survival exercise," Kakashi drawled.
"Why don't you explain more about this survival exercise, I mean, we did plenty in the academy. What is so important about this one?" Sakura asked, Kakashi smirked from under his mask.
"Of the 27 graduates who came here, only 9 will actually be accepted as genin." Kakashi said, and I frowned. "So that means the other 18 will be weeded out and sent back to the academy, in other words this is a make it or break it pass fail test. The chances you'll fail is at least 66%."
Naruto's stream of complaints were expected. And for the most part it was just arguing about the importance of the genin exam among other frivolous matters. None of it seemed more important to me than the fact that Kakashi was two hours late.
"Oh that, it was just to select candidates who might become Genin," Kakashi answered, and I silently gulped. Kakashi pulled out a small stop watch type of clock, and placed it on a tree stump, before looking at us. "Okay this is set to twelve!"
"You'd think it would be set to ten, considering that we are two hours off schedule..." I stated and everyone nodded.
"Don't be so strung up on time," Kakashi replied with a wave of his hand.
"You're the one who set the time we were to meet but whatever," I replied.
"Today's assignment is too take these bells away from me by noon," he lightly jingled two silver bells in his hand before looking at us once again. Why only two bells? "Those who can't do it wont get lunch. They'll be tied to that log, and I'll eat my lunch before their very eyes."
"Were you serious about the no breakfast thing?" I asked, and noticed they all looked at me. "Cause I ate....I thought you were joking."
Kakashi sighed, glancing up at the sky and counting to ten. "Anyway..."
"But wait, why are their only two bells?" Sakura asked, after the silence, and her voice came out concerned.
Kakashi smiled slightly.
"Because out of the four of you, two will have to go to the log," Kakashi answered, with his closed eye smile. "The person will be disqualified for failing a mission, and will return to the academy."
"That's kind of messed up," I commented.
"That's life," Kakashi retorted.
"Who hurt you?" I replied.
"Anyway," Kakashi said, sending me a pointed look. "It might be two people at the least, or it could be all four of you that will return to the academy. You will be able to use your Shuriken. You wont be able to take the bells unless you have the intent to kill me." Kakashi sounded too happy for all this.
After a bit more time with Naruto being an idiot and attacking our Jounin teacher, twice, and getting his ass handed to him twice. I decided, officially, that my father's advice that my team was stupid wasn't too far from the truth.
But with two bells to fight for on a four man squad felt like a rather forced way to turn us on each other.
I looked down from the tree where I was perched. Oh well, it will give me time to think. I can't do Ninjutsu well, I can do barely any Genjutsu. All I really had was Taijutsu, and even that had a limit against a Jounin. My greatest ability was in theoretical fighting, but I wasn't a theoretical ninja. I was a real ninja, with the real task of actually doing something.
But it still bothered me...
Why only two bells? There has to be a reason. It is impossible to have a two man squad, it makes no sense. We can't have only two teammates, that would make us unable to compete in anything like missions, not to mention the Chuunin exams. So why would Kakashi-sensei say two would be going back to the academy. I would understand if it was three bells, because at least then someone would be sent back and our team would go back to being a conventional 'three man squad' instead of the unheard of four man squad.
This has to be a test....
But what is he testing?
Why would we be put in a four man squad if two were just going to be sent back? What was the purpose?
I stared at Kakashi-sensei. What stupid life lesson is this Jounin teaching us?
My eyes easily found Sasuke and Sakura's hiding place. Sakura's was obvious. (She chose a spot close to Sasuke) It was a shame for me to be placed on legit the most annoying squad in Konoha. I had nothing against any of them on a personal level, since I didn't know any of them. Still, Sakura's shrill voice and gigantic head made attending ninja academy, and kunoichi classes, troublesome. Sasuke was literally the actual incarnation of a douche in the form of a person. Naruto was Naruto. Still, they were a team, even if Sana thought they were trash in the shape of people.
"What could it be? For only two bells," I muttered. "Could it be a lesson?"
"Look at you. Nice to see someone has the cognitive ability to question an assignment," Kakashi voice spoke right by my ear. I jumped in surprise digging a kunai in the shadow clones body.
"Being smart doesn't help much," I murmured, jumping to the ground.
He slightly raised an eye brow before shrugging.
"Perhaps it could, so long as you utilize your abilities and realize what you can and cannot do," Kakashi replied with a tilt of his head.
It's teamwork isn't it?
"How good is your ninja skills," Kakashi questioned, and I frowned looking around me for an escape. "Above or below average?"
"I am good," I retorted, pulling out five kunai's in each hand. Just not good enough to beat a Jounin.
"First ninja technique Ninjutsu." I flinched, a move he didn't miss as he moved his hands faster than I could comprehend.
On levels of Ninjutsu, I stand no chance.
I got out of the way of the fire that he threw at me, it was weak flames, which wouldn't even leave a first degree burn. I gulped and dodged it once again, skinning my knee against the rocks of dirt. It hurt, but fire would hurt far worse.
"Second ninja technique, Genjutsu."
Bring it on, you masked asshole.
The world around me mixed a little bit, making my vision slightly blurry. Closing my eyes I tried to hear him out. It was no good, the Genjutsu had already seeped into my hearing, he was everywhere and nowhere. In moments later, Sasuke appeared in front of me, his body covered in wounds.
"Sana...I'm hurt," he winced, holding his bleeding side.
"So?" I replied, shaking my head.
Father's friend had once taught me, to escape a Genjutsu, I must cut off my chakra. In a few moments the Genjutsu was gone.
"Ah, not bad," Kakashi told her, his eyes narrowed in amusement.
"The commentary isn't necessary," I told him in return.
"The last ninja art, Taijutsu," and with that he rushed at me, his speed greater than mine. I did my best to dodge his attacks, but I couldn't even touch the bell let alone grab it. It was impossible.
Still, I noticed that in his fighting, he favored his left side, attacking only with his right where his book rested in one hand. Even during using a Ninjutsu, he never put away the book. My foot crunched against the dirt, taking in the scene as my lips parted in realization.
Just close your eyes Sana, and you will do this just fine. I did as I had told myself to, closing my eyes as hard as I could. I felt a blast of smoke form around me.
"Sexy Jutsu," I murmured, disgusted with myself, but I seemed to get the reaction I wanted as his nose started to bleed. He deserved this, only a jerk reads while fighting.
Still, stealing Naruto's perverted Jutsu like this....was disgusting. I even made the Sexy Jutsu girl completely naked. Naruto usually had smoke covering the dirty parts. (Of course Naruto's never seen a woman naked so it is hard to make a clone of a naked girl) I was slightly grateful that Naruto would use this Jutsu ever week as a way to cover up he couldn't do the practicals, thus making it easy to memorize the symbols. More than that, the ability was similar to henge, with only a slight difference in the hand signs. That being said, it wasn't difficult to replicate.
I quickly slashed the Jounin while distracted. The Kakashi in front of me turned out to be a clone. A kunai was at my throat. "Mother fu-"
"Language," he interrupted with a chuckle.
But still since all the experience of the last Kakashi clone went to the original when it was destroyed, Kakashi's nose was still bleeding.
"You're good but you still lack experience," I smiled, and the me he had with a kunai to my neck turned into a puff of smoke. "You're not stupid at leastr."
I placed a kunai to his throat and quickly slit it. Completely expecting it when he turned into a cloud of smoke.
I had to be good at thinking things through or else father might have kicked my ass.
The timer to the bell rang, making me freeze. I hadn't even touched a bell or gotten close to touching one. Kakashi was already gone, so I started walking back to the spot where we first started this game.
I stifled a chuckle when I got there, Naruto was tied to the log. Even though it was supposed to be two people, only Naruto was roped.
"Uh-oh, your stomachs are growling," Kakashi looked amused. "By the way, about this exercise, well there's no need to go back to the academy..."
Is this bitch ass gonna send us back to the academy anyway?
"Huh? But all I did was lay unconscious. Is that okay?" Sakura asked confused, while Naruto looked happy.
You bitch ass.
"Then that means the four of us..." Naruto started as Sakura cheered.
"Yes the four of you... must quit being ninja."Fuck that's worse!
Everyone stopped cheering in silence and mortification.
"What do you mean, quit being ninjas?!" Naruto flapped around unable to hit anything.
"Well it's true none of us were able to take the bells," Naruto started, before pausing. "But why do we have to quit being ninjas!"
"That's because all you squirts don't have the qualifications to becoming a ninja," Kakashi answered. Sasuke charged at him, making Kakashi bring him to the ground, hard, his arm twisting behind his back and holding him there. "I'm saying you guys are brats."
Break his arm, sensei. I paused at the thought. Sana no! Be nice, even if he's a big bitch.
"Do you kids think being a ninja is easy?" Kakashi stated. "Why do you think you were doing this exercise in teams?"
A question I had pondered myself.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Sakura questioned.
"Putting it simply, it is as if you have no answer to this test," Kakashi continued. Fuck you, I'm a genius.
"Answer?" Naruto questioned. Fuck you is dumb.
"Yes, the answer determines whether you all pass or fail."
"That's... what I wanted to ask all this time..." Sakura stated, looking down scared.
No one seemed to care much that Kakashi-sensei was still standing on Sasuke's head. I sure as hell don't. Break his arm!
"Man are you all brainless or what? Don't any of you get the meaning of a squad!" Kakashi spoke this and looked directly at me. I scrunched my face up.
"What of four men to a squad," Naruto complained. Idiot.
"It's teamwork!" Kakashi snapped.
"You mean working together?" Sakura retorted. What kind of dumbass question is that?
"Exactly, but considering the circumstances, it's too late to even realize that now, you might have been able to take the bells if all four of you would have come at me at once."
"Well, it's too bad," Kakashi finished with one last ring of the two bells.
"Why use teamwork if there were only two bells!?" Sakura snapped.
"It was a trick, duh," I retorted, annoyed that I hadn't done more to actually be a team. Sure they might have the combined brain power of a sac of shit, but they were my sac of shit team.
"That does't make sense, Sana. If the four of us were to desperately try and take back the bells without having to hold back..." Sakura continued. "That wouldn't be teamwork, it would be internal discord."
"It was a trick," I repeated as if she was dumb. I knew she wasn't, but this bitch seemed to lose cognitive ability when in the same vicinity as Uchiha fucking Sasuke.
"Of course," Kakashi answered. "This is a test to purposely set you up against one another. It's just under the conditions where ones own interests aren't the issue. The intention was to select those who can prioritize teamwork."
Kakashi looked over all of us. "Despite this you fools... Sakura! You were only concerned with Sasuke and you didn't even know where he was, and you didn't even care about Naruto who was right in front of your eyes or even consider Sana was only thirty seconds to your left."
Sakura looked down upset.
"Naruto! All you do is run solo..." Kakashi pressed his foot up against Sasuke's head harder. "You labeled the other three as as hindrances, and acted on your own."
Finally he looked at me.
"Sana, you figured out the point of the test and didn't even try to get their attention to team up." All three of them looked at me as if all this was my fault we failed, which was bullshit. How is it my fault that you're all stupid? "Missions are carried out in squads, there's no mistake that ninja's need unsurpassed individual skills...But 'teamwork' is considered more important. Individual actions that disrupt teamwork throw the team into crisis and lead to death."
"For example," Kakashi pulled out a kunai. "Sakura! Kill Naruto or Sasuke dies!" Oh please do it.
"What...Whaat? Whhhaaattt?" Naruto complained, turning his head around to look at Sakura.
"Is what will happen," Kakashi continued, once again I had to stifle my smile. "On top of having a hostage taken, you're faced with two impossible situations and end up being killed. Every mission is a life risking assignment."
Kakashi put away his kunai and got off Sasuke. I let out an audible disappointed sigh
In that moment, Kakashi turned to the KIA stone and began explaining about the killed in action names engraved on the stone. Naruto, oblivious as ever, said something ignorant and stupid. For the most part, the conversation was obviously set out to prepare and scare us, but it only succeeded in making Naruto feel dumb, Sakura guilty, Sasuke whatever the fuck he felt, and me incredibly bored. Kakashi continued. "I'll give you guys one more chance. However after noon a more harsher battle would take place."
"Those who want to take part in the challenge may eat lunch," Kakashi turned around. "However, don't let Naruto get any. It is punishment for breaking the rules and attempting to eat lunch on your own." Kakashi took a slight pause. "If someone lets him eat... the person will be disqualified. I make the rules here. Got it?" And with that Kakashi was gone.
There was an awkward silence that followed after Kakashi's departure, leading me to let out an uncomfortable sigh. This caused Sakura to glance over. "Why didn't you tell us to team up?"
I raised both brows at the audacity in her accusatory glance. "That's funny."
"Excuse me," she retorted, her eyes narrowed. Sasuke and Naruto looked uncomfortable at the shrill anger in Sakura's retort.
"Sakura," I said, glancing over to her with a deadpan. "Your crush on a certain someone makes you a little blind." Sakura's cheeks enflamed with specs of red. "So, excuse me for not thinking you'd listen if anyone but a certain someone," as if anybody, even Naruto, didn't know I was talking about Sasuke. I swear, Sakura had the subtlety of a literal mountain. "I'd appreciate you not place 100% of the blame on me."
"You two done," Sasuke said, and I scowled at him.
"Eat ass, Uchiha-san," I retorted.
Sakura covered her smile with her hand as Sasuke's next sigh lasted a good couple seconds, broken by the sound of Naruto's loud as fuck stomach growl.
"Here," Sasuke spoke, handing his lunch to Naruto.
"What?" Naruto questioned.
"You won't be any use to the team when you don't have your full strength," he spoke, and my grip tightened on my chop sticks. You kiss ass bitch.
"Sasuke..." Sakura murmured, before nodding and handing her food over as well. "He's right, you can have my food."
"Sakura you can't do that," Naruto muttered.
"It's okay, I'm on a diet," Sakura muttered, handing her food over. Why? Her BMI is in the fucking negatives. She needs to do squats, not cut back on food.
"You're going to need to feed me though, I can't use my hands," Naruto spoke, making Sakura's face sour.
"Fine, but just this once," Sakura agreed, feeding both her food and Sasuke's. I looked down at my bowl. Kakashi is probably watching, and this would be our chance to show a stupid way of teamwork and friendship.
Gods this is embarrassing! I hope Naruto doesn't make any assumption I want to be friends. Well, what my father doesn't see what dampen his mood.
I quickly grabbed some of the rice with chop sticks and shoved it his mouth, before turning around with a smile. "I hope you like it," my smile wasn't real, mostly because I didn't like the kid and now I had to feed him.
"You're choking me!" Naruto cried out, insulting my horrid bedside manner with justified tears in the corners of his eyes. I eased my chopsticks away with a grimace.
"YOU!"
Everyone gasped, I had seen this coming but it still frightened me.
"I gave you orders," Kakashi spoke, and everyone looked scared.
Sasuke and Sakura sprouted some dribble and nonsense about teamwork and Sakura gave me a shove to add my own defense.
"We're, like, teammates and stuff" I stuttered out the words before shaking my head at the embarrassing and humiliating words.
"Teammates?" Kakashi murmured, and everyone nodded. "Teammates! You..." Kakashi yelled everyone gulped. "Pass!"
I sighed. Fucking fail me...I just want to go home right now.