In The Leaves | A 'Naruto' fan story | SasuNaru

I'm doing this for him

Before Kakashi can officially start the test, Naruto rushes in to attack. He throws shuriken at Kakashi, only for the latter to throw his own back. 

As Naruto jumps up into the air to avoid the shuriken, Kakashi throws another set. Naruto, however, instantly uses his Shadow Clone Technique to produce a shadow clone in mid-air to pull him out of the shuriken's path. 

His move impresses both Kakashi and Sakura. As both Naruto and the shadow clone land back on the ground, Naruto transforms his shadow clone into a giant shuriken, intend on throwing it at Kakashi. 

Kakashi manages to grab Naruto's hand before he can throw it, telling Naruto that his attack would not work. 

However, Naruto manages to have a shadow clone sneak up on Kakashi with a kunai ; his timing and usage of his shadow clones impresses Kakashi once more, as well as Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune, who are watching the fight from a distance. 

Kakashi tells Naruto that he is impatient as ever, as Naruto also attacked before Kakashi could officially begin during their first bell test. 

After he begins the match, Kakashi disappears and heads for the woods.

Sakura stood next to Naruto, who was panting and wore a serious expression on his face. "What are we supposed to do know, Naruto?" 

Naruto scans the trees around them. "We need to trick him and hide to come up with a plan." 

"What do we do?" 

"Well I was thinking..." 

Kakashi runs through the woods as he spots both Naruto and Sakura hiding behind their trees. 

"What a rookie mistake." Kakashi said.

He reminisces back to their first bell test, when Sakura and Sasuke managed to hide properly but Naruto could not. He is awakened from memory lane by shuriken hurtling towards him, thrown by Naruto. 

As he evades the attack, Sakura comes from behind and uses her massive strength to break the ground beneath him. 

Naruto was both impressed and scared seeing how strong Sakura was. "Remind me not to make her mad." 

"Don't you always make her mad?" Kakashi said as he leaped up.

"Eh!? I don't!" 

Kakashi heads for the tree branches, only for Naruto use his Shadow Clone technique and send multiple shadow clones against him. 

Kakashi decides to use taijutsu to deal with the clones; however, after there are only three clones remaining, Kakashi opens the First Gate and uses the Front Lotus on the three Naruto shadow clones, both Naruto and Sakura recognizing the technique as one Rock Lee uses. 

After the three shadow clones are taken care of, Kakashi wonders where the real one is, only for the real Naruto to announce his presence and come festinating at Kakashi with the intent of using One Thousand Years of Death. Kakashi, horrified at the thought of being hit by that technique, avoids the attack and retreats.

As Naruto and Sakura continue to head through the woods to find Kakashi, they are stopped in their tracks by an injured Sasuke. Struck with a kunai in his body, Sasuke tells Naruto and Sakura that he managed to escape from Orochimaru and asks the pair to help him.

Naruto jaw clenches at the sight, he was about to run to his side not thinking of it, until Sakura said;

"It's not real, it's a genjutsu."

Naruto looks at Sasuke, who looked back at him with soft eyes. "I love you, Naruto. Come help me please. Let's be together." 

Naruto, feeling almost defeated by his words alone, tossed a kunai at him to watch him disappear from sight. It was a genjutsu. 

"Kakashi knows my weakness." Naruto thought as he finally relaxed himself and mentally cursed his Sensei for playing dirty. 

Sakura pinpoints Kakashi's true location. Naruto then creates a shadow clone to prepare his Rasengan, and uses his Rasengan on the tree that Kakashi is hiding behind. 

Kakashi manages to dodge the Rasengan, and thinks about a time when it was easier to fool Sakura with a genjutsu. Naruto claims that he would never fall for any of Kakashi's old tricks, only to spot the bells on the floor. 

Exclaiming that Kakashi must have dropped them while dodging, Naruto rushes towards them before Sakura can stop him. Naruto is ensnared by a rope before he can get the bells, persuade Kakashi to say that Naruto still falls for the same old tricks. 

However, the Naruto trapped by the rope turns out to be a shadow clone while the real Naruto, states an old trick like that would not work on him, rushes from behind and punches Kakashi right in the face, only for the latter to use a Body Replacement Technique and retreat once more.

"Shit!" Naruto says and scans the forest for him. 

In the end, the pair ends up winning by Naruto spoiling the end of Make-out tactics for Kakashi, and taking the bells when Kakashi tried to block out the words and refuse to know the ending. 

They go back to the village to eat some ramen with Kakashi, but Kakashi was stopped by Jiraiya to be told something by him causing Kakashi to turn around and leave. 

Naruto was looking up at the night painted sky, and looks back down to meet Sakura's eyes. 

"What?" Naruto asks. 

"That genjutsu Sasuke said he loved you, are you in love with Sasuke, Naruto?" Sakura asked. 

Naruto looks down at the ground. "I am, I'm in love with Sasuke." 

"Then why take on that promise I asked of you back then?" 

Naruto looked back up at Sakura with unreadable eyes. "Because i'm doing this for him." 

"Doing what for him." 

"Saving him, becoming stronger for him-everything. I'm doing this for him." 

"So...that crush on me...is gone?" 

"It is. I'm not into you anymore." 

"I see...so is Sasuke in love with you too?" 

Naruto's heart aches remembering Sasuke's words. I can't submit to these feelings I have for you. 

"Naruto?" Sakura taps Naruto's shoulder, rousing him out of his thoughts.

"I don't know." Naruto responds. "I don't know if he loves me back."