Mages and ninja - The Story Of Three Legends

Bell test(26)

Zero eyes surveyed her surroundings intently behind the thick trunk of a tree, her senses deeply attuned. She tilted her head to the side slightly, intently listening to the sounds around her. She took a discrete sniff of the air, nodding to herself in satisfaction a moment later. She turned around and was met with Sasuke's and Naruto's expectant gaze.
"What's the verdict Zero-chan?" Naruto asked, his form half hidden in the dark shadows that a tree offered.
"I don't sense him." Sasuke murmured quietly, eyes surveying their surroundings just as intently as Zero had.
Zero nodded in agreement as she settled herself near her soon to be teammates. "Kakashi-sensei said that we needed to come at him with the intent to kill."
Sasuke gave a small sound of agreement. "That makes sense. How else are we going to get the bells?"
"But you guys noticed right?" Naruto asked, hand spinning a paint brush slowly.
"Kakashi-sensei is trying to pit us against each other." Zero frowned but then a smile formed on her face. "That's the point of having two bells instead of three but─"
"It's not going to work." Naruto huffed.
"The purpose of the exercise is to see if we can work together." The mage mused. "It doesn't matter if we get the bells or not. As long as we display teamwork, it should be enough... Besides, I don't think there's ever been a two-person cell and Konoha's prides itself in its efficient teamwork."
Sasuke nodded in agreement. It seemed that they all had the same thoughts. "We should move." Sasuke suggested. "It's not a good idea to linger here."
Zero stood, easily balancing herself on the tree branches, and turned her gaze towards where she could sense Kakashi's chakra signature. It stood out like a beacon to her, calm and reined in carefully. "Kakashi-sensei is waiting for us to make the first move." She said as she turned back to her teammates. "Everyone knows the plan?"
"We'll distract Kakashi-sensei, Zero-chan ." Naruto put in with a smirk, "Sasuke will get the bells but if either of us sees an opportunity, don't hesitate." Naruto added with a firm nod. There was no doubt that they would succeed.
Zero nodded, satisfied. "Well then, let's do this. Have fun you two!"
Sasuke smirked, "Of course."
"We'll go out to eat afterwards to celebrate." Naruto announced and they didn't argue with him. Going out to eat together was basically a tradition now, as was training together on certain weekdays.
"Akimichi's?" Zero suggested.
Sasuke merely nodded. "Akimichi's."
It seemed that was their go to restaurant now, with the occasional Ichiraku's of course.
That was all that was needed to be said and a moment later, they all scattered towards different directions. Naruto and Zero were heading straight towards the clearing, aiming to ambush Kakashi with a carefully executed barrage of attacks, all while making sure to display the cohesiveness that they had as a team that they have long ago nurtured.
Zero carefully observed at her new teacher, hidden behind a curtain of leaves and shadows. Hatake Kakashi, one of the strongest shinobi that the village had to offer was now her sensei as well as her team's. He seemed to have a lackadaisical attitude but he held himself with a sort of sharp awareness that she's seen in many shinobi. She didn't know much of the man, but she hoped that with time she'd get to know him better.
I think, Zero thought, it's time we show sensei what we're capable of. Zero took a deep breath, a smile creeping on her face at the prospect of battle. Her fighting spirit had only increased with time and her brothers' influence, not to mention the numerous challenges that she's faced. This was just that, a challenge and just like the others, she'd overcome them.
3... 2... 1... Now!
At the same time, both Zero and Naruto left the safety the trees afforded and onto the cleared field ─ that was the training ground ─ from opposite sides.
Zero raced across the clearing and headed straight towards the still form of her sensei who was still immersed in his book. He didn't even raise his eyes but Zero was sure that he had long ago sensed them coming.
She saw Naruto swiftly closing the distance and she didn't miss the one-handed seal he made. A squadron of ten clones popped into existence and without a word, they formed groups of two. The clones moved to surround Kakashi and Zero made her move then. She jumped into the air, spinning in a controlled manner as she came down with a kick of her heel aimed at Kakashi.
Sasuke is still hiding, Kakashi noted. They all showed a good grasp of concealment... but I can still sense them. That's normal though. They haven't been taught to properly conceal their chakra signature and their signatures had been all congregated together... Maybe they understand the purpose of this test? No. That couldn't be... but then again, they're completely different from what their files portrayed. Hm... Look underneath the underneath, huh?
The Jounin didn't look away from his book even then as he raised his arm to meet Zero kick. Zero gave a huff but there was a sense of slight satisfaction as the force of her kick had the ground under the Jounin's feet cracking with the pressure. You shouldn't underestimate us Kakashi-sensei! Zero thought.
The clones took the chance engage in close combat. They worked seamlessly around and with each other and even around Zero own clones. Kakashi dodged the punches and kicks sent his way but even then, he didn't look away from his book."Lesson number one, Taijutsu." Kakashi said, voice easily heard. He was moving in a manner that would pit the clones against each other, believing that it would make the clones dispel one another but he was slightly surprised when the clones didn't even make it easy. Some of the clones did dispel but they seemed more... resilient than normal kage bushin. Is it because he's a jinchuriki? And where did they learn the Kage Bushin? Naruto has the amount of chakra necessary because he has large reserves as an Uzumaki, not to mention the Kyuubi but Zero... How does she have the reserves necessary? The training necessary would have been intense for a girl her age and they don't exactly teach that in the Academy. That's something more or less learned from when they become 'real' Genin. Kakashi wondered.
Naruto frowned as he watched the majority of his clones be dispelled but he was satisfied that his clones proved handy.
A multitude of shuriken flew through the air, courtesy of Zero, towards Kakashi. The Jounin slid a kunai into his hand and made to intercept the shuriken but the moment they got close, there was an explosion of smoke, only to reveal more clones of Zero.
They used transformation, Kakashi thought approvingly. They're actually showing a decent play at teamwork and their use tactics and strategy isn't half bad. They're already better than the previous team, no question there but... the question is, are they all for teamwork as they seem? Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly as the clones swiftly began to work in tandem once again, but this time with the addition of Zero clones, one of which moved quickly to punch at his face. He merely moved his head to the side and there was a large displacement of air and idly, he wondered what the extent of Zero strength was or if it had been just a lucky fluke. He hadn't sensed any chakra in her strike earlier and his forearm throbbed with pain from the hit taken.
Zero clones struck out swiftly, aiming to incapacitate Kakashi however possible. Kakashi blocked the hits easily but his eyes narrowed slightly but then they widened in surprise as a Naruto clone came forward and unexpectedly, with a sharp grin on its face, threw a handful of kunai forward.
"What─" Kakashi closed his book with a sound of finality and put it away. His eyes were trained on the kunai sailing towards him but his attention was concentrated on a tag attached to one of the kunai that was burning swiftly on its end.
Zero immedietly backed away, as did the small army of clones, and she braced her hands in front of her.
Not a moment later, there was the deafening sound of an explosion. There was a fierce surge hot air along with thick smoke and a perilous rain of debris. Naruto landed next to Zero not long after, eyes trained on the cloud of smoke.
"Do you think that got him?" Naruto asked.
Zero gave a slight smile and she shook her head. "We'd have to try a lot harder than that Naruto. He is a Jounin after all and beating him so quick would have been... unsettling and boring."
Naruto paused before nodding. "Yeah... Besides, he's supposed to be our sensei." Naruto huffed, sliding various kunai into his hands. "He wouldn't be much of a teacher then."
The air cleared quickly however.
The training grounds was damaged from the force of the exploding tag with large boulders and rocks laying around as well as uprooted and broken. In the center of it all however, was Kakashi who was remarkably unruffled but his eyebrows were raised slightly in surprise.
"You could have killed me." Kakashi straightened, idly patting away the dust and dirt that clung to his clothes. What seemed to be remnants of wood lay beside him, still burning bright and majorly composed of ashes. "I have to admit, that was... unexpected."
"You told us to come at you with the intent to kill Kakashi-sensei." Zero said, "We won't hold back. Nothing is going to stop us from becoming a team."
"You shouldn't underestimate us Sensei." Naruto said, eyes half lidded as he stared intently towards his would-be sensei and he raised his shoulder in a half-shrug. "It's not a good idea and I'll tell you now, we're not like the others." In the back of his mind, he made note that Kakashi made good use of the Kawarimi Jutsu [Subtitution Technique]. A useful technique that one.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "I can see that." Then, his form tensed as not a moment later, there was a surge of heat heading straight towards him, guided along a trap of wires that surrounded the clearing. Such a sophisticated trap... I saw the wires but I didn't think Genin would use it like this... And this jutsu... Fire Release: Dragon Flame Technique [Katon: Ryuka no Jutsu] They shouldn't be able to do techniques this advanced. Genin simply don't have the chakra capacity, especially newly graduated Genin.
Kakashi's hands blurred through hand seals as he breathed out a torrent of water. "Water Style: Raging Waves!" [Suiton: Mizurappa] The flames were swiftly stifled. I can't believe I actually had to use jutsu on Genin but they do have a point. I underestimated them and I placed them in the same category as the previous teams when─ Kakashi swiftly cut the gleaming, metallic wire and leaping back as Sasuke broke from under the earth, hands brushing lightly against the bells, making them chime softly... They're in an entirely different category!
Sasuke frowned and he swiped his leg underneath Kakashi and of course, the other avoided the sweep as well as the punch that was aimed at his head. The Uchiha grunted slightly as he was sent back skidding and he brushed a hand against the ground to keep himself steady and righted himself. He joined Zero and Naruto at their side, displeased that he hadn't gotten the bells.
"We'll get those bells, teme." Naruto murmured.
Kakashi's cocked slightly to the side. "You do know that there are two bells, right?"
"That doesn't matter." Sasuke scoffed, unsheathing his tanto with a sound that rang high in the air. "We are getting those bells."
"For two of you only?" Kakashi watched with a slight feeling of befuddlement as both Naruto and Zero unsheathed their own weapons. Are all of them trained in Kenjutsu? How? Who would have given them training to even wield those weapons? Just from a single glance, Kakashi could tell that they've been training in Kenjutsu for a while. He could see it from the way that they held themselves and carried an easy confidence that most would have mistaken as arrogance when it was far from it. Everything in those files was wrong, Kakashi decided definitively, faintly exasperated. But what's most remarkable─
"Those bells are for all of us Kakashi - sensei." Zero said determinedly, her voice leaving no room for argument. "We pass as a team or we fail as a team, although I have to say, we don't take to well to failing." She smiled, a picture of perfectly deceitful serenity that hid the danger from the world and the alarming ferocity that she was capable of. Her smile broadened a moment later, revealing a hint of teeth as she raised her katana.