The Last Rose (Naruto Fanfic)

Teamwork? Never heard of it.

"I'll be dropping you from the program all together."

Naruto gaped, wildly kicking his legs up and down from his position tied up to the post. "Quit being a ninja?! It's true we didn't get the bells, but you said you were going to send us back to the academy, you can't just change that!"
Kakashi regarded them calmly, his hands on his hips. "You don't think like ninja. You think like little kids. Like brats."

From the corner of her eyes, Sora saw Sasuke's face change, and he angrily rushed at Kakashi.

What. An. Idiot.

In no time at all, Kakashi had him pinned to the floor, Sasuke's arm pinned behind him and Kakashi's foot planted firmly on his head. Sora was too tired to do anything but lean against the post from where she sat on the floor, too tired to even think, but even she knew that rushing at a jonin wasn't the smartest idea. Especially since he couldn't beat him before.

"You think it's all about you." Kakashi continued, looking down at Sasuke.

"Let go of Sasuke!" Sakura screeched. "You can't step on him like he's some sort of bug.!"

Sora winced, wishing she had chosen a spot to sit that wasn't right next to the pinkette.

"You don't know what it means to be a ninja." Kakashi's voice was laced with withheld anger. "You think it's a game, huh?Why did you think we put you in squads? Did you stop and consider that for a moment?"

"I-I don't know what you mean." Sakura frowned.

Sora rested her head against the post. "What's even the point of this lecture?" She wondered aloud. "I mean, we already failed right?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at her. "That's what I mean! All you do is complain! You never understood the true meaning of this exam, not even close!"

Naruto's nose scrunched up in confusion. "The true meaning of the exam?"

"Yes. That's what determines whether you pass or fail."
Sakura winced. "But that's...I mean, I wanted to ask you that from the beginning."

Sora snorted. "Yeah, right."
Kakashi glared at her. "Will you ever shut that mouth of yours? Don't think I don't know that

you went against my orders and ate breakfast this morning. You should be punished just as much as Naruto and worse!"

Sora blinked in genuine confusion. Breakfast? She hadn't eaten any breakfast. Maybe it was the smell of the breakfast she had made for her mother that clung to her clothes that made him think that way. She glared at him, eyes hard. She wasn't going to contradict him.

Kakashi took a deep breath. "Use your head." He addressed the four of them now. "Three, or in our case, four ninja in a squad, why do you think we did that?"

"Urghhh!" Naruto yelled in frustration. "How are we supposed to know why you picked four people, we didn't make the rules!"

Kakashi looked at them like they really were the stupidest people alive. "It's so basic! Teamwork!"

Sakura and Naruto gasped in realization. Sora wanted to bash her head against the wall. Kakashi was right. It had been glaringly obvious. If she had teamed up with Naruto, his seemingly endless chakra reserves with her speed...But it was too late now.

"Working together, is that what you mean?" Sakura asked.

"That's what I mean," Kakashi said, a hint of sarcasm creeping into his voice.