The More Things Change

Chapter Two

Naruto, following his sensei's instructions, skipped breakfast the following morning. The last thing he wanted was to be puking his guts out in front of two girls. While he wasn't into either of them that way , he was still a teenage boy, and they were still girls. Besides, girls talked. Well, Sakura did, at any rate. Her legendary gossip skills were second only to Ino's, and Naruto was sure that if he messed up at all today that their entire graduating class would know about it before dinner. The rest of the village would probably know before breakfast the next day. Besides, Satsuki's threat of castration was looming over his head, so it would be best if he just avoided making any stupid mistakes.
Naruto chugged the last of his milk before dressing in one of his trademarked orange jumpsuits. It was a little small on him, showing too much wrist and ankle, and was too tight across the chest. As much as he liked them, he figured that it might be time to retire his favorite outfit. It was hardly appropriate for field missions, after all. The neon orange would make him stick out like a sore thumb in any environment, making stealth a nigh impossibility. Sighing, he resolved that after today's test he'd go clothes shopping. Thankfully, he'd just received his last spending stipend from the Hokage's office, so he could easily afford it. He had intended on buying a new kunai set, as his well-worn set was looking worse for wear. The hard steel had grown soft from frequent sharpening, and they had slightly lost their balance, which would impair his accuracy.
After completing his morning rituals, Naruto started towards Training Ground Seven, his thoughts dwelling on his teammates. Both had seemed disappointed by being stuck on his team. If he was going to gain any traction with either of the beautiful kunoichi, he'd have to step up his game. He didn't want to be a burden. Maybe he'd get Kiba to show him some Taijutsu stuff later on. Though the idea left a sour taste in his mouth, and he knew that the Inuzaka would tease him mercilessly, he also knew that Kiba could and would give him some helpful pointers.
Not surprisingly, Naruto was the last Genin to arrive at the bridge leading to Training Ground Seven. Both kunoichi were unerringly punctual, which was probably the only thing they had in common. Their Jonin-Sensei didn't seem to share the trait, since he was conspicuously absent. Naruto had the distinct impression that the Jonin's tardiness would be an ongoing issue, and he should plan on dealing with it.
Neither girl seemed to acknowledge the blonde Genin's arrival, which suited the blonde just fine. He perched himself on one of the railings and pulled out his best kunai, balancing the weapon on the tip of his finger, and settled in for a long wait.
Two hours, and a new kunai balancing record of eleven minutes and twelve seconds later, all three Genin jumped as a friendly voice called out from beyond the bridge. "Yo! Sorry I'm late, but a little girl had lost her way. I had to help her get home. I'm sure you understand." Sakura opened her mouth, no doubt about to rail against her sensei's poor excuse for being late, but seemed to catch herself. "Alright, my cute little Genin, today I have a special test for you. I call it the Bell Test. All you have to do is get one of these two bells by lunch and you pass. If you don't get a bell, then you fail and get shipped of to the Shinobi Corps." Kakashi gave the Genin one of his eye smiles and held up a pair of bells.
"Sensei, there are only two bells and three of us. Does that mean that someone is guaranteed to fail?" Sakura asked, worry evident in her tone. Naruto was stunned. He hadn't even noticed that there weren't enough bells for everyone. Something about the whole test was starting to nag at him. But he couldn't quite tell what it was. One thing he was sure of, however, was that it would be idiotic to take the test at face value.
"It would seem that way, wouldn't it?" The masked Jonin quipped in reply. Naruto knew he was getting a hint, but the clue didn't help him divine the true nature of the test at all. He blamed it on skipping breakfast. He never could think on an empty stomach.
Kakashi lead them towards the middle of the training ground. The area was surrounded by a dense forest on three sides and a small lake on the fourth. Three tall wooden posts stood proudly in the center of the clearing. "To further sweeten the pot, whoever doesn't get a bell will also miss out on lunch. That person will be bound to one of these training posts and get to watch his or her teammates eat."
And that's why he had us skip breakfast, Naruto though acidly. The Jonin gave the trio another eye smile. "You'll have to come at me with the intent to kill if you want to get a bell. Oh, and in case you were wondering, no one has every passed this test." Ignoring the looks of shock on his Genins' faces, Kakashi fixed the bells to his belt and pulled a timer from one of his many pockets. "You have three hours, starting... now."
Satsuki and Sakura immediately darted in opposite directions, leaving Naruto and Kakashi alone in the large clearing. Naruto glared at the Jonin, who seemed content to ignore him, pulling out a small orange book. "You've gotta be kidding me. Jonin or not, you can't expect to fight while reading!" The blonde was getting angry. Not only had Kakashi given them an impossible test, but he'd lied about the test's true nature. Now the older ninja wasn't even taking the exam seriously!
Kakashi favored the Genin with a bored look. "I'll put it away if you can make me."
"Fine! Shadow Clone Jutsu! " Naruto yelled the name of his new favorite technique, his fingers crossed in the Tiger seal. A dozen shadow clones poofed into existence within a cloud of smoke. All twelve clones shouted out an identical war cry and attacked Kakashi. The Jonin produced a kunai and started repelling the attacks, his eyes never leaving the pages of Icha Icha Paradise. Naruto was awestruck by the way moved, darting in and out of the clones' clumsy strikes, piercing them with his kunai. The Jonin never even had to block, content with sidestepping and ducking. The blonde knew that he had precious few seconds before Kakashi dispatched his four remaining clones. Rummaging through his hip pouch, he produced an explosive tag and carefully wrapped it around the handle of a kunai knife. Kakashi seemed unaware of his actions; the Jonin was still toying with his last two clones. Both shadow clones leaped at the older ninja simultaneously, and Naruto hurled the explosive kunai in sync with their attack.
The resulting explosion was larger than the young Genin had anticipated. The shock wave blew him off his feet and sent him hurtling through the air. He hit the ground hard and tumbled a few more feet before he finally managed to slow his momentum. He struggled to his knees as the smoke the cleared, looking for any sign of his sensei. Naruto would be stunned if that explosion had so much as scratched Kakashi. He highly doubted that the masked ninja had won his position in a raffle.
"Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu: A Thousand Years of Death !" Naruto's head whipped around as he heard Kakashi cry the name of some unknown Jutsu. The blonde didn't have time to react as he saw the silver haired ninja streaking towards him, his fingers locked into Ram seal. Before this mysterious technique could connect, however, a black and blue blur intercepted the charging Jonin, halting his progress and forcing Kakashi to block a well placed kick. Naruto watched in awe as Satsuki flipped over Kakashi's head, aiming a second kick to the back of the Jonin's cranium.
The Jonin had no trouble dodging the kick, grabbing the dark haired kunoichi by the ankle and tossing her to the ground. Satsuki quickly recovered, rolling with her momentum, then flipping into a back handspring and sliding to her feet. She streaked forward, sliding low towards the Jonin's feet and aiming a mule kick towards her sensei's chest. Kakashi leaned back, letting her kick sail inches from his face, and grabbed her outstretched ankles.
Naruto saw his opening. Kakashi was focused on Satsuki, giving him an opportunity to toss a pair of kunai towards the Jonin to cover his advance. The silver haired ninja leaned out of the way to dodge them. One of the kunai was off the mark, however, missing wide right and grazing Satsuki's leg. Wincing, Naruto continued his advance and swung a looping haymaker at his sensei's skull, which Kakashi easily ducked. The Jonin allowed Naruto's momentum to flip the blonde Genin over his shoulders, flipping Naruto heavily onto his back.
"You're getting closer, Naruto, Satsuki, but you're still missing something. You'll have to try harder than that if you want to pass/" The Jonin gave them a smile before casually tossing Satsuki towards the lake. Suddenly, Naruto got it. This test wasn't about getting the bells at all! Wheezing, Naruto clambered to his feet and circled around towards the lake shore where a soggy Satsuki was dragging herself out of the water.
"What were you thinking, dobe? You could have killed me. If you can't aim, don't throw weapons!" Satsuki was angry, understandably so, though Naruto didn't think he'd ever seen her so incensed. Her dark eyes flashing, the Uchiha scion pushed her dripping hair out of her face. Her cheeks were flushed, though Naruto couldn't tell if it was from anger or embarrassment. Probably both.
"Satsuki, you don't understand! I'm pretty sure there's a secret to the test!" Naruto whispered fervently. "Kakashi-Sensei's been dropping hints the whole time, but I've been to dumb to see it until now!"
"You? Dumb? I never thought you'd admit it. I can die a happy woman now," Satsuki quipped acidly, though she seemed at least partially interested in what Naruto had to say. Both Genin looked to where Kakashi was standing. He was still in the middle of the clearing, his trashy porn book in hand. "Let's not talk about it here. Follow me, if you can." With that, Satsuki sprinted towards the woods, Naruto hot on her heels.
"Hey! Wait up!" Naruto had more than a little keeping up with Satsuki. He may have had a slight edge in terms of sheer physical strength, but the Uchiha kunoichi was fast . She had him completely outclassed in speed, not that he'd ever admit it aloud. Then again, he didn't have to. Both Genin knew who the superior ninja was. A few moments later, they were crouched in the branches of one of the giant trees that surrounded Konoha. Naruto was clutching his side, his breath coming in wheezing gasps.
"So, what's this bright idea? It'd better be good, dobe/ We're running out of time." Satsuki absent mindedly fingered the Konoha headband tied loosely around her neck.
"Well, do you remember what Kakashi-Sensei first told us yesterday? About how teamwork is the most important thing for a ninja?" Naruto asked. Satsuki nodded, a look of comprehension crossing her pretty face. "I think that the real test is to see if we can work together."
Satsuki nodded. "I think you're on to something. That's why there's only two bells! We're supposed to work as team, even though outside circumstances are trying to drive us apart. Kakashi-Sensei said we were close, though neither of us got anywhere near the bells. If Sakura had been there..." her voice trailed off.
"Speaking of Sakura, have you seen her?" Satsuki shook her head. "Well, we're gonna have to find her. I don't know if she can help us get the bells, though. She's never been that great at Taijutsu."
"You're one to talk, dobe."
"Hey! I finished pretty high up on the Taijutsu portion! It was everything else that gave me trouble," Naruto defended, frowning. He'd been somewhat satisfied with his Taijutsu performance during the final exam.
The girl snorted. "Only because you can take a beating really well. You take five or six blows for every one you dish out, but you somehow stay on your feet. Trust me, your Taijutsu is as hopeless as the rest of you."
Naruto glared at her, but he couldn't really argue the point. "Well, maybe you could give me some pointers some time," Naruto said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. If she was so great, then she'd have no trouble fixing his problems.
"Yeah, that's not going to happen. Let's just find Kiba's little girlfriend, shall we?"
Finding Sakura turned out to be a lot easier than either Satsuki or Naruto had suspected. All they had to do was follow her screams. Apparently, their new sensei grew bored of waiting and reading, and had decided to take the initiative. When the Genin pair finally reached her, the pink haired kunoichi was curled into a fetal ball, crying. She kept muttering something that sounded suspiciously like 'Kiba-kun' under her breath over and over.
SMACK!
"Snap out of it, Sakura. Whatever you saw was a Genjutsu." Satsuki and Naruto's strained camaraderie faded as swiftly as it had appeared, and Satsuki settled back into 'Ice Princess' mode. Sakura glared at her teammate, rubbing her reddening cheek. She seemed like she was about to start yelling at Satsuki, but Naruto quickly cut her off, explaining the true purpose of the bell test. Sakura agreed to work with them, but only after Satsuki acquiesced to giving up one of the bells if they were wrong. Naruto had offered, but Sakura was adamant that Satsuki be the one shipped off to the Shinobi Corps. The two kunoichi glared daggers at each other, while Naruto stood nervously between them, all but forgotten.
Locating their wayward sensei was easy. The Jonin had returned to the middle of the clearing, trashy book in hand. The three Genin had taken up positions surrounding Kakashi, hidden in the dense forest. Well, the girls were hidden. Naruto couldn't find enough foliage to hid his neon orange jumpsuit. He reminded himself again that he needed to find some new clothes if he wanted to survive as a ninja. Shaking his head, the blonde focused on the mission. He was the point man. It was his job to get the Jonin's attention and keep it by any means possible. Here we go, Naruto thought, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. Pushing his fingers into the Tiger seal, he shouted, "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU! " at the top of his voice.
Three dozen clones popped into existence in a large plume of smoke. Just as before, they all charged, their war cry echoing across the clearing. Kakashi didn't even look up as he began fighting them. "This technique won't work, Naruto," the Jonin stated calmly, a hint of disappointment in his tone. Naruto leaped from his perch into battle, wincing as a kunai slash ended his last clone's brief, violent life.
A hail of shuriken covered his advance, courtesy of Sakura, as Naruto engaged Kakashi in hand to hand combat. His clumsy, looping strikes never came close, but they didn't have to. Kakashi had seemingly failed to notice the six Shadow Clones that had hid themselves in the trees sneaking up behind him. They latched onto the Jonin's legs like giant ticks, holding the masked ninja in place.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Satsuki's voice rang out over the clearing, which was Naruto's cue to withdraw. The kunoichi had leaped high into the air, and Kakashi's single visible eye widened as he saw the giant flaming ball of death arcing towards him. Producing a second kunai, the Jonin dropped his book, dispatching the clones holding him in place with blinding speed. As fast as he was, the silver haired Jonin barely had time to leap out of the way before the fireball exploded, knocking Naruto off his feet. Naruto winced as he landed heavily on his back for the third time, instantly regretting not getting further away from the fireball. How was he supposed to know that it exploded? The blonde barely noticed Satsuki and Sakura landing next him, kunai drawn. Satsuki heaved Naruto to his feet by the collar of his jumpsuit.
The Jonin, meanwhile, rolled to his feet, one hand stretching despondently towards the blazing inferno. "My book! You brats destroyed it!" A wave of killer intent washed over the Genin. Sakura was the first to buckle, falling to her knees at the sheer wrath emanating from their sensei. Satsuki had taken a couple steps back, her dark eyes wide with fear. Naruto was too tired to retreat and just consigned himself to his fate. Kakashi stalked toward them slowly as lightning streaked across the suddenly dark sky. "YOU..." the Jonin began, bringing his kunai to bear. Naruto was sure that his death would be as painful as it was quick. "Pass." The three Genin cautiously opened their eyes. The sky had returned to its normal blue, and Kakashi was giving them a one-eyed smile. "Congratulations! You are now officially Team Seven! Let's eat!"
The clearing was drowned in the sound of their cheers.