8 Chapter 7 (2/2)

”So how did they do?” Kakashi-sensei asked me. I remembered our conversation yesterday evening.

”Have you done the bell training with Sandaime?” he asked.

”Yeah, I had done it with Enma-sama. But we couldn't get the bell because of we never could work great with one another,” I said and then something lit in my head, ”oh, that's the training for tomorrow.”

”Yeah, because you have already gone through it, you have to help me tomorrow. See if they can accept your offer of help tomorrow,” Sensei said and I bowed at him. Chuckling at my memory, I shook my head.

”Unfortunately, they didn't make it, Sakura was a close call until your Kage Bunshin scared her to death,” I said.

Ten minutes later, Naruto was tied to the stump for trying to steal the bento and the rest of team 7 gathered near him. I was leaning against the stump next to Naruto's.

”You guys look hungry, oh, and by the way, something about the training. Well, there's no need for you guys to go back to the academy,” Kakashi-sensei said. Their faces lit up.

”Then!! Then!! All four of us...” Naruto yelled.

”Nope, three of you should quit as shinobi!” Kakashi-sensei said loudly. All of their faces visibly changed.

”Quit as ninjas!? What does that mean!?” Naruto yelled as he struggled from his bindings, ”Ok!! Ok!! We couldn't get the bells but, why do we have to quit!?”

”Because all of you are just punks who don't deserve to be ninjas,” Sensei announced. Sasuke was triggered by this word, he rose and charged towards Kakashi-sensei but he was immediately pinned down by our sensei.

”NO!!! Don't step on Sasuke-kun!!!” Sakura yelled angrily.

”Are you guys underestimating Ninjas? Huh? Why do you think that you were divided into teams and are doing this training?” Kakashi said, angrily.

”Huh? What does that mean?” Sakura asked.

”You guys do not understand the answer to this test,” Kakashi went on.

”Answer?” Naruto was back to his usual puzzled look.

”Yes, the answer that helps you pass this test,” Kakashi answered.

”So, when are you going to tell us?” Sakura inquired.

”Geez,” Kakashi said. Naruto yelled demanding the answer.

”It's teamwork. Seriously, I am only a few days in the academy. I figured it out the first time my sensei gave me this test and it was with a monkey. How thick could your skull get?” I said, irritated by the team's cluelessness and all of their faces changed.

”The four of you working together may have gotten the bells. Maybe even knocked me out,” Kakashi-sensei added.

”What do you mean by teamwork? There are only three bells. Even if we work together and get the bells, one of us would still fail. What teamwork? That just makes us fight each other,” Sakura complained.

”That is exactly the point, Sakura,” I said as I sat down on the ground.

”The purpose is to see whether you can forget about your interest and successfully work together under these designed circumstances,” Kakashi-sensei explained.

”Sakura, instead of Naruto who was right next to you, you were only thinking about Sasuke who was far away. Naruto!! You were just running around by yourself. Sasuke!! You just assumed the others would get in your way and tried to do everything yourself.” He said. ”I even had Hikari offer each of you help yet you guys refused to listen to what he is offering.”

”The duties are done by the team. Of course, the superior individual ability is important to a ninja but what's even more important is teamwork. Individual play that disrupts the team can put your comrades in danger and even get you killed. For example...” Kakashi-sensei said as he pulled out a kunai and brought it to Sasuke's neck, ”Sakura! Kill Naruto! Or Sasuke dies!”

Naruto yelled 'what' while Sakura gasped in surprise.

”You see? If a hostage is taken, you will have tough choices and then die. You will be risking your lives in these duties,” Sensei said as he stood up from Sasuke. He then walked towards a stone slab near the tree stumps.

”Look at this, numerous names carved on this stone. These are ninjas who are recognized as heroes of the village,” Kakashi-sensei said while patting the stone slab.

”Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!! I've decided to get my name carved on that stone too!! Hero!! Hero!! That's what I'll become!!” Naruto interrupted loudly and Sakura was irritated.

”But they aren't just normal heroes,” Sensei went on. His eyes were distant and I immediately caught his drift.

”Naruto, you aren't getting the picture, here,” I scolded.

”They died while on duty,” Kakashi said. Our faces were changed to chagrin.

”This is a memorial; my best friend's name is also carved here...” Sensei said. Now I understood his personality. He was the one who endured all these pains by himself. There were a few minutes of silence before Kakashi-sensei turned to face us.

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”A shinobi is the one who endures...” A memory suddenly tugged into my mind.

”You guys... I'll give you one more chance. But after lunch, I'll make it even tougher to get the bells. Hikari, you will join them for the next round. Those who still wished to challenge can eat lunch but, don't give any to Naruto. It's a punishment for trying to eat by him selves. If anyone gives him any food, they will fail immediately. I am the rule here! Got it?” Kakashi said and he disappeared.

”Heh! I don't need any food. I'm fine,” Naruto said and on cue, his stomach croaked. I opened my bento and gather halves of everything and put it on the lid. Sasuke was glancing at Naruto whose stomach was still growling.

”Here!” Sasuke said to Naruto while handing out his bento. Sakura almost barfed out what was inside her mouth.

”Huh, so you have pulled out the stick eh?” I teased and I handed Naruto my halves of bento. Sasuke let up a half-smile.

”Hey, Sasuke-kun, Sensei just said,” Sakura tried to reason with him.

”Don't worry, I don't sense him near here. After lunch, we'll work together and get the bells. Without food, he'll just be in the way and that will only hurt us,” Sasuke explained and Sakura was speechless. She knew that Sasuke was logical so she gave Naruto her bento too.

”You guys...” Naruto was startled by our behaviour, ”Thanks, hehe”

”I wish that I could agree with you, Sasuke. That he isn't near here,” I said because Kakashi-sensei was not hidden from my Byakugan.

Suddenly a puff of smoke appeared and someone inside yelled, ”YOU GUYS...!”

Sasuke braced himself for the aftermath while Sakura and Naruto screamed at the sudden appearance. I sighed at the Jounin's theatrics because all of our foods were tossed away due to the sudden appearance.

”Pass~<3” He finished and smiled widely. We all were confused.

”Over-dramatic idiot,” I muttered and then I received a good clunk on the head from Kakashi-sensei, ”Ow!”

”Pass? But why?” Sakura was so surprised.

”You guys are the first. Everyone else would just do whatever I told them. They were all just morons,” Kakashi-sensei explained.

”A ninja must see underneath the underneath. Those who break rules and codes of the ninja world are called scum. But you know what? Those who don't take care of their comrades are worse than scum,” he elaborated. All of us had a new appreciation for our sensei.

”That ends the training. All of you pass!! Ok! Starting tomorrow team 7 will begin its duties!!” Kakashi exclaimed proudly while giving us a thumb up.

”Yay! I did it!! I did it!! Ninja!! Ninja! Ninja!” Naruto couldn't contain his excitement.

”Let's go,” Kakashi said while walking away with Sasuke and Sakura.

”God damn it!! I knew this would happen!! Untie me!!” Naruto yelled. In one go, I unsheathed my Fudo Masamune and cut the ropes.

”You didn't forget about me didn't you?” I asked him. Naruto grinned at me and then he remembered something.

”Hey, if you had already gone through this test, why didn't you tell us the secret?” Naruto asked. I rubbed the back of my head and grinned.

”Well, I couldn't take away the experience of learning a valuable lesson from you guys. My sensei was always adamant about teamwork being natural for Konoha ninja,” I said and all of them smiled at me.

”Who is your sensei, anyway?” Sakura asked.

”Oh, you didn't know? It's the Hokage,” I answered. Naruto and Sakura let out a loud 'eh!' and Kakashi-sensei laughed along with me. Sasuke just gritted his teeth.

”That explained the damages done to the trees,” Sasuke gritted. Kakashi-sensei raised his eyebrow at me.

”Oh, what did you do?” Kakashi-sensei asked.

”Practicing what we had done yesterday but with mixing two things together. I invented a failed new jutsu this morning. Such a shame really, it was not very effective,” I said nonchalantly. All three of them stared at me and Kakashi-sensei. Kakashi-sensei, on the other hand, was sweating unsure of how to pass through this information to the team. Sasuke then narrowed his eyes at me and I returned his gaze with a grin.

”Hey, why don't we go to Ichiraku to celebrate your success today?” Kakashi-sensei suggested changing the subject. Naruto and I immediately jumped high five each other.

”Yeay! Ramen!” We said in unison. Sakura shook her head at our enthusiasm while Sasuke was back into his brooding mood.