Scum
To say that the next day was disastrous would be an understatement. Not only was he teamed with the last person on earth that he’d ever want to be around, he was assigned a weirdo for a Sensei. So understandably Naruto was in a foul mood, even if the silver lining was that he got to spend more time with Sakura. Naruto knew that Sakura was more than the guarded facade that she put on around the others. He didn’t miss how the day after Ino complained about an ache or bruise, she would magically find an ointment in her desk, Sakura shooting her subtle glances out of view. He didn’t miss how hard she would train her chakra after academy hours. So he admired her, respected her, even if he hadn’t earned the same from her. He wasn’t sure if what he felt was…romantic or something more platonic, but he knew that at the very least he wanted her to like him. So after their new Sensei, Kakashi, had them introduce themselves and then abruptly informed them of yet another test, one that would determine if they had a future as a Shinobi, and Naruto has subsequently freaked out for twenty minutes, he considered Sakura. She was still staring distantly as the news likely weighed in her consciousness just as heavily as it did on Naruto’s. Sasuke had already turned to leave, likely planning to squeeze in some last minute training. He wrung his hands for a moment until he steeled himself enough to speak.
“Uhm… Sakura-Chan, now that we’re on the same team and all… what d’ya say about getting some Ramen together?” He rubbed the back of his neck with a shy smile.
He felt his heart clench when her mouth thinned into a tight line and she glanced away in discomfort.
She made a small noise of disapproval. “No thanks… I think I’ll just head home and rest for tomorrow.”
“Ah. Yeah of course!” Naruto supplied awkwardly.
Sakura gave a dismissive wave and turned to walk away. Naruto watched, his throat dry. He huffed exasperatedly. What would it take for anyone to like him?
Then an idea started to form in his head. He hurried over to the bridge, leaning over to look at the surface of the water. He focused, folding his hands into a familiar sign. When he opened his eyes, he looked down at his reflection and laughed, the pitch coming out lower. He was Sasuke, or rather, a perfect replica of him. Naruto wanted to know what it felt like to be revered. Wanted to know what it felt like when Sakura smiled at him, even it wasn’t… him. Plus, it’d be nice to get his mind off the dread he was feeling about the test tomorrow. He stared for a little longer, pulling at the skin on his face and contorting Sasuke’s features. He pouted. He couldn’t see what Sakura saw in Sasuke. Though anything’s preferable to the village outcast, he thought grimly. He gripped the railing on the bridge tightly before violently snapping himself out of his dangerous spiral by slapping his palms on either side of his face. It’s go time.
He darted in the direction Sakura went, keeping to the rooftops. It wasn’t difficult spotting her, the bright pink of her hair like a beacon against the warm earthy tones of Konoha. Naruto rushed ahead and dropped into an alleyway, careful not to draw any unnecessary attention. Tentatively, he strode out into the Main Street, hoping Sakura’s eyes would catch him. His hopes were confirmed when he heard the girl calling out his- Sasuke’s, name.
He turned and tried to look as bored and inconvenienced as possible. It was kind of fun pretending to be Sasuke, his act honed after years of dealing with him at the academy. A grin almost slid over his face, but he bit it back just in time.
“Sasuke! Odd that we’d see each other again so soon! Where are you headed? I’d love to walk with you!” She rattled on.
Naruto huffed. “Fine.” Then rolled his eyes for good measure.
Sakura’s face lit up and she clasped her hands behind her back, starting to walk and urged Naruto to lead the way. So he did. He walked silently as she rambled on about this and that, how excited she is to be on a team with him, her plans for the test. Naruto hung on to her every word, drinking in her lighthearted expression. It was foreign, almost unsettling but he didn’t dislike it. He couldn’t shake the underlying anxiety though, the hope that one day it’d be aimed towards him- the real him, and the fear that it never will be.
He led her through the Main Street, his feet stuttering as he noticed Sakura’s pointed stare into a passing shop. Her gate slowed and her chin tilted. Naruto peered past her and saw that she had locked eyes with Ino, a satisfactory grin plastered on her face as the other girl seethed. Naruto has never understood their rivalry, especially not over Sasuke but it’s always seemed like more than that. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he wasn’t sure how Sakura could be so bitter and tender at the same time. To be honest, it seemed like Sakura was more preoccupied with Ino than she ever was with Sasuke, and Naruto wasn’t sure what to make of that. After Sakura dragged her gaze from Ino, she looked back at the road and held her head high. He had to stifle a laugh at the sight of her smug smile, turning his eyes away as further precaution.
At the last minute, he decided to turn a corner, guiding Sakura down an alley walled with greenery. The alley opened up to a small plaza, surrounded closely by tall buildings. A tree stood in the center, blocking out the sunlight, spare the rays that filtered down as beams through the leaves overhead. Naruto spotted a bench at the base of the tree, deciding that this would be the perfect place to sit and let Sakura talk. Sakura seemed almost startled when he sat down and looked at her expectantly. She obliged, a big smile on her face.
She continued to chatter as Naruto listened, giving her small indications that he’s listening. Acting as Sasuke was harder than he thought, it being almost agonizing to keep his face and voice neutral, to not make any unnecessary movements. He nearly pitied Sasuke, the thought of being this boring for the rest of his life made him cringe inwardly.
Then his world froze. Laughter. He knew that laugh.
He felt the blood drain from his body as he flicked his gaze around feverishly, trying to pin point the source. There. You wouldn’t believe it if he had simply told you. That such an innocent group of kids could be responsible for such heinous and disgusting torment. Naruto though, he knew. He knew exactly what these boys, these children were capable of, the scars that mottled his body were proof of that. Naruto couldn’t stop the instant wave of nausea as he jumped to his feet, the landscape tilting as he swayed.
Distantly, he heard Sakura calling after him, but his feet were already carrying him far, far, away. He ran and ran until his lungs couldn’t bear it any longer. He wasn’t there in that instance, not really. The trauma and fear that bound him instilled twisted, but necessary survival skills into him. Eventually, he settled on some roof top on the entire other side of the village. His transformation had come undone somewhere along the way, but that didn’t really matter anymore. He leaned heavily on his knees, trying to quell the fire that burned in his chest. Slowly, he came back to himself, the adrenaline fading fast and his mind catching up with him. He groaned and rubbed a hand down his face. They always had to ruin everything. It had been a few weeks since they had come after him, maybe they had heard of his recent graduation, and were looking to beat some sense into him? He shuddered deeply at the thought, tucking his arms around himself. They were Genin, couldn’t have been much older than Naruto. Had plagued him throughout his entire life, one of his few constants, a truth, a reality. Oh and they made sure he knew that pain was his reality.
Naruto pressed his palms into his eyes hard and watched the sparks of light dance behind his lids. He sighed as he released the pressure. It could’ve gone worse, he thought. If he hadn’t been Sasuke in that moment, if they had seen him… he didn’t want to imagine it. He sat as the feeling came back to his legs, nearly buckling underneath him. It was nice for a while, to pretend that he was normal, that he wasn’t hated. It couldn’t have lasted forever he supposed, and to be honest he couldn’t have thought of anything to say to Sakura anyway.
He stood again, ignoring the jittery feeling that occupied his limbs, and leant over the edge of the roof. He was almost impressed with how far he had ran in such a short time, but he’s run farther and faster for similar reasons. Surveying the area, he mentally mapped his route home, and then set off at a tender pace. He sincerely hoped that he wouldn’t be sore tomorrow, he wanted to be in good condition for the test, his future depended on it. He’d think about the rest later.
<+>
Naruto woke up the next morning with more energy than he had expected. That, coupled with his nerves, made him rush through his routine, even though it was early. He had skipped breakfast on account of what his Sensei had warned the previous day, but he stuffed an apple into his pack for later if he needed it. After he made sure that everything was in place and he double, triple, checked that he wasn’t missing anything, he set off to the designated meeting spot.
He was shocked to see that Sasuke and Sakura were already there. He thought he was early but then again these two were always particularly punctual. Coming up on the two, he noticed the not so subtle glare that Sasuke aimed at Sakura, the other withering under his gaze. Naruto’s face twisted in confusion. Did something happen between the two? He hoped that they didn’t run into each other after his little stunt, the thought mortified him. Their eyes snapped to Naruto as he approached and he couldn’t hide a flinch. Sasuke’s eyes narrowed at him as Naruto pointedly avoided both of his teammates gaze. They would’ve said something by now if they knew right? He couldn’t help the wave of shame that washed over him.
The group stood in uncomfortable silence for the next 40 minutes until Naruto couldn’t take it anymore.
He groaned. “Agh! Isn’t he late? How long is he going to keep us waiting?” He crossed his arms petulantly.
Sakura pursed her lips and glanced at Sasuke before reluctantly speaking. “It is a little weird…” Her brows furrowed.
Sasuke huffed in silent agreement as Naruto paced in a circle. He had far too much energy pent up and he needed an outlet. He was never very adept in patience and his nerves certainly weren’t helping either. Then, as if summoned by the very words, Kakashi landed gracefully in front of Naruto, startling him in the process.
“Well… I’m not that late am I?”
His Sensei snapped the book that he was holding closed and tucked it in his pack, a smile reaching his eye. Naruto scowled at the man.
“You were supposed to be here forever ago!”
Sakura pouted and crossed her arms. “Yeah! What took you so long?”
Sasuke just eyed him suspiciously.
Kakashi put his hands up in mock surrender and stepped back a bit. “Now, Now, a proper Shinobi should be no stranger to patience. The walk of life is slow and arduous, it’s important to take in the details as you go about your day.” He had their attention now, a light feeling of embarrassment tinged Naruto’s cheeks, obviously it had been a lesson. “Though, I suppose I did get a little carried away!” He added as he chuckled.
Naruto looked at the man in pure disbelief. Weird. Definitely weird. He mentally face palmed at his luck and was about to say something else but his Sensei interrupted the thought.
“Should we begin then?”
Naruto stiffened as he remembered why they were here.
Kakashi paused a moment longer and then reached into his pouch. Naruto’s ears caught the faint clink of metal on metal, a small harmonious sound. Then his Sensei lifted his fingers to reveal a pair of bells.
“This, will be today’s lesson.” He chirped as he lightly jostled them. “You’ll need to take both of these bells from me by noon.”
“Why are there two bells?” Sakura observed.
“Good question! There are only two, because whichever of you don’t manage to get a bell, will have to go back to the academy.”
Naruto blanched. “What?!”
Kakashi smiled. “You can come at me however you’d like. Nothing’s off the table but I’ll warn you, you won’t be able to take the bells if you don’t approach this with the intent to kill me.”
Naruto could only blink as he processed the situation. One of them… would be sent back to the academy? He glanced at his teammates, the two top students against the student in dead last. How could this be fair? He abruptly shook himself out of his self pity. No, he was strong now. He would get one of those bells no matter what. He has to become Hokage.
He took a deep breath and settled into a deadly calm, tuning into all of his senses, giving himself to instinct. Something like surprise flashed in Kakashi’s eyes before it turned to intrigue. The man shifted his weight to his other hip and looked over the kids one last time.
“Go.”
All three of them leaped backwards into the cover of trees in an instant. Naruto wasn’t stupid, he knew his only chance of getting one of those bells would be to catch the Jonin off guard. His chances would be higher if he worked together with his teammates, but under these circumstances, the possibility of that was slim to none. They all wanted to be Shinobi, not quite willing to sacrifice that for each other yet. Well, Naruto bargained they’d be more willing to sacrifice him, but regardless, he was on his own. He was never one for stealth, but he tread as lightly as he could, trying to gain the best vantage point within range of his Sensei. He hadn’t noticed before, but his senses were far better than average. He managed to hear Sakura shifting in the underbrush on the other side of the clearing, or Sasuke covertly tree hopping to his left. It shocked him for a moment before he remembered the fox sealed within him. Yet another side effect. Though it wasn’t necessarily unwelcome.
Naruto trained his eyes on Kakashi, tracking his every move, every seemingly insignificant gesture. He stilled as he realized something. Any time he’d hear Sakura or Sasuke shift position, he noticed that Kakashi would almost imperceptibly tilt his head in their direction.
He knew where they were.
Could he hear them? No, it was different. It was more that he followed their presence, he sensed them. Their chakra. Naruto clenched his jaw. He closed his eyes and focused on his chakra. He suppressed it, pushing it further into his center until it was a faint flickering flame. It surged in protest, flaring and thrashing against the pressure, but Naruto wouldn’t let it out. He opened his eyes, he had broken into a sweat from the effort. It felt like he had a tight knot in his stomach but this should do. He refocused on his Sensei, not noticing any difference in his demeanor.
Sasuke and Sakura were likely awaiting Naruto’s move, knowing his reckless behavior. He was reckless sometimes sure, but he knew for certain that they were in for a surprise. He waited for another breeze to come around and shake the leaves, moving between them fluidly. Then, without preamble he leaped.
He dived towards his Sensei’s back, twisting in the air to get into a more advantageous position. Kakashi twitched. He noticed Naruto at the last second and turned, jumping out of the way of Naruto’s landing. Naruto hit the ground and his feet shattered the earth in a small radius, dirt flying in clouds as he rose to his feet and scowled. Damn it, he was close. Obviously his suppression hadn’t been enough but he should’ve expected as much from a Jonin.
Kakashi hummed satisfactorily. “You suppressed your chakra? Last I checked they didn’t teach that in the academy.” Then he eyed the small crater Naruto made. “…Or that.”
Naruto ignored him and charged forwards, grabbing at the bells situated at the man’s waist. Kakashi elegantly stepped out of the way, and Naruto followed him, this time flipping over onto his hands and pushing upwards to launch a kick at his jaw. Kakashi quickly slapped it off course, but Naruto didn’t stop. He was a blur as he twisted and lashed out, almost animalistic as he exchanged blows with the Jonin. It was a one sided fight he knew this, but he also knew he was making an impression. His fighting style didn’t give the opponent any time to breathe, aiming for vitals and whirling around like a limber monkey. It was like fighting a cornered animal. It’s not something learned, but something cultivated. Kakashi was watching him as he blocked with ease, open interest reflected in his eye. Then, he suddenly seemed to have observed enough and he gripped Naruto’s ankle.
“Not bad.” He said simply.
Naruto looked at him in shock. Then he let his expression fall flat as his Sensei kept his hold. In a split second, he reached into his pack and pulled out the apple he packed earlier. Kakashi’s grip slackened minutely as his eyebrow quirked. But before he could react, Naruto crushed the apple in his fist and flung the juice at the man’s eye. There was a light noise of surprise from the Jonin but Naruto didn’t spare any time in reaching for the bells. His finger just barely scraped the edge of one before he was thrown into the air by his ankle. He cursed as he flew in an arc and landed in the river. So close, again.
He let himself drift past the surface of the water for a moment before he burst out with a gasp and grappled on to the bank. He looked up in time to see a flock of Kunai shooting towards Kakashi, who was rubbing his eye. He gaped as they made contact and a flash of blood ribboned out from the Jonin’s body. He pulled himself completely out of the water and watched on his hands and knees. Just as Kakashi was about to slam into the ground, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. A loud thud sounded out in the clearing as the smoke cleared and revealed a log used as substitution for the assault. Naruto grimaced, he should’ve known. In any case, that had to of been Sasuke. He pushed to his feet and shook some of the water from his hair as he tried to focus again. Sasuke was on the move, having his position compromised with that attack. He heard Sakura too, bolting in Sasuke’s direction, likely having made the same conclusion.
Naruto rushed off too, pushing through the green, uncaring of the noise he was making. Stealth was no longer an option in this scenario, he was wet and he could no longer bare to suppress his chakra. So he pulverized twigs and leaves in his wake, each step thundering through the wide expanse of trees. Then he heard it.
A scream. Sakura’s scream.
He faltered, almost tripping. He was about to stop, and turn to set off in her direction, but the presence of another person sucked the air out of his lungs.
“Pay attention to your surroundings, Naruto.” He heard Kakashi say before a leg slammed into his back and launched him forward.
The blow, paired with his momentum, sent him tumbling for a while until he landed in a small break in the trees, the ground a dry, dusty dirt. He scrambled to his feet, cradling his back for a moment before he straightened. He startled at the sight of Sasuke staring at him.
“You-“ Sasuke began, but was quickly interrupted.
“Well, you two, I have to say I’m impressed.” Kakashi stepped out from the surrounding trees.
The two boys glanced at each other.
“What did you do to Sakura?” Sasuke asked.
“Genjutsu, one of the essential Jutsus that you need to know as Shinobi.”
Sasuke clicked his tongue as he narrowed his eyes. Then without warning, a variety of sharp ninja tools were sent rocketing towards Kakashi.
“A direct approach like that…Oh.”Kakashi breathed out as he caught Sasuke’s feint. Sasuke too, just barely scraped the edge of the bell and Naruto couldn’t help but grin. He was on the same par as Sasuke now, and Sasuke himself seemed to realize this as well, a glower forming on his face at his own failure.
Kakashi sighed exasperatedly. “Just what are they feeding you kids these days?”
Naruto beamed wickedly at him.
Sasuke jumped back beside Naruto to create some distance. Then he looked to Naruto, his gaze assessing. He glared at the other boy, an inner conflict brewing behind his eyes. He sighed and gripped Naruto’s shoulder to pull him in closer. Naruto startled at the touch, about to protest, but then stopped when Sasuke started whispering something to him. Slowly, his eyes widened in understanding. He listened as Sasuke relayed his idea. Then Sasuke pulled back and regarded him hesitantly. Naruto flashed him a wide smile
“Let’s do it!”
Sasuke’s shoulders relaxed at Naruto’s approval and his eyes softened. Before Naruto could even question that, Sasuke nodded and looked away. Naruto blinked and wrote it off immediately, prioritizing the plan. He jumped into action, hitting Kakashi with another flurry of vicious attacks. Behind him, Sasuke was signing rapidly.
“Naruto!” Sasuke Yelled.
At that, Naruto jumped out of the way and a cloud of fire came billowing towards Kakashi. Kakashi seemed shocked, but they weren’t done. Just after the fire blocked Naruto from view, he took a deep breath, and dived into the flames. This was their real plan. Naruto, being sopping wet, was protected from the worst of the heat. He rushed through it, and emerged to face a positively flabbergasted Kakashi. He couldn’t help but laugh. This was fun.
He shot his fist out, aiming for the Jonin’s face. Kakashi’s eyes snapped to the hand and moved to block it. Naruto grinned deviously. At the same time, he had reached around to his Sensei’s waist. He wrapped his hand around the two bells and went to pull, but long fingers curled around his wrist and squeezed. Naruto’s grip was forcibly released and he felt himself be lifted off the ground by the back of his jumpsuit. He gasped as he hit the ground, the air being knocked out of him. He was back by Sasuke again.
He flipped to his front as he willed air back into his lungs, his teeth grinding against the pain. He curled his hand into a fist and pounded it against the ground in frustration. Before he could even rise to his feet, he noticed that Kakashi had disappeared. He squinted through the dust, trying to discern his position. Then he felt a distant rumbling beneath him. He shifted in confusion, whipping his head around trying to spot the source. He got his answer when a hand shot out of the ground and wrapped around Sasuke’s ankle. Sasuke yelped as he was dragged into the ground all the way up to his neck. Naruto scrambled, trying to get to his feet, but soon he was grabbed and dragged under as well.
The two struggled against the earth in vain as they watched Kakashi emerge from the ground in front of them. Their Sensei crouched down and rested his chin in his palm.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. You two…” He sighed tiredly. “I’m gonna need to have a talk with Iruka Sensei later…” He rubbed the back of his neck and then stood. “Hmmm. You know, I think I’m starting to like you guys.” He ruffled their hair and stood. “Well, good luck.” With that, he vanished again.
Naruto groaned loudly and thrashed in his confinement, muttering obscenities under his breath.
“What was that, dumbass?” Sasuke spat.
Naruto turned his head to glare at him. He breathed deeply through his nose, he refused to let this asshole rile him up any further.
“I had it… but he grabbed my wrist. My hand opened on its own.”
Sasuke huffed and turned away. There was a beat of silence before Sasuke shifted his gaze to the front.
“When did you… how did you get so… strong?”
Naruto flinched. “I… I trained!” He blurted believably.
Sasuke scoffed. “And this happened overnight?”
Naruto stuttered. What the hell was he supposed to say? Oh yeah Sasuke it’s just that I went through a near death experience and turns out I have this evil demon fox sealed inside me? If he could run away he would, just to avoid this conversation. He’s not a good liar. Sasuke will know that something’s up either way. He was just about to spiral when he heard the bushes rustling. The two of them looked up to see Sakura barreling through the brush. When she caught sight of them, she froze. Her legs wobbled and gave out underneath of her.
“Holy shit… it’s- they’re just- heads.” She breathed out.
Naruto’s eyes blew wide at the choice of words. He choked on a laugh as it bubbled out of his throat. Sakura just about jumped out of her skin as she scrambled backwards.
Sasuke looked unimpressed. “Sakura. We’re buried.”
Sakura’s eyebrows climbed her forehead as embarrassment tinged her cheeks. “Oh. Oh, you’re- Oh no I- Well it’s just… I- I saw Ino and she was- agh… it was genjutsu wasn’t it. I’m so stupid!” She covered her face with her hands to hide her shame. Then she startled as if realizing something. “What I said earlier! Uhm… my language… that was- rude and uhm-“
“Can you help us out now Sakura?” Sasuke cut her off.
“Oh right! Sorry.”
With Sakura’s help, the two were able to squirm their way out of the holes with a lot of time and effort. By the time they finished, it was already too late. Sakura informed them that it was mere minutes until noon and that their chances were looking bleak. The mood was solemn as they all trekked back to the training grounds. It was strange. The test, that is. Naruto considered it as they moved together. He didn’t think that they were lacking, Kakashi’s reactions indicated the opposite. It almost seemed like it wasn’t intended to be won in the first place, but Naruto couldn’t piece together why. He wished he had Sakura’s brain, wondering absently if she already figured it out.
Kakashi was waiting for them in the field, the blades of grass rolling lazily with the wind.
“Why don’t we talk about this over lunch?”
The kids exchanged confused glances as they followed their Sensei to a large memorial stone. Three lunch boxes were set out in front of it, the sight of which made Naruto’s stomach growl. Kakashi stared at the stone for a moment before he turned to his students.
“Well, it seems that you won’t need to be sent back to the academy after all.”
They all froze. “Huh?” Sakura squeaked out. Then relief washed over her features, a smile splitting her face. “We did it after all? I knew it was a front for-“
“By that I mean, you should give up on being Shinobi.” Kakashi looked at them with a cold, sarcastic joy.
Naruto swallowed hard. Would he really lose the chance to ever become a Shinobi because of this? He felt fury curl his hands into fists. “How were supposed to win against a Jonin? It’s not fair!”
Kakashi’s glare could cut diamonds. Naruto tensed. “Why do you think you were put into three man squads?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Shinobi depend on each other in battle, it’s not a one man show. Individual strength is important, but the ability to work together as a team is imperative to be a Shinobi, and you three miserably failed on that front.”
The three of them withered.
“Naruto, you’re too headstrong. Plans are forced to revolve around you because you’re a wild card. Sasuke, you rely too much on yourself and foolishly act on your own. Sakura, your inaction and hesitance crippled both yourself and the team.” He glanced at Naruto and Sasuke for a moment. “Though, your brief coordination wasn’t bad.” He crossed his arms and tilted his head in thought. “Hm. With that knowledge, I’ll give you one more chance. But!” He added when they perked up. “Sakura will not be eating lunch. She performed the worst out of the team so a penalty is warranted.”
Sakura gaped for a moment and then tucked her head down in resignation. “Yes Sensei.”
“Hey! How’s that fair? Like she’ll be able to perform up to your standards on an empty stomach!” Naruto barked.
“You ramble on about fairness quite a lot, Naruto. It’s surprising since I’m sure you’re well acquainted with how unfair the world is.” Naruto felt dread settle into the base of his stomach. His teammates looked at him, their brows quirked. Kakashi turned back to the stone. “Every mission Shinobi risk their lives. The many names engraved here are of heros who died in action. The names of my friends are also engraved here.” He dipped his head slightly. “In any case, if either of you give her food, I’ll send all of you back to the academy.”
Naruto snapped his mouth shut and ground his teeth harshly. The three of them sat in front of some wooden pillars and Kakashi handed the two boys their boxes.
“Now, I’ll be right back, I need to go grab my lunch. Don’t break the rule while I’m gone. I’ll know.”
Their Sensei flickered out of view and they all stared at where he was standing. This whole situation just left a sour taste in his mouth. Sakura didn’t even get a chance to show off her potential, or rather their Sensei didn’t want to see it. It made his blood boil. Not to mention his snide comment earlier. Naruto held his breath as he delved deep into his senses, waiting for any sign that Kakashi was still lingering nearby. After a few minutes, he was satisfied and he sent one last cursory look around. Then he quickly plunged his chopsticks into his box and held out some food towards Sakura.
“Here-“ Both Naruto and Sasuke said in union. They stared at each other wide eyed. Their actions were a mirror of each other. It was only when Sakura spoke that they snapped out of it.
“What are you two doing? We’ll be in trouble if he catches us like this.” She nervously glanced around.
Naruto huffed indignantly. “He’s not here, take it quick!”
“He was right. If we have any chance of winning it’d be together. We need all of us to be ready.” Sasuke added solemnly.
Sakura blinked, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Thanks- Thank you.” She stuttered.
She took the food gratefully and stuffed it into her mouth, readily accepting more from her teammates. Suddenly the sky darkened and they jolted. Their Sensei reappeared in a cloak of rolling mist, wind lashed across their skin as he belted.
“What do you think you’re doing!?”
The three of them stood defiantly against the gale. “You’re the one who said we have to work together! We need Sakura!” Naruto yelled.
“Three man squad, isn’t that right?” Sasuke joined in.
“You…” Kakashi began, his tone low and threatening. “…pass!”
Silence.
“You pass!” Their Sensei repeated.
“Eeeeeh!?” Sakura screeched. “But- but we broke the rule!”
Kakashi smiled. “In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, that's true, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum.”