Team #7's Training Ground.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique! - Forming the necessary hand seals, Sasuke unleashed his clan's signature ninjutsu at Kakashi-sensei.
However, our instructor easily dodged the incoming ball of fire, suddenly leaping to the right. He then pulled several shuriken from his pouch and threw them at Sasuke. My teammate had little trouble blocking them with his Sharingan and kunai.
While Kakashi-sensei was still in the air, Sakura-chan threw two kunai at him, hoping to catch him off guard. The moment they struck, a small cloud of smoke appeared, and instead of our instructor, we saw a log of wood with Sakura's two kunai embedded in it.
It was the Substitution Technique!
Not knowing where Kakashi-sensei had hidden himself, we decided to stay together and remain on guard. Standing back-to-back, we tried to determine our instructor's location, but finding a shinobi of jonin level was proving to be quite the challenge...
This is so damn tense... I wonder why Kakashi-sensei decided to have a training battle with us in the first place? And he did it the day after our conversation, too. Considering the timing, my only guess is that Kakashi wants to assess our abilities and determine whether we're ready for the Chunin Exams. Though... I don't remember him doing anything like this in the original events...
I began thinking it over while doing my best not to lose focus.
- Watch out! - Sasuke shouted, warning us of an incoming attack.
- Earth Style: Mud Wall! - Seeing dozens of kunai and shuriken flying in our direction, I stepped in front of the team and formed the necessary hand seals: Tiger; Hare; Boar; Dog. A wall of earth rose before us, blocking the incoming attack.
= He's underground, meow! - A playful voice came from behind us, warning us of the approaching danger.
It was Nindzeko - a ninja cat - whom Sasuke had summoned. A gray cat with bright green eyes, dressed in a traditional blue kimono. The mesh armor underneath his clothes hinted that there was a real shinobi hiding behind that adorable appearance.
My teammate had formed a contract with them almost immediately after Kakashi-sensei allowed me to sign a contract with his ninja hounds. Apparently, Sasuke had decided to compete with me in this area as well. Since the Uchiha clan had strong ties with the Nindzeko, it wasn't surprising that Sasuke had somehow gotten his hands on a scroll from his clan's district and formed a contract with them.
- Earth Style: Earth Wave! - Forming the necessary seals, I sent a surge of chakra into the ground beneath our feet.
The earth beneath the training ground began to tremble. At first, it was barely noticeable, like a faint vibration beneath our soles. Then it grew stronger. The ground literally bulged upward, rolling in waves like the surface of water before moving toward the spot where Nindzeko had detected our instructor.
Come on... show yourself! - I watched the battlefield intently.
- Hm... - And there he was. Kakashi-sensei suddenly burst out from underground, leaping into the air to avoid the advancing wave of dirt and stone. For a fraction of a second, he hung suspended in midair.
That was exactly the moment Sasuke and I had been waiting for! Finally, our opponent was completely exposed.
- Now! - I called to my teammate.
There was no need for further explanation. Sasuke immediately activated his Sharingan. His crimson eyes flashed, and in the next second, I felt him practically reading my movements, adjusting his hand seals to match my pace.
It was a strange sensation. Almost as if we were breathing in unison. Sasuke began forming his seals at exactly the right moments - neither too early nor too late: Snake; Ram; Monkey; Boar; Horse; Tiger.
I moved simultaneously with him: Bird; Dragon; Hare; Bird.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!
Fire and Wind Style: Great Flame Tornado!
Sasuke's fireball shot forward, and at that exact moment, my stream of wind struck it from behind. My technique didn't merely strengthen the flames. It literally merged with Sasuke's fire, transforming it into something entirely different. The fireball expanded, stretched out, and became a roaring vortex of flame that raced forward at incredible speed.
Holy shit... - I couldn't help but feel a little impressed.
After all, practicing jutsu during training was one thing. Actually using it in combat was something completely different - even if this was only a training battle! Soon, I felt the heat striking my face even from our distance. Sakura-chan instinctively raised an arm to shield her face.
Unfortunately, our plan failed. Kakashi reacted instantly to our attack. Instead of dodging, Sensei simply retreated toward the river, his hands already forming seals. It was insanely fast. Even without the Sharingan, he could weave hand seals far faster than we could!
Snake; Dragon; Hare; Bird; Monkey; Horse; Ox... How many of these are there?! - I didn't even have time to finish counting Kakashi's sequence of hand seals.
Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet! - As soon as he completed the seals, the river behind him rose into the air. A massive torrent of water crashed toward our attack.
The fiery vortex slammed into the wall of water, and in the next second, a huge cloud of steam exploded across the training ground. In other words, we were completely engulfed from head to toe in thick, impenetrable steam.
- Kha! - I coughed, rubbing my eyes.
- Kyaa! - Suddenly, I heard Sakura-chan scream.
Apparently, Kakashi-sensei had decided not to give us a chance to recover. He had targeted the weakest member of our team, expecting us to panic and make reckless decisions.
He retreated under our combined attack, formed the seals for a Water Style technique — without the Sharingan, while under pressure from us — and successfully countered our attack. Then he used the steam to drastically reduce our field of vision and chose Sakura-chan as his first target, hoping to bait Sasuke and me into making a mistake... So this is the level of an elite jonin... - I began analyzing everything that had happened as the battle continued.
Wind Style: Great Breakthrough! - I decided to get us out of this unpleasant situation quickly, dispersing the steam with a powerful blast of wind.
- ...! - However, Kakashi-sensei caught me at the worst possible moment.
Several shuriken were flying toward me, and I had only just finished using my technique. There was no way I could dodge in time.
= Clat!Clat!Clat! - Fortunately, Sasuke came to my rescue just in time, knocking the incoming shuriken away with his own.
-Thanks, Sasuke. - I thanked him.
- Don't get distracted. - he replied coldly, continuing to stare at our instructor with his crimson eyes.
Kakashi-sensei stood there with an unfazed expression, watching us closely as he prepared for our next move.
- Sakura-chan! - I shouted when I noticed that only her head was sticking out of the ground.
Her eyes were wide with terror. It was Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu! Kakashi had literally buried her up to the neck. And judging by the terrified expression on our teammate's face, she was under the effects of genjutsu.
- Tch... - Sasuke clicked his tongue, his Sharingan still active.
He nodded toward me. We both knew what we had to do without saying a word. We charged forward at the same time. I immediately created six shadow clones. Two covered my flanks while the others charged alongside me. Sasuke disappeared in a Shunshin and reappeared beside Kakashi, aiming a kunai at his blind spot.
Our instructor blocked the attack with his elbow, spun around, and kicked one of my clones away. The close-quarters battle became brutal. I charged straight at him, using my clones as shields and additional offensive power. One clone tried to grab Kakashi's arm. Another attempted to get behind him while I attacked from the front.
Sasuke, meanwhile, worked with precision, covering me. Using Shunshin. Taking a brief exchange of blows. After, another Shunshin to retreat! Every now and then, a thin steel wire flashed between us as the Uchiha attempted to restrict our instructor's movements. But Kakashi-sensei successfully countered every one of our combined attacks.
He moved calmly, almost lazily, yet every block and every strike was precise. He dispelled clones with a single movement, avoided Sasuke's wires at the very last moment, and constantly forced us into awkward positions. Several times, his fist passed so close to my head that I could actually feel the air moving.
If it weren't for the Uchiha's assistance, I would've been lying on the ground a long time ago... Minutes of tense fighting dragged on like an eternity. We were both breathing heavily now. Sweat stung my eyes.
My clones were disappearing one after another, but I continued creating new ones. Sasuke was running out of steam as well. The Sharingan devoured chakra, and constantly using Shunshin wasn't free either.
Yet our instructor looked exhausted too. I had no idea whether that was just a bluff on his part, but I knew one thing...
I wasn't going to give up!
My teammate clearly felt the same way. Gathering what little strength we had left, we charged into battle once more! At one point, Sasuke suddenly yanked his wires, forcing Kakashi to shift his weight for a fraction of a second.
I took advantage of the opening. I created four clones directly in front of me, and together, we charged him head-on. Kakashi managed to disperse two of them, but the other two grabbed him by the arms. At the same instant, Sasuke appeared behind him and swept his leg out from under him. Our instructor dropped to one knee.
I didn't give him a chance to get back up. A short knee strike to the torso and Kakashi finally crashed onto his back. We stood over him, breathing heavily. Our hands were trembling.
- We... won? - I rasped.
Sasuke silently deactivated his Sharingan. Large beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead.
I quickly ran over to Sakura and began digging her out with my bare hands. A minute later, she was sitting on the ground, exhausted and completely worn out. Judging by her condition, Kakashi-sensei had used an extremely powerful genjutsu on her.
- Are... are you both okay? - she asked us weakly.
- I think so. - I replied, still unable to believe what had just happened. - We beat him!
However, my celebration didn't last long. At that exact moment, Kakashi's body, lying on the ground, suddenly disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.
- ...What? - the three of us exclaimed simultaneously.
- Not bad. You even managed to defeat my shadow clone. - We heard our instructor's calm voice from above.
We immediately looked up. The real Kakashi-sensei was sitting on a thick tree branch several dozen meters away from us. In one hand, he was holding Sasuke's ninja-cat. The gray cat hung there limply, its ears pressed flat against its head and its tail tucked between its legs.
- I'm sorry... meow. - the cat whimpered pitifully. - I got caught... meow.
- Don't be sad. You did quite well too. - Kakashi addressed him, lazily closing his visible eye as if smiling.
Sasuke silently clenched his fists. I just stood there, breathing heavily and staring at our real instructor. For most of the battle... we'd been fighting nothing more than his clone. The realization hit hard. We had given it everything we had. Sweat. Trembling hands. Heavy breathing. And all of that had been against a Shadow Clone. And even that hadn't been enough to defeat the real Kakashi-sensei. It was frightening to imagine how difficult it would have been to fight him if he'd actually used his Sharingan!
Our instructor jumped down from the branch, still holding Nindzeko. Once he landed, he decided to let him go.
The cat immediately broke free and scampered over to Sasuke, hiding behind his leg.
- As I said before, you did much better than I expected. This is especially true for the two of you. Besides your individual progress, you've demonstrated something far more significant. Naruto, Sasuke - you've achieved almost perfect synergy. You can feel each other's movements. Naruto applies pressure through numbers and endurance, while Sasuke reads the battle and controls the battlefield. Together, you're no longer fighting as two separate genin. You're functioning as a single unit. Smart, aggressive, and incredibly well-coordinated. - He addressed the two of us.
Sasuke straightened slightly after hearing our instructor's praise.
What a tsundere. - I thought it, but wisely decided not to say it out loud.
As for me, I simply nodded at Sensei while continuing to catch my breath. Even though Sasuke and I had managed to make some noticeable progress, we were still vulnerable targets in a world full of monsters...
Having finished with us, Kakashi turned his attention toward Sakura.
- Sakura, I can see your progress. - Kakashi-sensei addressed her in a calm but serious tone. - Your chakra control, reaction speed, determination - all of it has improved considerably. But right now, you're still the weakest point of the team. Any experienced enemy will target the weakest link first in order to break your morale. I didn't do this to hurt you. I wanted you to understand what you need to work on next. Don't stop.
Sakura lowered her gaze for a moment. I noticed her shoulders tremble, but a second later she looked back at our instructor. There was no childish resentment in her eyes anymore. No sign that she was about to cry. Only tightly pressed lips and a quiet, stubborn determination. She silently nodded.
I wanted to ask Sensei how he evaluated our overall strength after today's battle, but Sasuke beat me to it.
- What is our actual level of strength? - he asked curtly, looking directly at Kakashi.
Our instructor paused, as if carefully weighing every word before answering.
- If we're talking about the two of you... As a pair, you're already operating at the level of a well-coordinated duo of experienced chunin. With the right tactics, you could give even a special jonin serious trouble. You might even be able to defeat one. But individually - not yet. Still, your dynamic is impressive. - He fell silent, giving us time to process his answer.
Then, suddenly, a loud bark and the patter of short paws came from the bushes. The grass rustled, and a stocky golden Rottweiler puppy burst onto the clearing. He had thick fur of a beautiful golden shade and the recognizable dark markings across his muzzle. This little bundle of endless energy immediately trotted over to me, planted his front paws against my shin, raised his head, and happily announced:
- Naruto! Food... eat! - A thin, childishly cheerful human voice came directly from his mouth.
Meet Lucky. My new teammate and summoning dog - just like Pakkun and the rest of Kakashi's ninken. Although the contract allowed me to summon Kakashi's dogs whenever necessary, Sensei had immediately insisted that I start raising my own pack. According to him, that was the only way to build a truly strong bond and learn how to effectively work with them in battle. And that's how I ended up with this energetic puppy.
- Ugh, I fed you only a few hours ago... - I said tiredly, but still pulled some treats from my pocket and gave him one.
- Thank.... you! - he chirped energetically before immediately starting his meal.
- ... - Kakashi-sensei simply watched us with a smile.
- He's so cute! - Sakura-chan said, crouching beside him and gently stroking my furry companion.
- ... - Sasuke stood silently, watching us from the side without any particular expression.
- ... - However, apparently his cat demanded some attention too, and the grumpy Uchiha was forced to pet his own Nindzeko.
- Well, I think that's enough for today. - Kakashi-sensei looked at us and stretched slightly. - By the way, the Chunin Exams will begin soon, and you'll be participating in them.
- The Chunin Exams? - Sakura-chan repeated.
- Exactly. This year, they'll be held here in Konoha, so teams of shinobi from other villages will be arriving. There will undoubtedly be some fairly strong opponents among them, which is why I wanted to personally check how prepared you are for this challenge. - our instructor calmly explained.
- So that's why you decided to have this battle? - Sasuke asked.
- Among other reasons. I wanted to see how you fight not individually, but as a team. And I have to admit, the result impressed me. All three of you have very good chances of becoming chunin. Especially if you continue working together. - Kakashi-sensei stated.
- Really? So we're actually ready? - Sakura-chan visibly brightened at those words.
- I wouldn't say the exam will be easy. But you're definitely ready for it. - Kakashi replied. - The important thing is not to overestimate yourselves, and don't forget that shinobi from other villages will be participating as well.
- Understood. - Sasuke answered shortly.
- Well then, that's all. You can rest today. And no additional training this evening. That applies especially to you, Naruto. - our instructor warned us.
After saying that, Kakashi-sensei turned around and casually walked away. A few seconds later, his figure disappeared among the trees. The three of us were left behind. Or rather, five of us, if you counted Lucky and Sasuke's Nindzeko.
- Well... - Sakura-chan was the first to speak. - Looks like we really are pretty well prepared for the exam.
- ... - Sasuke silently looked at her.
He didn't say anything, but his thoughts were pretty obvious. He was probably thinking something along the lines of: You're still weak. Or perhaps: Try harder next time.
Fortunately, he didn't say any of it out loud. As for me, while my teammates discussed the news, I became deeply lost in thought.
The Chunin Exams... So we'll be meeting him very soon!
My plan involving Reverse Summoning had failed. The problem wasn't that I couldn't master the technique. The problem was that I couldn't take Sakura and Sasuke with me, because neither of them had signed a contract. I'd tried several times, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't use Reverse Summoning while taking someone else with me...
In the end, we said our goodbyes and soon went our separate ways. Sasuke headed toward the Uchiha district together with his Nindzeko, while Sakura walked beside me for a little while, discussing the upcoming exam. That didn't last long, though, and soon she turned onto her own street. I continued walking with Lucky.
The puppy ran around beside me, sometimes rushing ahead, sometimes coming back. He was constantly sniffing something, stopping near trees and poles, and occasionally just running circles around me while trying to catch his own tail.
I think he has more energy than I do... - I thought with mild exhaustion as I watched his latest attempt to figure out what was wrong with his tail.
I really needed to start working seriously on his training. After all, Lucky was already becoming quite independent, and he would only grow from here. The problem was that I had absolutely no idea how to properly train a ninken.
Normal dog training probably won't work here. They're intelligent, they can talk, use chakra, and fight. I wonder if Kakashi trained Pakkun and the others more or less like ordinary dogs, or if they have their own system? - I looked at Lucky, who had become interested in some leaf and was now sniffing it intensely.
Although I can at least start with some basic commands... - I was just about to call out to him when I noticed a familiar trio up ahead.
Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon were walking down the street, apparently discussing something among themselves. The moment they noticed me, they immediately exchanged glances. Konohamaru then began explaining something to his friends.
Judging by the looks of them, they were planning to try catching me off guard again. I already had a pretty good idea how this would end, so I didn't even bother pretending I hadn't noticed them. However, the trio's plans unexpectedly changed. Lucky noticed the children and raised his head with interest. The kids, in turn, immediately forgot about me and practically sprinted toward the puppy.
A few seconds later, all three children were standing around Lucky. Konohamaru was the first to crouch beside him. Moegi began petting him on the head, while Udon cautiously touched one of his ears. Lucky didn't object to the attention at all. Quite the opposite, judging by his wagging tail, he seemed to enjoy it.
I couldn't help but grin as I watched the scene. Konohamaru soon began asking me about Lucky, and I briefly explained that he was my ninken and that I'd recently started training him. Naturally, after hearing that, Konohamaru immediately became interested in forming a contract with the ninken - or getting a summoning of his own.
I simply shook my head with smile. Judging by his enthusiasm, he was already imagining another battle companion that he could take with him to training. The conversation gradually shifted to the upcoming exam.
As expected, Konohamaru became extremely interested in the fact that I and the other genin would actually be participating. Before long, I had to remind him that he was still too young for something like that. Naturally, he wasn't happy about it. Still, he didn't argue for long. He declared that he would definitely grow up and become stronger. Even stronger than me.
After a while, we said our goodbyes, and the trio finally continued on their way. Lucky watched them leave, then ran back alongside me.
At least his socialization is already going pretty well... - I thought as I continued walking.
For a while, we simply wandered through the village. After such an intense training session with Kakashi-sensei, a peaceful walk was actually starting to feel pretty nice.
However, before long, I noticed two unfamiliar shinobi up ahead. Or rather, they were only unfamiliar to me in person. I recognized them immediately by their appearance.
The trio from the Hidden Sand. A blonde girl with her hair tied into four ponytails was walking in front. A massive fan was strapped to her back, large enough that it was impossible to miss. Beside her walked a boy dressed in a purple outfit, his face partially covered by a strange hood. A huge bundle was strapped to his back, clearly concealing his primary weapon. Temari and Kankuro. I couldn't see Gaara, but I immediately assumed he was somewhere nearby, concealing his presence.
So they've already arrived... - I couldn't help staring at them for a little longer than I intended.
Kankuro noticed first and stopped. He turned his head toward me and gave me an irritated look, clearly trying to figure out why I was staring at him so intently.
- Seriously? Is he trying to look cool in that bat pajamas of his? - I barely managed to suppress a grin.
- What did you say, you little bastard?! - Kankuro shouted at me indignantly.
- Did I actually say that out loud? - I had no idea how that happened, but apparently I'd somehow managed to get myself into trouble...