Disclaimer:
Dialogue
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 12: The Bell Test Part 2
Sasuke and Sakura hurried to jump out of view and hid in the nearby trees.
Naruto remained in the clearing, considering his options.
Kakashi glanced at him with curiosity. "Aren't you going to hide? You should not waste time."
Naruto raised an eyebrow at his strange comment. "Wouldn't hiding be wasting my time also? I mean… you are not going to attack us, so we are not in danger. And due to the difference in strength and speed, pulling a sneak attack on a Jonin would be an impossible task. So, just a waste of time."
"And what is going to be your strategy? A direct attack?" This would be more in line with what Kakashi would expect from the old Naruto. But he wasn't so sure now.
'I can barely recognize this boy.' He thought for a second. Not that he ever put much effort into getting to know his mentor's son… something that he now regretted.
"That would also be a wasted effort. I'm just waiting."
Naruto's answer was not what Kakashi was expecting at all.
But before he could ask what he was waiting for, Sasuke decided to launch his attack.
A series of well-aimed shuriken flew towards his head.
Kakashi used a single hand to pick them up from the air and then spotted the boy while he was jumping down from the tree.
Sasuke threw three kunai as soon as his feet touched the ground. Without even checking if they connected, he started to move as fast as he could.
He stopped a short distance away and moved his hands at lightning speed, forming six hand signs before releasing his attack.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A large blast of fire came out of Sasuke's mouth and was aimed directly at Kakashi.
'Does he really think this is going to hit?' Naruto wondered as he watched the other boy fighting.
The jutsu was impressively powerful but also slow. And more so against someone like Kakashi who they had already seen moving at incredible speed.
Naruto thought that Sasuke was perhaps using this to cover his next move but after launching the attack, Sasuke stood in place, searching for the missing Sensei.
When the smoke from the fire explosion cleared up, he was nowhere to be seen.
"Where did he go?!" He moved his eyes around.
"Beneath you." Naruto tried to warn him when he saw the dirt move but it was too late.
"Huh?" Sasuke looked down just as a pair of hands emerged from the ground and grabbed his feet before pulling him down and burying his body until only his head could be seen.
Naruto watched with interest. He had never seen moves such as these in his previous life.
'How fascinating… a great tool for capturing someone alive.' As long as the target was not strong enough to break free by himself.
Kakashi came out from the ground and proceeded to stare down at Sasuke.
"Let me go!" Sasuke screamed with rage.
"You should pay more attention to your surroundings. You never know where the next attack is coming from." Kakashi said before disappearing.
Naruto decided to approach the other boy. He may be more receptive to cooperation after having lost.
Sasuke glanced at him with angry eyes. His usual impassive and calm demeanor was gone.
"You coward! Aren't you even going to try?!"
"It is not cowardly to avoid confronting a much stronger opponent. I'm curious though… did you really think you could win?" Naruto asked instead.
"Shut up! You wouldn't understand. I am an Uchiha, an elite! I must keep fighting to be the best." Sasuke exclaimed.
"If you do that against a real enemy, you will end up dead or captured. But let's leave that for now. We first need to pass this test or we will go nowhere. I think I know how to pass it but we need to cooperate."
"Cooperate with you? You were the dead last in the academy! You would only hold me down." Sasuke said with a frown.
Naruto chuckled. "You don't need me for that."
His teammate was about to yell something rude at him when they both heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from the nearby forest.
"Looks like the girl has been defeated too."
Sasuke's demeanor seemed to change at that moment. "Who are you?"
Naruto glanced back at him.
'What did I say to make him change his attitude so much?...'
"Why are you asking that now?"
"I thought you were acting strange since yesterday. I considered that you may have been trying to fool us, but… the Naruto I had known for six years would never call Sakura, 'the girl' in such a cold way after hearing her scream in pain… he was obsessed with her. So who are you? A spy or something?"
"If I was, I would be a terrible one, and… you would be dead." Naruto pointed down to remind Sasuke of his current condition.
Sasuke got nervous and swallowed his saliva. He had not thought that far.
"Relax… I am no spy. I truly am Naruto. There is a reason for my change of demeanor… but we have no time for explanations. Would you at least listen to my plan?"
Sasuke knew he had little choice in the matter. Staying in the hole would mean that he failed.
"Get me out of here and I will listen to what you have to say."
"Good! Now, let's see…" Naruto walked behind him and buried his hand in the dirt until he could get a good grip on Sasuke's shoulders. "This may hurt a bit."
"Wait, what are y—... argh!"
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