Naruto: Raizen

The morning sun casts long shadows across the training ground, the soft rustling of leaves the only sound filling the silence. Naruto paces impatiently, arms crossed, his stomach grumbling loud enough to startle a few nearby birds. Sasuke, as usual, stands with his back against a tree, arms folded, eyes shut like he has better things to do.

Both of them have been waiting.

And waiting.

And waiting.

Then—finally—

"Hey guys, good morning!"

Naruto's head snaps up at the familiar voice. Kakashi Hatake strolls into the clearing, waving lazily as if he hadn't just kept them waiting for what felt like forever. Walking beside him, hands in his pockets, is Raizen, looking just as unconcerned.

Something inside Naruto snaps.

"You two are late!!" he shouts, his voice carrying across the entire training ground.

Kakashi tilts his head slightly as if considering the accusation. "Hmm... yeah. I guess we are."

Raizen, completely unfazed, jerks his chin toward Kakashi. "Blame him." Then, without warning, he casually lifts his foot and kicks Kakashi's leg.

Kakashi flinches slightly. "Ow…" He looks down at Raizen like a disappointed parent, but Raizen just shrugs.

"That's what you get."

Kakashi sighs, shaking his head as he walks over to the three wooden logs in the center of the training field. With one hand, he places a small clock on top of one and clicks a button.

"Okay," he says, "it's set for noon."

The three students exchanged confused glances.

"Why noon?" Naruto asks, scratching the side of his head.

Kakashi doesn't answer right away. Instead, he reaches into his vest and pulls out two small silver bells. He dangles them by their strings, letting them jingle softly in the quiet morning air.

"Here are two bells; your task is to take these from me before the time's up. Those who don't have a bell by noon... gets no lunch I'll not only tie you to one of those stumps, but I'll also eat right in front of you."

So that's why he told us not to eat. Raizen thinks to himself.

"You only have to get one bell; there are only two, so one of you will definitely be tied to the stump. And the person who doesn't take a bell fails, so at least one of you will be sent to the academy." Kakashi continues making Raizen, Sasuke, and Naruto freeze in their tracks.

"If you want, you can use shurikens and Kunais or any kind of ability you have. You won't succeed unless you come at me intending to kill."

"You're so slow you can't even dodge a blackboard erasure!! We'll definitely kill you!" Naruto laughs, resting his hands on top of his head.

"In the real world, those with no talent often bark the loudest. Well, ignore Mr. dead last and start when I say." Kakashi says.

Raizen laughs as he hears his dad making fun of Naruto, who graduated last place.

Naruto angrily takes out a kunai, and just as he throws it, Kakashi appears out of nowhere right behind him. he grabs the weapon and brings Naruto's hand behind his head.

"Calm down... I haven't said start yet."

Raizen could read the expressions on both Sasuke's and Naruto's faces, making him smirk.

"Well, it seems you're finally prepared to come at me with the intent to kill. So you've acknowledged me? Hehehe, it seems like... I'm beginning to... like you guys. Ok, let's get going, ready..." Kakashi smiles.

"Begin!" 

With that, all four of them spread out across the vast land they were on.

__

"The most important thing for a shinobi to be able to hide yourself," Kakashi says as he walks around looking for the three.

They're all hidden very well. Nice...

Just as he thinks this.

"Come here!! And fight me!!" Naruto yells, standing right in the open.

"I said fight me!" 

"Uhmm... you're a little bit off," Kakashi says.

What an Idiot. Raizen and Sasuke, who were right next to each other, think.

"The only thing that's a bit off is your haircut!" Naruto yells.

Without hesitation, Naruto launches forward. "I'm coming for those bells, Kakashi-sensei!"

But—

Flip!

Kakashi, in response, pulls out a small orange book and flips it open.

Naruto skids to a stop mid-charge. "Wha—You're reading?! I'm attacking you, and you're just gonna read?!"

"What's wrong? Hurry up and attack me," Kakashi hums, flipping a page as if Naruto wasn't even there. "I just want to know what happens next. But don't worry, it won't make a difference against you guys."

Veins pop in Naruto's forehead. "I'll totally kick your ass!!!!"

With a furious roar, he lunges forward, throwing a punch straight at Kakashi's face. But at the last second, Kakashi moves. Not in a rush—just a slight, effortless sidestep. Naruto's fist whiffs through empty air.

"A shinobi isn't supposed to get caught from behind idiot."

"Huh?" Naruto voices.

Then, in one quick motion, Kakashi forms a hand sign.

"No way... is that the fire seal?? He is actually serious about this..." Sasuke whispers, watching.

Raizen just watches in silence.

"Hidden Leaf Secret Technique—"

Naruto barely has time to blink before he feels two fingers jab him directly in the backside.

"ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF PAIN!"

A sound not meant for human ears rips from Naruto's throat. His entire body rockets into the sky, arms flailing helplessly as he is launched high above the training field.

Sasuke and Raizen both freeze.

Then—

"Pfft—"

Raizen claps a hand over his mouth, trying so hard not to laugh.

Sasuke, watching Naruto disappear into the sky, lets out the smallest scoff of amusement. "Two total idiots..."

Naruto crashes into the river with a loud splash!

Silence.

Then—

"THAT HURT!!!"

Raizen loses it. He bends over, laughing so hard that his stomach aches. "That was—so unnecessary!"

Sasuke smirks. "Pathetic."

Kakashi, still reading his book, hums. "Pain builds character."

Naruto, soaking wet, drags himself out of the water, shivering with fury.

"I'll show you pain!"

In a rage, he hurls a handful of shuriken at Kakashi.

Kakashi, without even looking up from his book, tilts his head slightly, letting each shuriken zip past him harmlessly.

Naruto grits his teeth. Fine!

He dashes forward, forming a hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Fifty more Narutos appear beside him, and all of them rush at Kakashi from different angles.

But—

Puff!

Kakashi disappears in a cloud of smoke.

Naruto skids to a stop. "Huh?! Where'd he—"

One of the clones suddenly punches another in the face.

"OW! What the hell?!"

"Wait—I didn't hit you!"

The clones begin to hit one another, forgetting their entire goal.

"You're Kakashi Sensei, aren't you?! You used Henge no Jutsu to transform!" One clone yells.

"It's you!"

No, it's you!!"

"It's not me, idiot!!"

"You have Kakashi's old man smell!!"

"What are you talking about?"

All the clones look beat up with many bruises on their face, beginning to get tired, and they start to think rationally.

"Hey, you know... why don't you release the Jutsu?"

"Then there will on be two left."

"You should have thought of that earlier idiot!"

"I'm you, moron!!"

POOF

Naruto gets rid of his clones, leaving only him in the area. 

Kakashi nowhere to be found.

Naruto's face burns red.

But then, something catches his eye.

A bell.

It was lying on the ground, glinting in the sunlight.

His heart pounds. No way… did Kakashi drop it?

Without thinking, he lunges for it. "YES! This is mine!"

SNAP!

Suddenly, the ground disappears from under him.

A rope tightens around his ankle, yanking him upward.

"WHAA—?!"

Within seconds, Naruto finds himself hanging upside down from a tree, completely trapped.

From below, Kakashi lets out a soft chuckle. "You fell for the oldest trick in the book."

Naruto thrashed. "What the hell is this?!! HEY! LET ME DOWN!"

Kakashi simply turns back to his book.

"Maybe later," he crouches down, grabbing the bell.

"Ah!"

"Think before using a Jutsu, or it could be used against you. And also... don't fall for such obvious traps, idiot." He says as he tosses the bell in the air for a bit.

"Chikuso!!!!" Naruto yells.

"A shinobi must be able to see what's underneath the under." Kakashi continues.

"I know that!!"

"Uhm... I'm telling you this because you don't know..."