The First Elemental

Adrik looked out at the small clearing contentedly. He sat in the highest branch while waiting for the sun to come up. He managed to get four hours of sleep the previous night, a new record for him. The moment he woke up he wanted to get back to training, which had yielded more than enough success. Now, he could walk up the entire tree and back down without missing a step at least once, though he still took it slow.

Adrik rested his eyes for a moment. He reopened them when he felt something strange. It was a familiar signal that stood in place not too far away. He stood up before hopping down to the ground, landing almost completely silently, then headed off towards the signal.

X

Adrik's pace slowed from a light jog to a walk as he came across another, smaller clearing. In the middle of the clearing, a jonin with spikey, grey-ish silver hair stood in front of a strange stone. Getting closer, he saw the stone had what seemed to be names carved into it. The jonin, who he recognized as Kakashi, spoke as he approached.

"You're pretty tough to detect. If it wasn't for your footsteps, you would've given me quite a scare."

Kakashi chuckled lightly, though he hadn't looked away from the stone once. He didn't even have his book out, which Adrik had almost never seen him without. He stopped next to the man and matched his gaze towards the stone. The jonin and the genin stood there in silence for what seemed like hours, though the sun still hadn't come up.

"It's called the Memorial Stone. It's meant to commemorate all of those who lost their lives for the safety and prosperity of the Hidden Leaf Village..."

Adrik nodded as he read all of the various names on the stone. Kakashi continued after sighing deeply.

"Sometimes I'm unable to sleep, so I come here. It's a little morbid, but reading all the names sort of... calms me, I guess..."

Adrik looked up at the jonin.

"How many people did you know with their names on here?"

Kakashi glanced at the teen before looking back down at the stone.

"I never really go through the trouble of counting..."

Adrik nodded and looked back down at the stone. The silence continued for a while longer.

Adrik looked around as he hadn't noticed the sun had started coming up.

"You should start getting ready for the day."

Adrik turned and nodded towards Kakashi, who was still staring down at the stone.

"You already know Naruto's signal, I bet, so just go with him to the training grounds later. I might be a little late."

Adrik turned and began running back to his apartment, waving over his shoulder as he left the clearing. Kakashi waved back with a small grin that was hidden by his mask.

X

"But yeah, this is our trainin' grounds! It ain't too much, but it's nice. Over there's the post I got tied to after our test. I still need to get back at Kakashi Sensei for that some time!"

Adrik looked around the training grounds to see it was mostly the same as Team Ten's training grounds. The only difference was the additions of a black haired teen trying to ignore his pink haired teammate.

"Hey, guys! I brought Adrik with me! He's on our team today."

Adrik nodded as the two teens looked over at him and Naruto.

"Oh. Cool."

The pink haired girl made her one comment before going back to staring at the black haired teen, utterly infatuated with his presence. Said black haired teen only gave him a glance before going back to staring at nothing in particular. Naruto put his hand on his forehead as he sighed.

"The one with pink hair is Sakura, and the guy she's obsessin' over is Sasuke. I... don't really get along with 'em too well."

"I can see that."

Adrik and Naruto sat down next to the other two who still hadn't given them much attention.

"Ah, right. Ya' might wanna get comfy. Kakashi Sensei's usually a couple hours late at best."

Adrik raised an eyebrow in confusion, Making Naruto question him.

"What?"

He shrugged as he responded to Naruto.

"His signal hasn't moved since this morning."

Now, Naruto was just as confused as he was. While Adrik wasn't much of a talking type, he and Naruto had a few conversations if they saw each other. Naruto had already been informed of the teen's ability to sense 'signals' and was now wondering what his sensei was doing.

Adrik got up and began walking in the direction of Kakashi's signal, Naruto following close behind.

"Hey, idiot! Where are you taking the new guy?!"

Naruto looked back across the clearing as he answered Sakura.

"We're gonna go get Kakashi Sensei!... I think!"

Sakura stared at the two in confusion before shaking her head and going back to staring at Sasuke. She stood up when she saw the teen had started walking after Naruto and Adrik wordlessly.

"H-Hey, Sasuke! Wait up!"

X

"Hm? Hey, Kakashi Sensei! What're you doin' over here?"

Kakashi looked up from the Memorial Stone and sighed as he saw his three students alongside Adrik. He looked back down at the stone and shrugged as the four teens approached.

"Well, I guess I've been here for a while already."

Kakashi turned to address the four genin.

"Sorry, you guys. I guess I was a little caught up in my own world. What brings you out here?"

Kakashi gave a smile with his eyes as he spoke.

"Adrik said your signal hasn't moved since this mornin', so we came to see what was goin' on."

Kakashi nodded.

"Yeah, I've been here since before the sun rose up. Is it already time to start?"

The four genin nodded.

"Alright, let's get back to the training grounds then. There's something I want you all to do."

X

The four genin got to the clearing they were originally in and waited for Kakashi to speak. The jonin stopped and turned to them after they reached the center of the training grounds.

"Now, I've heard a lot from Asuma and Kurenai, but I've been wanting to see everything for myself. What I want to start the day with is a team sparring match. It'll be you three versus Adrik."

Kakashi pointed to his three genin who grew confused while Adrik seemed somewhat nervous.

"Sensei, are you sure? Adrik is a genin, too, so won't this be a bit overkill?"

Kakashi shrugged at Sakura's questions.

"We'll see. And just to make it fair, I'm gonna allow the use of jutsu. Just remember that you're not fighting to kill. Just make the other person, or team, admit defeat. That, or I'll step in when I deem necessary."

Sasuke took his hands out of his pocket and walked a short distance away from Adrik.

"Let's just get this over with..."

Sakura and Naruto looked between each other with concern over the new genin before following behind Sasuke.

"Now, Adrik. I know I'm asking a lot from you, but I believe both you and my genin can learn from each other here. Don't be afraid to use your power, alright?"

Adrik nodded hesitantly and faced the three genin. Kakashi walked back to get out of the way. After getting to the edge of the clearing, he called out to the four genin.

"Are you all ready?"

He continued after receiving nods of affirmation from the genin.

"Begin!"

The three genin barely had time to process when Adrik rushed towards them. Sakura took a step back before Naruto ran forward to match Adrik. The blonde teen was immediately batted away by a kick to the chest.

Naruto landed on his feet and brought his hands up in a seal.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Four copies of Naruto appeared around the original, all sprinting towards Adrik at the same time. Adrik ducked low to avoid a kick from the first clone and delivered an elbow to the second, immediately making it disperse in a cloud of white smoke. He stepped back to avoid a punch from the third clone and jumped backwards when the fourth tried to hit him with the same elbow move the teen used on the clone moments prior.

Adrik was surprised when the original Naruto appeared behind him and landed a punch to his shoulder, making him stumble forward slightly. The teen looked around to see the four Narutos were approaching him from all sides at the same time. Adrik crouched and crossed his arms above his head to defend from the four axe kicks from the Narutos.

The teen struggled to hold his guard before pushing his arms up, sending them all back a short distance. One clone was popped by a knee to its jaw and the other two tried to hit Adrik's unguarded back.

One of the two remaining clones was popped by a jab to the stomach, only for the original to take its place. Now, Adrik was on the defensive, attempting to block strikes from both the left and the right, which he was somewhat failing at.

Adrik grit his teeth as one Naruto landed a gut punch. The other followed it up with a kicked to the head. Adrik stumbled slightly before popping the last clone in an unexpected spin kick to its side. The original Naruto quickly moved and grabbed Adrik's outstretched leg and threw him away.

Adrik landed in a crouch and his eyes narrowed slightly. Naruto jumped back and landed next to his two teammates panting lightly.

"Either of you wanna jump in and help me beat him?"

Sakura looked over at Sasuke.

"You really can't take this nobody down on your own? You're pathetic."

"Yeah! You're pathetic, Naruto!"

Naruto looked back at his teammates with slight frustration.

"Well I don't see you two doing anythin', so shut up!"

"Don't tell Sasuke to shut up, idiot! He could take this guy down no problem! He wouldn't even need a loser like you to help him!"

Naruto fully turned towards his two teammates and shouted.

"Look, I just need a little help, alright?! He's strong, so-"

Naruto was cut off when he saw Sakura fall to the ground unconscious after Adrik sent a kick to the back of her neck. Sasuke and Naruto jumped back in the same direction with their eyes growing a little wide.

"Dammit! He got Sakura! I told you he's strong!"

"Whatever. Just back me up."

Sasuke sprinted back towards Adrik who had just got done getting Sakura out of the way, sitting her against a tree at the edge of the clearing.

Adrik ducked to avoid a kick aimed at his head seemingly on pure instinct. He swung his arm into Sasuke's outstretched leg, sending the black haired teen off balance, before punching him square in the stomach.

Adrik breathed out as he watched Sasuke recover and land on his feet, once again standing next to Naruto. He took note of the black wisps of smoke rising from his body before getting back into a fighting stance.

"New plan. I'll use my Shadow Clones, and you try to hit him with a fireball. Sound good?"

Sasuke nodded begrudgingly and stood back as Naruto created another ten clones and rushed towards Adrik.

Adrik was ready, immediately popping two clones with a backhand swipe of his arm. He jumped over a punch but was forced to block another mid air. His eyes widened as he narrowly kicked another clone, popping it just in time to avoid being hit. Another clone grabbed him from below and pulled him down, slamming him onto the ground.

Adrik rolled to his right as a clone tried to land a stomp into his chest while he was flat on his back. He got to his feet and swung his fist towards one of the clones. It popped, creating yet another cloud of white smoke. Adrik's eyes narrowed when he felt the few remaining clones grab onto his arms and legs to hold him in place. He looked up and his eyes widened. Moments away from hitting him was a decently large fireball that burned brightly.

X

Kakashi's one visible eye widened when Adrik was hit by Sasuke's fireball. Naruto looked on at the smoke cloud created by the fireball and was joined by Sasuke as he landed on the ground.

"Oh, shit. W-We didn't kill him, did we?"

Sasuke glanced around in slight worry as he didn't actually think the fireball would've killed Adrik.

From across the clearing, Kakashi was about to run over to try and get Adrik to the hospital. He stopped as he realized the smoke hadn't cleared, even as the wind picked up a little. Instead, the smoke seemed to grow darker and embers blinked in and out of it. Kakashi sighed in relief as he could tell the fight wasn't over. His students, however, would have to learn that on their own.

Naruto stepped forward while trying to swat away the smoke, Sasuke doing much the same.

"What the hell did you put in that fireball, Sasuke?"

The black haired teen shrugged as they began wandering around in the dense smoke that they hadn't noticed had grown slightly in the area it shrouded.

Sasuke's eyes widened as a knee landed in his chest, launching him back just out of the reach of the smoke cloud. He was joined shortly after by Naruto when the blonde teen landed next to him on his back, groaning while cradling his stomach.

"Damnit, man... What the hell was that?"

The two got to their feet and their eyes slowly widened as the smoke receded into the form of Adrik. The teen was now staring them down with a clear look of anger and determination. Tiny wisps of black smoke rose from the corners of his mouth. His bandaged arms and legs were covered by thins layers of ash.

Sasuke and Naruto both readied themselves to fight. Adrik sprinted forward much faster than the two had seen him move earlier and backhanded Naruto away. Sasuke tried to block the kick aimed at his chest but was flung back, smacking against a tree before he could catch himself. His eyes widened as he ducked just in time to avoid a flying kick that completely knocked down the tree behind him.

Naruto ran up and threw a punch at Adrik before he could land, only for the teen to maneuver mid air and land on his arm, using it as a springboard to launch himself away. Adrik landed some distance away and slowly stood, watching as Sasuke and Naruto panted and recovered.

The two teens were about to get ready for another attack and were surprised when Adrik fell to his hands and knees, all traces of ash and smoked disappearing from his form. The teen gasped for air as he struggled to keep from falling flat onto the ground. Before Naruto and Sasuke could rush in to try and defeat him, Kakashi shouted.

"The match is over! Adrik isn't able to go on!"

Naruto and Sasuke looked over at Kakashi before sighing to themselves. They fell back and sat on the ground, panting heavily. They heard a groan come from the tree line.

"Ugh... What happened?"

They looked over to see Sakura walking towards them while rubbing the back of her neck.

"Oh hey... You're awake now... That's good... Well, Adrik... kinda beat our asses... But he... got tired..."

Sakura looked over to see Adrik struggling to get to his feet.

"So... You won?"

Naruto gave the girl a thumbs up with the biggest smile he could currently muster.

"Yay! I knew you would win for us, Sasuke!"

Sasuke looked up and rolled to the side to avoid receiving a hug from the loud girl.

"Hey, I did most of the work..."

"Shut up, Naruto!"

"Ow!"

Naruto rubbed his head as Sakura hit him, likely for being rejected once again by Sasuke.

X

"And let me guess. Tora mission. Went terribly."

Kakashi thought for a second before shrugging.

"Well, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

The Hokage leaned forward in his chair with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh? Do explain."

Kakashi looked up at the ceiling as he recalled the mission.

"Well, he seemed a little more responsive than I thought he'd be. He gets along with Naruto pretty well, too. I mean, it was obviously pretty bad, but it went better than it could have. My genin already struggle with teamwork as it is."

"Right. But, that does seem like an improvement. Is there anything else to report, Kakashi?"

Kakashi shook his head. The old man nodded in response.

"Well, then. Adrik will continue to rotate between teams for the rest of the month. That is the time I am giving for him to get acquainted with the teams before I figure out where to place him. I trust you will all train him alongside your genin until then."

The three jonin nodded to the Hokage.

"You are dismissed."

X

"-Now that I think about it, I haven't really seen you eat."

Adrik looked at Naruto questioningly as they walked around the village. It was late in the afternoon and the two had just finished their mission.

"Well, I never really eat much. It's... a medical condition I got diagnosed with not too long ago. I don't need to eat as much as other people."

"Really? Man, that sucks! I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't eat as much of old man Teuchi's ramen anymore!"

"Old man Teuchi?"

Naruto's eyes widened as he stopped and turned to Adrik.

"Wait, that's right! I haven't introduced you to Ichiraku Ramen, yet! C'mon, I know where we're going!"

Naruto slapped Adrik on the shoulder and began running off. The teen followed behind him through the streets of the village. After some running, they stopped in front of a small, bar style kitchen stall with a sign that read "Ichiraku Ramen" with a small ramen bowl design next to the name.

"C'mon, this place is the best!"

The two moved the flaps aside and sat on the stools.

"Hey, old man Teuchi! I've got you a new customer here!"

A middle aged man walked out from the back and greeted the two teens with a smile. He had on a small chef hat with an apron with perpetually squinting eyes.

"Ah, Naruto! Good to see ya', kid! And welcome to Ichiraku Ramen, newcomer!"

"This is Adrik, he's kinda new to the village so I wanted to show him where he could get the best ramen from!"

The man laughed heartily.

"I see. Well then, Naruto, Adrik, what can I get started for ya'?"

"I'll just get the usual."

Teuchi looked over at Adrik who shrugged.

"Just one bowl of whatever he's having."

"One bowl, huh? Ah, well, coming right up! Ayame! We've got nine bowls of Miso Pork!"

A female voice called from the back of the small shop.

"Oh, is it that time of the day already, dad?"

A girl with long brown hair in a similar outfit to Teuchi appeared from the doorway.

"Hey, Naruto! Who's this?"

Naruto gave the older girl a small wave.

"Hey, Ayame! This is Adrik! I wanted to bring him to Ichiraku Ramen since he's new to the village."

"I see. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Adrik."

Adrik gave a small wave back and watched the father and daughter duo get to work. It wasn't long before almost a dozen bowls of ramen sat in front of the two genin.

"Eat up, man! This is the kinda stuff ya' don't get anywhere else!"

Adrik nodded and copied Naruto in breaking the chopsticks apart. He watched the teen eat for a second before trying to use the chopsticks himself, to which he failed a few times. After another failed attempt or two, he finally succeeded in getting the food into his mouth without dropping it back into the bowl. It was seconds later when the entire bowl was nearly cleaned out.

"Oh, that was fast. Want another bowl, kid?"

Adrik looked at Teuchi before shaking his head.

"Small stomach, huh? Well, it happens. I mean, not everyone can eat as much as Naruto here."

Adrik looked over to the right to see five of the bowls set down in front of Naruto had nothing but a few drops of broth left in them. Naruto looked over and laughed slightly at the surprise on Adrik's face. The teen couldn't help but let out a small smile of his own.