Here we are for another chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it. The answer to life is: Bucket.

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Naruto lay napping in one of Konoha's many tree's enjoying the afternoon breeze with Team Nine sitting beneath him. It had been two days since their return from the Country of Wave and the four teens were taking things slowly. They had talked about what they had done and while they agreed it was necessary they could help but feel a small piece of disgust in what they had done. Tenten was sitting between her two teammates holding both close to her afraid of letting them go for fear she might lose them. Kakashi and Gai had had them all go to counseling afterwards, though Naruto seemed better off then what his friends did.

The village itself was in an uproar because the unannounced return of Tsunade. In the week since her return more then a hundred people had been admitted to the hospital due to being hit by the legendary medic. There was talk that Tsunade was in a foul mood due to a variety of reasons; most being minor things though nobody had guessed that the reason for her mood was a result of the attitude towards Naruto. Stretching from his nap and dropping into a crouch Naruto bade his friends good-bye and headed off to meet his first love, a hot bowel of ramen.

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The classroom was buzzing with excitement, as today was their team graduation test and team placement. For a majority of the girls it was their dream to be placed with Sasuke on a team, for some such as Hinata, hope and prayers were being made in hope to be placed on the same team as Naruto somehow. As teams were being called off and the numbers dwindled the few hopefuls left prayed fervently to be placed on the same team as their beloved.

"Team seven," Iruka called out," will be Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, you are to report to the Ichiraku Ramen to meet you sensei and third teammate." The groans were heard from many of the remaining girls while Iruka finished reading the teams off and sent the new members of team seven off. As the now temporary teammates headed towards the ramen stand with only Sakura trying to make small talk with Sasuke. Their arrival was greeted with the sight of Naruto putting away his fifth bowl of ramen and Kakashi with his face buried in his ever-present orange book. Satisfied with his meal the blond paided Ayame and with little effort flipped back out of the ramen stand in front of the new arrivals.

"Yo ," Kakashi greeted as he exited the small business orange book disappearing into his pouch. Sasuke and Sakura were dumbstruck at the sight of Naruto. Motioning for his team to follow him Kakashi lead them to one of the empty training grounds surrounding the hidden village. A slow chill crawled up Sasuke's and Sakura's spines once the small group has stopped at the training field, as the area was stripped barren of life. Dead tree husks littered the field and the usual chatter of animals was disturbingly absent.

"Welcome to Training Ground X," Kakashi solemnly said with a small wave of a hand," otherwise known as The Killing Grounds." Sasuke could not suppress the cold shiver that now stayed in his spine and noticed Sakura's paling features. The last heir of the Uchiha's knew all to well his temporary teammates disposition, the field held the same aura as the night his clan was slaughtered.

"Your test will be to capture these bells from me by noon tomorrow," The one eyed jonin stated," however; you will have to contend with Naruto here as well. He's been tasked to keep you two from finding me or the supplies stashed around the field that would otherwise help you in this test. There are only two rules: One, no leaving the area, the boundaries are marked with explosives that will activate if you do and two, use everything you know. Other then that, have fun!"

With that the jonin vanished as a loud ping was heard signaling the start of the test. Startled the two young academy graduates split up to find their could be teacher. Sakura was the first one to find one of Naruto's deadly traps in the area. A trap seal full of large venomous spiders. Her terrified shriek tipped Sasuke off just as he set off a trap himself. The sudden electric shock caught Sasuke off guard and sent him staggering in response. The sudden and lingering numbness from the trap left the Uchiha flat on his back with the sky an odd color of grayish greens swimming around in his eyes.

A small rumbling in the ground jolted the black haired youth back into focus just as a small geyser of steaming hot water erupted in the middle of the field raining down it's scalding content. The wet heat of the water sent Sasuke in a staggering numb run for cover under one of the downed tree husks. It was in the closest one that Sasuke found Sakura pulling a needle out of her arm and a small vile of anti-venom next to her the large red bite mark on her neck told the boy all he needed to know.

It was several minutes before the heated downpour of water finished, and the two genin crawled out from their cover. The air was still, and the silence was still deafening. Neither academy graduate knew where the boundary was, or even where to start looking. A sudden shove from Sakura sent Sasuke sprawling into the mud as a kunai whizzed by where the boy's head had been. Before either could react the explosive tag attacked to said projectile exploded and sent the two failing students a small distance furthering their unwanted mud bath with small nicks and now bleeding wounds.

"This is not what I signed up for," Sakura gagged, mud being forced out of her mouth. Sasuke gave a painful grunt in agreement.

"How do they expect us to pass this test?" Sasuke asked aloud and somewhat angerly," this is whole thing is being treated like…like…" The boy struggled to find something to compare it to, but clearly could not find the words.

"Like an actual combat mission, is what you're thinking of," came the voice of Naruto jolting the two possible teammates to look in the direction of his voice. Both were astonished to see the "blind" genin sitting atop the empty tree log they had used for cover only minutes before. There wasn't a touch of mud on the boy, despite amount of damage done to the current area. Sauske and Sakura eyed the blond with extreme caution, despite the eye wraps and hideously neon orange track suit the blonde was wearing both academy graduates eyed were on edge at the relaxed position in which the boy sat. That and the wooden sword resting in the blonde's hand. It was with trained ease that Naruto was suddenly in front of Sakura, the training sword in mid swing for her head, causing Sauske to shove her aside and take the painfully measure blow to his right shoulder instead of Sakura's head.

Naruto was gone as quickly as he had appeared on the field leaving his two potential teammates slightly panicked about how they were going to pass Kakashi's test, unaware of the two Sannin currently observing the test. Jiraiya was furiously scribbling down notes in his small notebook grinning like a mad man while Tsunade was scowling and wondering what Kakashi was thinking with such a test.

"The brat has potential, just like his old man," Jiriaya muttered looking up causing Tsunade to give an appreciative snort. "His teammates could use some work, but nothing we can't help with eh, Hime?" The question caught the long inactive medic-nin off guard. Helping meant teaching, was she really ready, or at this point, able to do such a thing again?

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In a small dimly lit room hidden in the Hokages tower the current kage sat viewing the event's of Kakshi's test for his team with many of the other jonin watching as well. Each one twitched as a well hidden trap was set off, or a sudden strike from Naruto or Kakashi was painfully delivered. Kurenai, the newest jonin of those viewing watched slightly horrified and slightly impressed at the terms of such a test. Gai who stood next to her was nodding in approval, knowing full well that Kakashi was seeing if Sakura and Sasuke would be able to rise to Naruto's level given a proper test and training.

"Kakashi has really outdone himself this year," Asuma commented still focused in the event's being displayed in his fathers crystal ball. He was currently refraining from smoking due to the small space of the room and out of respect for the other jonin.

"It's about time too," came Anko's comment from the back of the group," it's about time he stirred things up for these genin. The time for holding their hands ended after they got out of the academy." The aged hokage sighed at Anko's comment, knowing that she was right and driving home what he was about to do.

"As harsh a test as this is, it is going to become a necessity for future graduates to pass before they are placed onto future genin teams," Sarutobi spoke to the present jonin gather their eye's to his as he dismissed the images in the crystal ball. "We are loosing far to many genin on their first C-ranked mission's due to lack of proper preparations. Kakashi intends to pass this team regardless of the bells with the intention of teaching them what to expect in the coming future. From there it will be Sasuke's and Sakura's choice to either continue or walk away."

The silence in the room was deafening as each jonin realized what this meant, they were the last of the old training method's among jonin, it was up to them now to make sure their student's would be able to survive in the years to come. "Damn," Asuma whispered," looks like we have our work cut out for us, huh? Pride be damned, this about making sure they survive to a point that they have something to be proud about isn't it?"

The awkward chuckles around him told Asuma that he was right and that everything was going to change on how well they taught their new teams. Change was coming, and Konoha was going to prepare to be ready for it, despite the unknown future they were planning to fight for, for the sake of their teams, their families, and each other.

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And that is it for this chapter. I know it took me forever to update this, and I know I said I'd tried to update at least once a month but shit happens. First off both my computers died on me and I couldn't get to the chapter's I had written and then I had to suddenly move due an unforeseen circumstance due to my previous landlord having a mental breakdown and evicting me from my previous place of residence. So My Apologies.