Alright, here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy! Man, it's been a while since I've updated! Life has been messing with me again. Thank you guys so much for being patient with me.

The blonde genin crouched in the middle of a large clearing. The sun was still an hour away from rising over the horizon. To his right was a very small lake that stretched out for a few yards. The tree line that surrounded the rest of the field was thick with bushes and close knotted trees which offered plenty of good hiding places and vantage points. Everything was in place. All he had to do now was to wait.

Information is vital for shinobi. When it is processed and analyzed, it becomes knowledge and knowledge itself can turn the tides of any battle.

His father's rules really come in handy. After his team had gone their separate ways yesterday, Naruto immediately headed toward this training ground where Kakashi said his real genin test was going to be held. He thought about asking his two teammates if they wanted to tag along but decided against it. He already knew what their answer would've been anyway.

Naruto had spent the entire afternoon studying the area. Afterwards, he teleported back to his apartment to grab some stuff and headed straight back here. With the help from some shadow clones, this whole training ground was now his personal minefield.

"Kakashi-sensei won't know what hit him." Naruto told himself before using the hiraishin to teleport back to his apartment.

"That's what you think, Naruto." The silver haired jonin muttered with a small smile. The Sandaime stood next to him as the two men watched the young genin vanish from the field. Sarutobi placed his hand on his scrying orb and it went blank.

The Sandaime sat back down behind his desk. "Looks like you have your work cut out for you, eh Kakashi?"

"At least it won't be a total waste of my time." Kakashi noted. "This team might just be able to pass. Then again, it's still too early for me to make assumptions."

"Indeed it is." The elderly Hokage agreed.

The jonin sighed as he flipped to the next page of his novel. "I might as well get some reading done before I head down there. I'll be going then."

Kakashi then disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

The Third Hokage reluctantly set to work on the enormous stack of paperwork on his desk. While he scanned through the various mission reports, he couldn't help but think of the possible outcome of the upcoming bell test. The silver haired jonin has never passed a single genin team that was placed under him. Sarutobi didn't have a problem with his methods. A life of a shinobi is a dark and dangerous path where only a few can tread. In the Third's opinion, Kakashi was doing the right thing by not taking it easy on them.

The silver-haired jonin had yet to meet a team that lived up to his standards.

Still, there was a first time for everything.

Sakura spared a moment to gaze at her reflection in the mirror. She had always been self-conscious about the size of her forehead. Other children had teased her about it when she was younger. The teasing had decreased when she had befriended Ino and eventually gained the confidence she needed to stand up for herself.

Her confidence took a huge hit yesterday as she recalled the things Sasuke had said to her. Was she really that annoying? Is that how he truly viewed her? All she ever tried to do was be friendly towards the boy and hoped that he might appreciate her efforts. Granted, that she wanted to have something more than friendship with him if her constant asking for dates was anything to go by. Yet he had to rub it in her face instead. A simple "No thanks." would've sufficed.

Once again, the girl sighed as her thoughts took on a more depressing quality.

Sasuke was right about her as far as her development as a kunoichi was concerned. She was smart, yes, but what she neglected to improve on were her skills such as physical training, accuracy in throwing weapons, and hand to hand combat. She wasn't going to get far if she only relied on her wits. Ninjas needed to fight battles that often determined life and death.

She clenched a fistful of her hair feeling frustrated with herself. Why the hell didn't she realize these things sooner?

Her thoughts wandered back to an interesting conversation that happened after Kakashi had dismissed them yesterday…

"Hey Sakura, can you spare a minute?" It was Naruto who called out to her. As soon as their new sensei had disappeared, each of them went their separate ways home. Apparently this wasn't the case as she turned around to see the blonde walking toward her.

"What's up?" She said lamely.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Huh, that's weird,"

"What's weird?" Sakura asked.

The blonde shrugged in response. "This is usually the time you would tell me to go away because of how annoying I am. Plus, you did know that Sasuke was heading that way, right?" He pointed down the opposite end of the street.

The girl had the good grace to feel embarrassed and slightly guilty about the way she treated him. Her cheeks reddened slightly and she mumbled a quick, "Sorry."

Naruto waved it off. "Meh, it's alright. I guess I was pretty loud back then. Besides we're on the same team now right? So why don't we start fresh?"

He stuck out his hand and Sakura was confused for a moment before she realized that she was supposed to shake it and so she did.

"The name's Naruto Uzumaki, nice to meet ya!" He said.

Sakura giggled a little bit at the silliness of it all. "I'm Sakura Haruno."

After that they walked in silence for a while. For some reason it wasn't as awkward as she thought it would be. Sakura kept casting sideway glances toward the blonde next to her. She still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that this was the class prankster that gave Iruka sensei migraines every other day.

She also couldn't help but notice his drastic change. Instead of being loud and boisterous as he was before, he now exuded confidence, calmness, and a sense of awareness. Sakura also hid a slight blush when she caught herself staring at Naruto's physique. His old baggy jumpsuit did a good job of hiding his lean developing body.

She was brought out of her thoughts as Naruto broke the silence between them. "Hey, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Not really. Go ahead." She responded.

"Why do you want to be a ninja?"

That stopped her dead in her tracks. She stared down at her shoes and shifted slightly. The girl could feel Naruto's gaze on her but she couldn't meet it.

The truth was she didn't really know how to answer that question. Sakura was the smartest in class when it came to written exams and stuff but that was it. She didn't come from a noble clan like Ino or Sasuke. Sure her father and grandfather had been ninjas, but their skills paled in comparison to other shinobi. Her dad only made it to chunin before he retired. So…maybe she wanted to carry on the tradition? Was that a reason enough?

She opened her mouth to answer but Naruto held up a hand. "Wait."

"Before you answer, I want to show you something." He said before gesturing for her to follow him as he began to lead her to an unknown location. After a few minutes, they found themselves at the cemetery. Naruto turned around to face her and she was startled by how intense the look in his eyes was.

"Why did you bring me here?" She asked. Sakura was curious as to why he lead her to this place in particular.

"Take a good look around you." Naruto told her. "This place is probably where we'll all end up one day. Whether its decades from now or days from now, we'll just be corpses in the ground. The real question would be: What would you like to put on your headstone?"

She just stared at the blonde with a confused look. Naruto sighed and continued.

"Look, I'll be blunt. The life of a shinobi is hard and cruel. Not everyone has what it takes to become one. The dangers of what lie outside of our village are much more frightening than you can imagine. So let me tell you right now, if you're going to become a ninja to pursue a silly little crush, then I suggest you find a better lifestyle to follow."

He turned his back on her and was about to leave when he added. "However, if you value the words like duty and sacrifice, then you might be able to prove Sasuke wrong."

With that being said, he vanished in the blink of an eye…

Naruto's words swirled around in her head. He was right. Ever since she was little, she would always cling to her father's leg after he got back from a long and tiring mission. Her mother would fuss over him and Sakura would pester her daddy for the details. Her dad would then place her on his knees on the couch while mom would prepare something for him to eat while he regaled his daughter with stories. Obviously, he left out the more vivid details but it never failed to leave her staring at him in awe when the tale was done.

Her father was her hero. He always assured them both that he would come back safe and sound but it still worried her and her mother when he went out on missions. Sometimes he came back home with some minor injuries but he never lets it get to him. Sakura's mother would scold her husband on those occasions but deep down she was just venting out the worry she's kept bottled up inside.

Sakura had then asked her father one day why he had he choose to be a ninja.

He had smiled and said: "I became a ninja because of the people and the village I want to protect. Even if I'm not the strongest, I would gladly put my life on the line so that you and your mother can be safe."

Back then she didn't fully understand his answer. How could you help protect something when you're weaker than the rest? Now, she realized that you can make a difference by the amount of effort you put into it. As long as you don't let it all go to waste, your deeds can have an impact on people.

Smiling more confidently than before, she picked up her headband and placed it where it rightfully belongs, the leaf symbol displayed proudly on her forehead.

Naruto sat comfortably under a tree with his back leaning against the trunk. His eyes were closed and he had his hood pulled up. To anyone who saw him, he appeared to be dozing peacefully but he was really deep in thought. He wondered what kind of exam Kakashi had in stored for them.

Obviously, it was a physical exam like a spar or something. He wouldn't have chosen a training ground with a lot of space if it wasn't. He assumed that telling them to skip breakfast was meant to weaken them but thankfully he ate a hearty breakfast composed of fish he caught earlier in the week and some scrambled eggs with rice. Iruka and the people at the ramen stand often told him to never skip a meal so he heeded their advice. He was going to need his strength for today.

He heard footsteps approaching him and he didn't need to open his eyes to know who it was.

"Hey Sasuke," He greeted nonchalantly, not even bothering to wave or open his eyes. The annoyed grunt he received confirmed his identity and the fact that he doesn't seem like a morning person.

The blonde cracked an eye open to see the other boy plop down his stuff next to another tree and just stood there with his arms crossed while he waited.

After a few minutes the third member of their team arrived with a more determined glint in her eyes. She wore her headband proudly and it looked like she was ready to prove something.

"Looks like you found your answer." Naruto noted.

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, I want to contribute to the team in any way I can and hopefully become a better kunoichi myself. Thank you Naruto for making me realize this."

The blonde grinned and reached into the backpack beside him. He tossed something to the girl who caught it. Sakura stared at it and held up the rice ball he had given her. "What's this for?"

"You're going to need it to keep your strength up for sensei's test." Naruto said. He reached for another one and tossed it to Sasuke who caught it easily in one hand. "I know Kakashi told us to skip breakfast but I think that was just a lie to keep us off balance in this test of his. A ninja must look underneath the underneath after all."

Sakura nodded and gratefully ate the rice ball. Her stomach had kept growling ever since she had left her house and it made her regret going on a diet. Well, that was all going to change. She'd ask her mom to whip her up a big dinner tonight. Screw dieting.

Sasuke had already finished his and he had to admit that it was nice to have something in your stomach.

Minutes trickled by as they waited for their sensei to arrive. An awkward silence hung over them. Naruto and Sasuke didn't mind but Sakura was getting fidgety after thirty minutes.

"Ne, What do you think sensei will make us do Naruto?" She asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

The blonde shrugged. "It could be anything to test our skills. He needs to make sure that we have the basics down or else we don't deserve to be called genin. He might also test our knack for strategy so he might come up with a scenario that we need to solve and stuff like that."

"Wow, you've really given this a lot of thought huh?" Sakura said.

Naruto grinned. "It helps to keep an open mind."

"What do you think Sasuke-kun?" The girl asked hesitantly. She was still stinging from what he told her yesterday but she decided to put it behind her for now. She still had a crush on him but it wasn't as bad as before when she thought it was "love". Sakura would focus on her training first this time around.

Sasuke grunted. "The idiot's right. It could be anything."

"Who are you calling an idiot? At least I'm not a duck-haired homosexual!" Naruto retorted.

"What did you say?" Sasuke growled, a giant tick mark appeared on his head.

"You heard me." Naruto said. "I'm starting to think you are one. Look, you have at least a whole classroom of fan girls asking you out and you haven't agreed once."

Sakura giggled and the Uchiha glared at her. "I'm sorry Sasuke-kun, but you have to admit he has a point. So are you really…you know…?"

Sasuke was fuming. How dare they question his sexuality? "I AM NOT GAY!"

This brought on a fit of snickers from his two teammates.

"Relax, geez lighten up man." Naruto said. "Although I'm really curious, why didn't you agree to go out with some of them? I mean Sakura and Ino are pretty cute and some of them aren't half bad looking so what's the problem? And don't give me that ambition nonsense you said yesterday!"

Sakura's face heated a bit by his compliment but she was also curious about his reason.

Sasuke crossed his arms and turned his head away from his teammates. "I don't have time to fool around."

Naruto sighed. Thanks for ruining the mood Captain Buzz-kill.

He glanced at his other teammate who had her head tilted downward slightly with a disappointed look on her face.

With that, the teammates once again settled into silence. For a moment there, it actually felt good to just talk about unimportant stuff and act their age for once. Unfortunately, Sasuke had to be his usual charming self and put a stop to it. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha. If he couldn't let go of his past, then it would be a long while before he can move forward.

Three hours was pushing it. Sure the first hour wasn't that bad as they relaxed a bit. By the second hour, Sasuke got restless and started practicing his taijutsu by going through some of his forms. Which brings them to the present as Naruto was now in a meditative pose as he tried to concentrate and clear his head. However, he couldn't block out the sound of an irritated Sakura.

Naruto sighed and decided that meditating was pointless. He stood up and stretched. He saw his pink-haired teammate pacing, more like stomping, back and forth while muttering. "Meet me here at six my ass! …What kind of jonin…?... If he's not here by the next…I'll…"

Then, Kakashi chose that particular moment to appear in a swirl of leaves. He raised his hand in greeting. "Hey."

"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura yelled at the man.

The jonin scratched the back of his head. "Sorry about that. See, a black cat crossed my path and so I had to take the long way here."

Naruto rolled his eyes. That had to be the dumbest excuse he'd ever heard.

Sakura's left eyebrow was twitching from annoyance. The nerve of this guy to make them wait for three hours and that was his excuse?

Sasuke, who had stopped his light warm up when Kakashi arrived, gave him a look that said he wasn't impressed. Is this jonin really one of the elite shinobi in this village?

"Well, now that I'm here, we can get started." The silver-haired man said. He took out a timer and set it for noon. He then showed them two silver bells. "You're objective today is simple: Whoever takes one of these bells from me will pass and the person who can't will fail. He or she also won't get any lunch and will be tied to a post. If you want to pass then you need to come at me with the intention to kill."

Kakashi tied the two bells on his belt. "However if none of you can get a bell by noon, all three of you will get tied to the post and will be sent back to the academy for some remedial training."

Sasuke's fist clenched at hearing that. He couldn't afford to go back now. He needed to get stronger fast if he wanted to make his brother pay for his crimes.

"But sensei, there are only two bells." Sakura pointed out.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "Correct. That means one of you will fail no matter what."

The three genins tensed as they heard that.

Sasuke cast a sideway glance at his two teammates. If he understood Kakashi correctly, then that meant it was every man for him-self. He needed to get a bell as quickly as possible.

The pink-haired girl's heart sank as she understood what was going to happen. She kept looking back and forth between the two boys and she knew that she was going to fail. Sasuke was the Rookie of the year so of course he should be able to get a bell. Naruto was apparently more skilled and intelligent than he let on plus he defeated Sasuke like it was nothing.

Then inner Sakura popped up and roared. I CAN'T GIVE UP NOW! I HAVE TO PROVE THAT I'M NOT JUST AN ANNOYING GIRL LOOKING FOR ATTENTION! ALSO, I'M GONNA KICK SENSEI'S ASS FOR BEING THREE HOURS LATE! SHANNAROO!

The final member of the team however was frowning. Alarm bells were ringing in his head and a nagging voice in his mind was saying that something wasn't right here. He glanced at his two teammates and they looked determined to get a bell. They were already sizing up their sensei and weighing their odds of winning against him.

Before Naruto could ponder on the situation more thoroughly, Kakashi signaled the beginning of the test. "Ready? Begin!"

The three of the genins dispersed in different directions.

Kakashi stood out in the open with his hands in his pockets. So far, he was pleased by their ability to blend in with their surroundings. He could see Sasuke on a high branch that was well covered with leaves. Sakura was under a bush that hid her well enough. The third member was the easiest to spot.

"You know, you're not doing a very good job of hiding yourself." Kakashi said as Naruto stood a few feet away from him.

The blonde grinned. "There's no point in trying to be stealthy if you know where me and the others are."

"That is true." The jonin admitted. A snap of a twig was the only thing that alerted him as another Naruto shot toward him from the left aiming to get a roundhouse kick to his side. He easily blocked it with his forearm and wasn't fazed when the original Naruto suddenly appeared in front of him.

The blonde was quick and strong. The jonin moved his head to the side to avoid getting punched in the face and grabbed the boy's wrist with his other hand. However, before he could do anything else, Naruto's shadow clone also attempted to deliver another kick to the side of his head. He ducked the blow and drove his elbow down onto the clone's head. It vanished in a puff of smoke.

The real Naruto then planted both of his feet on Kakashi's chest and used it as a spring board to kick-off and break free from his sensei's grasp. He back-flipped in the air as put some distance between him and the jonin. He landed in a crouch and looked up at his sensei.

"Boom," Naruto said. Kakashi then heard a hissing sound on his shoulder and his eye widened at the sight of an exploding tag on his jacket. Too late to do anything as the thing exploded.

The other two were slightly awed by the encounter. It all happened so fast that they barely saw what happened.

Wow, Naruto's pretty cool. Sakura thought. She was still getting used to this new side of him.

Sasuke was impressed, although he would never say it out loud. His every move was planned out nicely. The momentary distraction from his clone was enough for Kakashi to shift his line of sight to the left a bit and let the original plant the tag on his right shoulder.

"I have to admit, that was clever Naruto."

The blonde turned to look as Kakashi jumped down from a branch that he was sitting on. "However, you're not the only one who can do a Kagebunshin you know."

Naruto prepared himself by drawing a kunai from his pouch. He knew that his sensei wouldn't fall for something like that. He was just seeing how he stacked up to a full-fledged jonin. He still couldn't shake that feeling of doubt inside his head. This test felt rigged but he didn't know how.

He pushed that thought aside for now. He needed to get a bell if he wanted to pass.

He threw the kunai at the ground near Kakashi's feet. The weapon was tied with a smoke bomb that detonated when it hit its target. The silver-haired man raised his eyebrows in interest as the smoke enveloped him. He wondered what kind of plan the blonde had in store for him this time.

Kakashi readied himself. With the smoke obscuring his view, he had lost sight of Naruto. An attack could come from anywhere. He could hear movement around him as his student prepared his next move.

A chain suddenly sprung up from the ground and wrapped itself around his arms and torso. (A/N: Just like Kakashi vs. Pein)

His eyes widened when he heard a shout from behind him. "Fuuton: Daitoppa! (Wind Style: Great Break Through)"

The jutsu hit him in full force. The real Naruto stood a few feet away. The smoke had been blown away by the gust of wind, allowing them to see the aftermath of the attack.

The clones that were holding the chains disappeared in a puff of smoke. In Kakashi's place, a splintered and nearly destroyed log remained wrapped in chains. The blonde silently cursed.

He heard the bushes rustle and Naruto's eyes widened. He managed to jump away just as a hand shot out from the bush to grab him. Kakashi walked out from his hiding place a moment later.

The blonde brought out two kunai and summoned a clone. They both assumed fighting stances. The jonin in front of them did the same. So far none of his attempts against the man have been successful. He still had a couple of tricks up his sleeve but he needed to lure his opponent into the right spot for his next move.

I think it's time to use one of the seals I've been tampering with.

Kakashi on the other hand was really impressed with the amount of skill Naruto was displaying. Even if he knew the locations of his traps, he still felt like he was being pushed back against a wall. The genin was quick to act and didn't waste any moves by doing something reckless. It was giving him quite the workout. He was also slightly surprised to find out his affinity for wind just now. It was a pretty rare element here in the village but deadly in the hands of a veteran.

"Shall we continue?" Kakashi said as he altered his footing a bit.

Naruto grinned. Instead of answering, he threw one kunai directly at the jonin and as expected Kakashi easily dodged it by simply sidestepping out of the way. However, he wasn't the real target. The sound of a string being cut and a trap activating could be heard. Suddenly, a volley of shuriken shot out from the bushes behind the silver-haired man.

The jonin flashed through some quick hand signs and slammed both of his palms on the ground. "Doton: Doryuheki (Earth style: Mud Wall)!"

A rectangular portion of the earth rose up behind Kakashi and the throwing stars embedded themselves on it. The two Narutos were on him the moment he finished the hand signs. He avoided a swipe of a kunai and blocked a punch thrown by the other. The clone threw in a roundhouse kick to the side but the jonin grabbed its leg, spinning him around one time before hurling him in the air.

The real Naruto jumped back and threw his kunai at Kakashi who caught it easily. However, the jonin was wise to his real plan. He saw the exploding tag wrapped around the handle. He quickly hurled the weapon back at the blonde.

Sakura gasped when the kunai exploded just in front of the genin. The jonin didn't have to go that far!

Sasuke on the other hand winced at the sound of the detonation. That might leave a mark.

The smoke cleared to reveal a severely burnt Naruto sprawled on the ground. The silver-haired man's eyes narrowed with suspicion. He didn't think an attack like that would hit its mark so easily. Especially since the genin already knew the Hiraishin.

That was why he was only mildly surprised when a clone suddenly puffed into existence behind him to deliver a wicked roundhouse kick to the side of his head. Kakashi blocked the strike with his forearm and caught the follow up punch in his other hand. He frowned however, when he saw the small smirk on the clone's face.

Too late as a hand sprung up from the ground and grabbed the jonin's ankle. Naruto burst upward from under the soil and attempted to uppercut the man. Still, the former Anbu captain was superior in strength and speed compared to the boy. He also had experience with this tactic in particular as he himself used it from time to time.

Before Naruto's fist made contact with his chin, Kakashi sent a thrust kick into the blonde's abdomen that robbed him of breath and sent him skidding backwards. The clone disappeared in a puff of smoke a moment later.

The genin took a moment to get some air into his lungs as he tried to scope his next move. He had buried one of his tri pronged kunai underground allowing him to take refuge there to wait for the precise moment to attack. Now that the first phase of his plan was complete, it was time to get the ball rolling.

I just need a few seconds of a distraction. If I put enough pressure on him, he'll momentarily forget about the bells. That'll be my only window of opportunity.

The two faced off for a few more minutes. Naruto stooped to a crouch with a kunai in hand while his eyes darted back and forth across the battlefield. Kakashi saw this and prepared himself. The boy had the same look his sensei has when he was analyzing the situation of the battle.

However, something wasn't right. He felt…weird for some reason. It was minor but he could feel something wrong with himself. It was like his body was slightly out of balance if that made any sense. Before he could ponder on it more, Naruto made his move.

"Fuuton: Daitoppa! (Wind Style: Great Break Through)"

He dodged the jutsu by veering to the right. Naruto looked like he was expecting this because as soon as he did so, he launched a volley of shuriken at him. He deflected them using his own kunai, but he had to take a few steps backward due to the fact that his own rhythm felt off.

Kakashi was about to take one more step before he remembered that there was a trap hidden behind him. If he recalled correctly, the trip wire will launch two large shuriken at him.

Nice try, Naruto. The jonin thought as he held his position and waited for the blonde to attack again.

Naruto rushed at the silver-haired man and created a clone that was in mid jump, poised to deliver a heel kick from above. Kakashi blocked it with his forearm and dodged the kunai thrust from the original. The clone tried to send another kick with his other foot but it was also blocked.

The genin saw his chance seeing that the man was wide open. Both of his hands were occupied and the bells were unguarded. He quickly tried to snatch one but Kakashi noticed this and hastily back-flipped away. Naruto wasn't fazed and fired off another wind jutsu, forcing the man to dodge to the left.

Perfect. Naruto thought as he successfully lured the jonin back to the spot where one of the flying thunder god's kunai was buried.

Hatake realized this fact a second too late and mentally slapped himself for falling for the trick. He readied himself for a substitution jutsu. Naruto vanished and appeared in front of him in an instant with his fist cocked backwards. However, he felt that strange feeling again and what happened next stunned the other two that were hiding.

The punch connected.

Kakashi then turned into a log as his substitution jutsu happened a second too late.

Sasuke couldn't believe it. He actually managed to land a hit on the man who seemed to be untouchable earlier. Damn and he moved so fast too. How in the hell did he get in front of Kakashi so fast?

The Uchiha clenched his fists tightly. He couldn't let Naruto outclass him. What he did just now proved that the jonin wasn't invincible. He had a chance. All he had to do now was to wait for an opening.

Sakura was in awe. To think her teammate actually managed to land a blow on a high ranking shinobi. Her respect for him was taken up a couple of notches. She was finally seeing real ninja in action. It was terrifying and incredible at the same time. She also felt doubt welling up inside her.

She couldn't possibly keep up with them. Sasuke might be able to but she would get pulverized if she tried to go toe to toe with sensei. Her physical skills and taijutsu were sub-par by their standards. She needed to find a way to snag a bell so that she could prove to herself that she wasn't just some silly girl anymore.

CHA! THAT'S RIGHT! WE'LL SHOW THEM WHO'S BOSS!

Hidden in some bushes, Kakashi rubbed his jaw where the punch hit him while observing the blonde in the clearing. Naruto stood at the ready, head swiveling side to side and his body was set to move at a moment's notice. He was impressed by the boy's cunning strategy.

He looked down and saw the seal Naruto had placed on his ankle earlier. It was blocking a few of his chakra pathways which was why his control was shot but only by a tiny fraction. That was the reason for the delay in his substitution. He couldn't help but smile at his ingenuity.

You really remind me of him Naruto.

With that thought in mind, he decided that it was time to make this more interesting for his new team. Minato sensei did like to cut loose a little bit in training so that they could get used to fighting tougher opponents. Maybe he could do the same.

There you have it. Sorry if it's kind of short but I decided to cut this into two parts since I figured I made you guys wait for so long. I hope you like it and once again tell me what you think and leave your reviews.