Kakashi's Test (1)
The Sandaime's eyebrow twitched, "Last chance, Kakashi. Do it properly."
Sensing the seriousness in his tone, the one eyed jounin put away his book and prepared to give a long, detailed, and needlessly protracted recounting of what actually happened.
------Flashback-------
"The test is to take these bells away from me by dinner time." Kakashi started explaining, holding up two silver bells.
The members of Team Seven which included Sasuke, Naruto and Shikamaru, were brought to training ground three after a frustrating introductory meeting with their assigned jounin squad leader.
To the genins, Kakashi appeared to be a lazy, tardy and overall dislikeable person who didn't seem at all interested in being their jounin squad leader. So when they were told that only three or four teams out of all that had passed the Academy's graduation test could actually become genins, they were dismayed that this was the person who would administer the 'real' graduation test.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow curiously, "Kakashi-sensei, why are there only two bells?"
Kakashi took on a more sinister appearance, "Well, that's because out of the three of you, only two will be able to pass. The person who isn't able to retrieve a bell will be sent back to the academy."
The lazy genius narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Four man teams were a tradition, nay, a rule. Who ever heard of three man teams with two genin and one jounin? Even teams who suffered a casualty would receive a replacement from the shinobi reserves. Something wasn't adding up…
"HUH!? No way! How could you send us back to the academy?" Naruto yelled in disbelief.
The jounin tilted his head, "Why not? I am the jounin in charge of your team and what I say goes. Well, only one of you will be sent back. So as long as it isn't you, then there shouldn't be a problem right? Or are you not confident in yourself at all?"
Naruto recoiled before collecting himself and shouting back with false bravado, "Of course I am confident! I am going to be Hokage, dattebayo!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes at the noisy blonde. Though admittedly he too was excited. A chance to test himself against a jounin was rare, and he looked forward to seeing how far he would measure against a real shinobi.
"You have until dinner time. Whoever doesn't get a bell by then will be tied to the log post and won't get to eat dinner." Kakashi continued, motioning towards the three logs conspicuously located in the middle of the training ground and with only two bento boxes placed on them.
At the mention of food, all three of the boys' stomach growled. They had waited in the academy for their jounin sensei for two straight hours and had been brought here without having an opportunity to have lunch. Needless to say, all three of them were starving. So the bento boxes were positively irresistible to them.
Naruto harrumphed and fished out a kunai, "I will take you on alone and win, dattebayo! One of those bells is going to be mine!" With that, he ran right at the jounin ready to end the test right away.
Of course, it was never going to be that simple. Kakashi watched the blonde running slowly and sloppily, the kunai held in what was supposed to be a threatening manner only looked like a toy being swung around by a child in the eyes of the jounin.
From Naruto's perspective, all he saw was the jounin suddenly disappearing before he felt a hand grab his wrist from behind and point the kunai he was holding right at his own neck, while another hand grabbed the back of his head with such strength that it stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Well, don't be so excited, I haven't even said start yet." Kakashi slowly drawled out before releasing Naruto, who looked taken aback by the sheer speed the jounin had exhibited.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. 'How foolish…' He had fought and lost dozens of times against Shinji. Losing so much did wonders to his arrogance. Sasuke recognized that no matter how talented he thought he was, there was no way he could compare to a jounin. There was a chasm between a genin and the man before them; a chasm so wide one could compare it to the distance between heaven and earth.
'Prepare, gather comrades, conduct reconnaissance, plan an ambush, and wait for an opportunity.' The Uchiha repeated the mantra Shinji had imparted to him years ago. That was the strategy one had to employ in order to defeat a stronger shinobi. Being smart and patient could be the difference between mission failure or success, between life and death.
Shinji's efforts to temper Sasuke's recklessness was more effective than the Rookie of the Year had thought. Not only did it quell his blind rage, Shinji helped the Uchiha sharpen his wit, understand the virtue of patience and broadened his perspective. No longer was he singularly focused on the sole act of killing Itachi. He began paying attention to what he had to do to lead up to that moment.
After releasing Naruto, Kakashi vanished once more and reappeared back where he had been standing originally. It was a display of an elite jounin's physical ability that only further cemented the difference between himself and the trio of freshly graduated genins barely a day out of the academy.
"If there are no further outbursts, then we can start." Kakashi announced, and immediately, Sasuke and Naruto ran off into the forest to hide.
The jounin turned to the last remaining member of Team Seven who remained where he was standing and looked like he had no intention to move, "You know you're supposed to hide right?"
Shikamaru looked back at him lazily, "What's the point? No matter how well we hide, a jounin like you will be able to find us anyway. Since the bells are on you, you don't have to come looking for us, rather, we are the ones that have to come looking for you. Might as well conserve my energy and look for another angle. Besides, who know is taking the bell is all there is to this test."
The Nara then turned around and walked away leisurely.
Kakashi made a hum in amusement, 'This kid's sharp. As expected of Shikaku's son.'
Right as the jounin was about to pull out his Icha Icha Violence and pick up where he left off, a blonde blur came running out of the forest and stopped a distance away from him.
Kakashi glanced at the blonde but brought out his book anyway. He thumbed the page where his bookmark had been left, flipped the book open and continued reading.
"I was going to hide, but after thinking about it, that really doesn't suit my style. So let's have a rematch, Kakashi-sensei! Fair and square!" Naruto declared, index finger pointing at the nonchalant jounin who wasn't even paying attention.
"Hey! Look at someone when they're talking to you, damnit!" The blonde yelled, irked that he was being ignored.
Kakashi lifted one hand and shooed away the boy like he was being annoying and disturbing his reading time.
Naruto gritted his teeth and growled before putting his hands together to form a handseal, "This will teach you to ignore me! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A plume of smoke signalled the arrival of a few dozen shadow clones, all ready and willing to pummel their disrespectful sensei.
"Charge!" Naruto, presumably the original one, yelled, and the mass of shadow clones swarmed the nonchalant jounin who continued reading without interruption.
However, the moment a Naruto clone reached the man, Kakashi reached out and with a swift kick destroyed the clone. He carried on steamrolling the clones with a flurry of lazy kicks and occasional punches, his eyes never leaving the pages of his book.
Seeing the ineffectiveness of his clones, Naruto spat out a curse and formed the familiar handseal to make even more. Another couple dozen clones appeared and joined the rest but were similarly mowed down all the same without even being able to make contact with the jounin.
"You have a taijutsu score of zero. A hundred multiplied by zero is still zero y'know?" Kakashi commented as he dispatched the last of the shadow clones to Naruto's chagrin. "You're just wasting your chakra if you're using shadow clones like disposable shuriken."
Naruto flared with anger, "Fine! I don't need shadow clones! All I need is me, myself and I!" The blonde charged forward, this time sans the clones.
Unexpectedly, Kakashi glanced at the incoming blonde with one eye, momentarily distracted from his reading. 'Minato-sensei, your son… how shall I put this. He's really, really dumb.'
Naruto launched a fist, easily deflected by Kakashi, and then a series of punches that were all similarly blocked or parried. His assault was finally stopped when Kakashi gripped one arm with a vice grip and twisted it so that Naruto was helplessly being held on to with just one arm.
"Let me show you how to really use Kage Bunshin." Kakashi offered, before smilingly sinisterly.
Another Kakashi appeared out of nowhere and ran towards Naruto, his fingers placed together in a tiger seal.
Sasuke, who had been watching the whole encounter from a distance hidden away in the shrubbery, widened his eyes at the familiar looking seal, 'Danger! That's a tiger seal! It's used for fire jutsu. He's going to kill Naruto!'
Said blonde looked back, confused at the sight of another Kakashi headed towards him rapidly, "Too late. Konoha Secret Technique: Thousand Years of Pain!"
Hearing the words, Naruto flinched. What kind of a secret technique was named a thousand years of pain? This was… dangerous! He tried resisting, to get out of his sensei's grip but failed.
Soon, the Kakashi clone reached the blonde and to everyone's surprise, stuck his fingers up Naruto's butt. The shock and pain from the sudden intrusion into his rear blasted Naruto into the air, with the boy yelling in pain.
'Those two… are total idiots.' Sasuke thought as he looked away, embarrassed that he had been concerned for Naruto for nothing. But he had also realized something off about the whole exchange, 'Those clones were solid!'
The Uchiha couldn't figure out how such a phenomenon was possible. However, he did know that it was a power that would serve to be of more use in his hands, or rather, in his and Shinji's hands. He made a mental note to ask about the ability from Naruto after the test was over. For now, he had to find his other teammate for the first and second step of his mantra – prepare and gather comrades.
Shikamaru had been similarly watching the exchange between Naruto and Kakashi from a distance, although not bothering to hide himself. Contrary to his lazy appearance, the Nara had actually been hard at work taking in every single bit of information his eyes could ferry. He first analyzed the capabilities of his teammate, and though surprised by the use of solid clones, Shikamaru file that tidbit of information under potential tools to combat Kakashi.
Then he evaluated the jounin squad leader's competence, which as expected, revealed little about the older man's true prowess. One thing was for sure though; Kakashi was a formidable shinobi, and one who could make light of all three of them with his eyes never leaving the pages of that book he was always reading. Of course, the caveat to that would be if the three of them rushed in blindly without prior planning.
The Nara Clan specialized in a unique Yin Release branch of techniques involving the usage and manipulation of shadows. It sounded cool, yes, but the reality of it was not as sensational. While their shadow jutsus were extremely useful under specific circumstances, it was those very specific circumstances that led to the severe limitations holding the technique back as well.
As a result, Nara children were generally raised from young to develop a critical thinking mindset; to think outside the box per se. Problem solving was the number one issue every shinobi faced in the field, but for the Nara members especially it was a constant predicament. Their clan achieved fame with their shadow techniques following the Second and Third Shinobi World War, precisely due to their excellent strategic minds.
However, with this fame came publicity – a double edged sword. Their techniques, once a hidden trump card that excelled when taking their opponents by surprise, became exposed to the world at large. Their clan had become renowned for their techniques, but at the same time, what was once in the shadows were now brought to light. Their enemies became aware of the limitations behind their techniques and developed countermeasures – which only forced the Nara to become even more innovative and creative with the employment of their shadow jutsus.
Hence, the Nara, with their naturally limited chakra reserves, had to be smart with even a single usage of their shadow jutsus that drained chakra like a sink did water. And the prerequisite for tactical deployment of said techniques were the careful analysis of any battlefield situation. The strengths and weaknesses of their targets, any psychological flaw, their habits, the environment, their teammates; as well as a hundred other factors that needed to be accounted for before an embryo of a plan could even be formulated.
What Shikamaru saw when he witnessed Naruto's clones were not their combat ability, which if compared to the jounin proved less challenging than a mosquito. Rather, he saw the dozens of shadows cast by the clones, which were a veritable buffet of areas a Nara's own shadow could merge with and thus extend their range.
What Shikamaru saw when he witnessed Kakashi's arrogance of not even bothering to lift his eyes off the pages of his books to combat Naruto was a potential flaw he could exploit. As long as Kakashi didn't take the blonde seriously, there would be opportunities to surprise the man who had let down his guard.
Yet, it was also arguable that it would be incredibly unlikely a jounin would ever let down his guard. People who were able to achieve that rank tend to have experienced dozens if not hundreds of life and death battles where even the slightest carelessness or mistake would see them lose their life.
So if a shinobi made it as far as jounin rank in a world where the average highest rank a shinobi could achieve in their lifetime was genin or chuunin, then that said something about their danger senses that had been honed by multiple near-death experiences.