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Training Ground Seven was beautiful.
Mountains framed the horizon. The river ran deep and fast along the dense forest. In the center of the glade were three training stumps stood in a line. And below them was the memorial stone.
Naruto sat on one of the stumps turning a small urn over in his hand.
[ Item: Firebomb ]
[ Description: Bisque urn filled with black powder. Explodes, inflicting fire damage. A very precious item at low levels. Many warriors use these to augment their strategic repertoire. ]
Naruto had not put it there himself. One of his clones had transferred it to his inventory. This was a huge discovery.
Next time, I'm sending a hundred clones straight to that stupid graveyard. Every skeleton there was getting looted. That is my revenge, dattebayo! Naruto thought checking his watch. It was bright orange, a small dragon curling around the twelve. He had bought it yesterday so he could keep track of time while in Lordran.
"Where is this cyclops?"
"Be patient," Sasuke said trying to hide his irritation.
"If he's not here in the next ten minutes I'm eating my ramen."
[ Item: Ichiraku Ramen Bowl x10 ]
"He's probably reading that smut book somewhere," Sakura said. "It's completely unprofessional. Who shows up late to their own team test?"
Naruto considered sitting with his irritation but decided he would rather do something useful. He reached into his inventory and the Zweihander materialized in both hands.
Sasuke and Sakura both looked at it.
"What's that?"
"The Zweihander." Naruto swung the massive blade in a slow, controlled arc, feeling its weight settle into his grip. "Picked it up from a corpse in a graveyard."
Sakura stared at him. "You robbed a grave?"
"No."
Naruto thought about it because technically...
"...No."
That second answer did not sound very convincing.
"Anyway, it does not matter. I was being chased by a bunch of skeletons. This beast basically saved my life."
"I'm sure the skeletons rose from their graves to kill you."
"Yeah, how did you know that happened?"
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Sasuke, between Naruto and Kakashi, who do you think is the worse liar?"
"Hn."
Naruto clenched his jaw.
It was the truth.
All of it.
But if he tried to explain, they would just ask more questions. Questions he did not have answers to. Hell, he barely understood how half the things in Lordran even worked.
So, he shut up.
Instead, he tightened his grip on the Zweihander and went back to his drills.
One swing.
Then another.
After a while, he set the blade aside and moved on to his physical training.
One hundred pushups. One hundred sit-ups. One hundred squats with the Zweihander across his shoulders for the added resistance. Then the run, back and forth across the length of the training ground in measured intervals until the distance accumulated into something worth counting.
"He's going to exhaust himself before the test even starts," Sakura said surprised by the effort.
Naruto finished, straightened up, and pulled the Estus flask from his belt. He uncorked it and drank. The yellow light moved across him in a quiet shimmer spreading from his chest outward. The accumulated fatigue of the workout dissolved, leaving his muscles fresh and his joints loose.
He re-corked the flask and looked up to find both of them staring at him.
"What?"
Before either of them could answer, leaves swirled as Kakashi materialized with a raised hand.
"Good morning."
"You're late!" Naruto and Sakura said simultaneously, pointing.
"Sorry about that. I got lost on the road of life."
"You know, that was the lamest excuse I've ever heard in my life."
"Is that so?" Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow. "Then, I promise next time you won't hear it anymore."
"You're not gonna be late again?" Sakura asked hopefully.
"No, I'll make a different excuse," the cyclops eyesmiled.
The three genin groaned.
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Kakashi reached into his vest and produced a small alarm clock, setting it on the nearest stump with a soft click.
"You have until noon to take these bells from me. Anyone who fails doesn't get lunch. Instead you'll be tied to that stump while I eat in front of you."
Three stomachs registered growls of hunger.
So, this is why he didn't have us eat...
"There are two bells and three of you. Do the math. One of you is already on the way to the stump, and back to the academy." His tone stayed light, which somehow made it worse. "You may attack as though you mean to kill. In fact I'd recommend it. You won't stand a chance otherwise."
"Isn't that a bit dangerous?"
Sakura was cut off by a volley of shuriken crossing the training ground.
Naruto's projectiles fanning out across the space between them with a speed that registered immediately as wrong for someone with his academy record. Kakashi dodged and returned fire with his own shuriken in the same breath.
Sasuke and Sakura jumped into the trees.
The squire blocked the incoming shuriken on his shield. But Kakashi was behind him. One hand closed around the boy's wrist while the other resting on his helm with some pressure.
"You're fast," Naruto said, without particular alarm.
"Your shadow clone application is impressive," Kakashi said glancing at the clone behind him with a Zweihander pointed at his back. "However. I didn't say go."
The older shinobi gave the boy space as the clone popped.
"You did commit to the kill though, so. Points for that. Now. Ready. Steady. Go."
Naruto created distance, and settled into a stance.
"You know the most fundamental skill for a shinobi is concealment."
"I'm using heavy stealth," Naruto said.
"Which is."
"Nobody can see you if there are no witnesses.
Naruto charged forward.