Chapter 7: The Bell Test
The Next Morning.
"Hey guys! I made bentos!"
I presented the garishly wrapped orange and yellow packages. "In case things end up going a little late. I brought some little snacks too; I asked my mom and she pointed out that technically we just don't want to overeat before a heavy workout, but having something light in your stomach can help keep you going."
Nikkei blinked at me in surprise, but Wasabi nodded appreciatively.
"Cool. I thought the same way, actually; I had a few pieces of fruit for breakfast."
I gave him a big smile and turned to Nikkei with a slightly hopeful look, a protein bar extended. She huffed in irritation but grabbed the snack from me anyway, ripping into it aggressively.
"Disobeying orders already?"
Fuck.
Kakashi wasn't supposed to be here for at least another hour. Big smiles.
"Well, Hatake-sensei, you didn't order us not to eat, you just advised we'd probably throw up if we did. I assume this was part of the assessment as we'd only throw up if we ate improperly, not if we ate at all."
A flat stare. Single grey eye blinking slowly in the exposed wedge of skin.
"Hmm. Well. I suppose we might as well get started then."
Two bells. Two winners. One loser.
I saw Nikkei and Wasabi give me sidelong looks, but I kept smiling, crinkled eyes and all. Kakashi didn't seem to buy it. There were faint lines under his visible eye that spoke of long nights and hard choices. The green of his flak jacket was scuffed and worn from heavy use.
I could once more feel the creeping sensation of death getting closer.
My smile just grew more teeth.
The team split the moment he said go. I made an effort to be as quiet as possible approaching Nikkei where she hid in the brush.
"Psst! Hey, I think this might be a trick. You ever hear about two-person Genin teams?"
She scowled at me and made little shooing motions. "Jōnin's rules. Besides, he might be planning on taking the winners as apprentices."
I gave her a skeptical look. "Two at once? Aren't apprenticeships usually on an individual basis?"
"You two talk too much."
POOF.
I activated a Replacement, but there was a fist already in position at my arrival point. Only a flicker of Sharingan saved me from a blow which would have knocked the wind out of me. As it was, I barely managed to get my arms up in time.
I gave Kakashi my flattest smile as I massaged the backs of my forearms, basically just showing him teeth. He's a dog, he'll figure it out.
"You're a Jōnin, sensei. If you can't detect our chakra signatures from a hundred meters, I'll eat my forehead protector. Stealth is irrelevant unless you deliberately handicap yourself. Which seems unlikely."
Another flat stare. This is not good.
I'm not sure what's real, what I'm misreading, what I'm projecting, and what is merely comparison to a half-remembered future.
Kakashi used to be lazy, not indifferent. The Kakashi of Team Seven was a little silly, a little carefree.
This Kakashi is... empty.
I hadn't been idle while I pondered. I had gotten in a few good... attempted hits with Nikkei and Wasabi. But not both of them together. They seemed to believe, probably correctly, that their victory against me was assured. That just meant they were in competition with each other.
I was only able to help one of them out at a time, alternating between them as best I could to help make openings and exploit their suicidal charges.
I caught my breath for a second near the edge of the clearing. The growing ache of chakra exhaustion burned in my lungs.
Wasabi was going to try another futile trap; useless, as fire element charged kunai aren't any faster or less subtle than the ordinary sort.
Nikkei was being overly direct again; she trusted her ninken, but the Inuzuka learn pair tactics first, not groups.
She overextended in her strike. Another heavy sweeping kick was coming towards her back. She couldn't really weather another bad hit like that.
Move.
The Substitution was sloppy. Spur of the moment. It left me disoriented for long enough that I didn't block the kick meant for Nikkei.
CRACK.
I slammed into a tree on the side of the field hard enough to feel my ribs creak. My breath was forced out in a whoosh, carrying with it a spray of blood from my busted lips.
RING.
The buzzer rang.
Kakashi stared at me for a long moment as I tried to get my breath back.
"Disappointing."
x-X-x
I ended up tied to the stump. Honestly, I needed it. I didn't trust myself to stay upright without the ropes.
"You better not share any of your food with Hiroki, he's being punished for being so reckless."
Kakashi disappeared in a swirl of leaves, and the soon-to-be stillborn Squad 19 was left alone on the quiet training ground.
I stared vacantly at the obsidian memorial stone across the field. My brain was ticking over without direction.
At least my name would be recorded there, probably.
I wasn't a hundred percent on what the protocol was for ninja who died in the line of duty, but in their civilian capacity... Maybe. Probably not.
It probably wouldn't hurt too much. Itachi was very skilled, very fast. I'd never even notice the blow coming. Just walking along one day and…
"Why did you do that?!"
I blinked. The sound of someone talking to me finally registered.
Nikkei was screaming at me.
"I could have handled it! You're just a kid, you got really hurt!"
I sighed apathetically and let my head thunk against the training post. My eyes were pointed at the yelling Inuzuka but remained unfocused.
"And? Age is irrelevant. Only skill matters. I'm the least skilled member of the team. I should always be first in the line of fire to protect you and Wasabi."
The aforementioned boy grimaced as his name came up, mouth pulling down at the corners in sour disagreement.
"Don't be stupid. You're eight, you graduated four years early, you're a prodigy."
I shook my head slowly, eyes still focused on the future and the swirling red and black that would herald the end of Hiroki. My reply was monotone.
"No. I checked the exam results. I scored in the bottom five for our class. Yeah, I graduated, but my overall skill level is lower than either of yours. That's how they balance the teams: Rookie of the year, Kunoichi of the year, Deadlast. Me. Graduating early means you are skilled for your age, not that your absolute ability is actually notable."
"Shut up!"
I didn't respond as Nikkei got up in my face. The sound of screams echoed in my ears as I turned my thoughts on mother. Her face covered in blood. Eyes blank pits.
Dead. All dead. Futile effort. Spitting into the wind...
"That's not true and you know it! You graduated before most kids even start playing with kunai, you deserve that headband! When sensei gets back we'll get that stupid bell!"
The bento was thrust into my face and I blinked uncomprehendingly at it. She jiggled it imperatively at me as I continued to stare apathetically at the steaming rice.
Wasabi scowled and moved up to offer me some of his as well, spearing a dumpling on a chopstick and pushing it towards my face.
"You need to eat if you're going to be any use. You've been running yourself ragged helping both of us out this whole time and you've already got less stamina. You need the energy more than we do."
I couldn't help it. My face fell a little as the despair began to well up beyond my strained ability to control.
"You'll get in trouble," I whispered.
Nikkei snorted contemptuously, head flicking to the side.
"If that asshole wants to fail us for trying to take care of our teammate then he can suck it. I'd rather be a Genin forever than a jerk like him."
Wasabi frowned at the wording, but nodded his own agreement with her statement.
POOF.
There was a puff of chakra. Kakashi was present.
He stared at us for a long moment in silence before something flickered through his eyes too fast for me to catch.
"You pass."
No food ever tasted so sweet as the lunch I shared with my new team.
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