Fᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ Tʜᴇ Rᴏsᴇs✿

3

The morning after the team selection, as Kakashi had said, the group arrived early morning and had not eaten breakfast. The four Genin waited for a long time until their elusive teacher arrived at the scene an hour before noon. Naruto and Sakura were the ones to illustrate their displeasure. "Why the hell are you so late!" they yelled. "Ma, there was a black cat, so I took the long way around and—" Naruto huffed, "Cut the crap!"

Kakashi straightened up, all trace of humour gone, "I'm going to test you." The man then held up three bells. The four Genin stiffened. "Why are there three bells, sensei?" Sakura questioned, "When there are clearly four of us." Kakashi sent the four a crescent smile, "Well, the one who does not get a bell within the next hour will be tied to a stump," he gestured behind him to four stumps, "Not eat lunch," on cue four stomachs growled, "And sent back to the academy." Naruto squawked, "What?! You can't do that!" Kakashi snickered, "Oh, yes, I can."

The four Genin stood silently in front of the elder man. "To not get sent back to the academy, you four have to get these bells from me with an intent to kill," the Hatake hummed. The bells jingled in the breeze. The four gulped. "When I say start—" Kakashi was cut off from Naruto hurtling at him with a war cry and a kunai drawn. Kakashi sighed, he gripped the blond's wrist and the kunai dropped from his hand. "Foolish Genin," Kakashi hummed. Naruto struggled in the elder man's hold and let out exclamations of protest. "Sen-Sensei didn't e-even say start yet," Akemi gently pulled at Naruto's unharmed wrist. "Akemi-kun is correct," Kakashi chuckled. The red head smiled. "It's good you had the intention of killing me," the Hatake said with a crescent eye smile. A strained pause settled between the team. "Start," said Kakashi.

The Genin jumped out of sight. Akemi tried to stop Naruto from going headfirst against Kakashi. "Naruto, no!" Akemi yelled when Naruto ran with a kunai readied in his palm. "That was to be expected," Kakashi sighed and took out an orange book. The blond's eyes widened. What a pervert! The boy thought. Kakashi ducked and Naruto flew over his head. He felt a brush at hips; he looked down and caught the red head just as he was about to grab the bells. "Great job for using Naruto as a distraction, Akemi-kun," Akemi blinked and nodded dumbly. Akemi noticed the subtle movement of the Jōnin and jumped back with a kunai ready. "Observant I see," Kakashi hummed. Akemi kept his eyes on the man and moved backwards. Naruto was knocked out and spoke in riddles. Akemi threw down a smoke bomb and disappeared. Kakashi snickered, "This bunch might be much smarter than I thought," he whispered under his breath. "Just so you know, you have less than 55 minutes left!" the Hatake called out and chuckled and read his book. Kakashi stiffened and disappeared. A couple of kunai zoomed from the shrubbery. "Gotcha," Kakashi said simply. The Hatake landed in the shrubbery, a poof and all the Jōnin saw was red hair just before the clone disappeared.

"Akemi! Let me go!" Naruto groaned. Why has he been pulling me nowadays, thought the blond. "No, if you go back out there, Kakashi-sensei will pummel you," Akemi said firmly then looked through the leaves for movement. "I'll avoid it, all I have to do is distract him enough to get the three bells and we're home free!" Naruto exclaimed with a proud grin. Akemi smiled and nodded, "You're right about the distraction part but we can't do this alone," the redhead sighed. "Sure, we can! What ya talkin' about?!" the blond questioned. "I have my Kage bunshin no jutsu," the boy said matter of fact. "But Naru—," Akemi was cut off when the blond zipped past him and right at the Jōnin.

"Might as well come out, Akemi-kun," the Hatake said sweetly. The greyhead bobbed his head to the side to dodge a shuriken. Akemi jumped out of the bushes with his kunai drawn. He narrowed his eyes at the man's back. "Akemi! Stay out of this!" Naruto yelled when he barrelled forward. "I'm tryna h-help you!" Akemi yelled back. Kakashi looked between the Uzumaki twins and smirked under his mask. He hopped off the ground. "Na-Naruto!" Akemi sheathed his kunai then flew into his twin brother. Naruto's eyes widened; the wind knocked out of him. The pair rolled across the clearing and stopped in a heap of limbs. Kakashi chuckled under his breath.