Hot 'N' Dangerous

Chapter 6: The Real Test

Naruto hadn't emerged for air in a long time, worry was seeping into my thoughts. Then I looked and a flopping wet figure climbed out of the water to sit on the bank, panting. I sighed in relief.

"Hey, what's wrong? If you don't get a bell by noon, no lunch," Kakashi repeated.

"I know that!" shouted Naruto impatiently.

"Boy, you sure are weak for someone who's going to surpass the Hokage," scolded Kakashi.

"Damn it! I can still fight on an empty stomach!" he retorted, still full of energy, "I was just careless! That's all!"

"Ever hear that carelessness can be your worst enemy?" questioned Kakashi as he turned his back on Naruto, heading inland.

Suddenly, seven Narutos jumped out of the water, they were all headed for Kakashi.

"Hm?" Kakashi turned in time to see the seven clones run at him.

"Aha! My specialty! Shadow Clone Jutsu! You better not get careless, there's more than one of me now!" exclaimed Naruto, stating the obvious.

I acknowledged his plan, it was good, for Naruto.

"With your ability, about a minute is probably your limit with this. No matter how many you line up, you're still Naruto. You can't beat me with that jutsu," explained Kakashi.

Suddenly Kakashi went stiff, a Naruto was behind him and had already latched itself onto Kakashi, "Weren't ninjas not supposed to be caught from behind, Kakashi-Sensei?" he grinned with a determined air, "Using the Shadow Clone Jutsu, I sent a clone out of the water to sneak around behind you!" he announced confidently, "My butt is still hurting! Here comes the revenge!" he shouted and lifted his arm, ready to punch Kakashi.

But the thing was that he didn't punch Kakashi, he punched one of his clones.

"Ouch!" cried the clone.

"You're Kakashi-Sensei, aren't you?! You used Transformation Jutsu to change!" accused Naruto.

The training field erupted into chaos. The clones began to pummel each other, convinced that one of the others was Kakashi. After a long while there was only one Naruto left on the field, the real one. He was covered from head to toe in bruises and swells.

I sat back, I should probably try and get a bell now, I sighed and pushed off of the tree trunk behind me and followed Naruto as he stumbled along inland.

A while later I saw a glint of gold; a bell! I looked again and saw that it was in too obvious a spot and then noticed the traps set around it. Naruto saw it too and before I could warn him he went to pick up the bell. True to my eyes, there was a trap waiting and Naruto's feet were snagged in a length of rope and pulled up into the tree, hanging upside down.

I sighed, How can he be so ignorant?

Kakashi appeared in front of Naruto and he picked up the bell, "Think before using a jutsu, or it will get used against you," he picked up the bell and continued to scold Naruto, "And also, don't fall for such obvious traps, idiot."

Naruto was immensely frustrated, "God damn it!"

"A ninja must be able to read what's underneath the underneath," said Kakashi patiently.

"I know that!" Naruto shouted back.

"I'm only telling you because you don't."

Suddenly I felt a stir of movement ahead of me and six shurikens were released, trying to bring silent death.

"Jeez, you are-" Kakashi's sentence was cut off, the shurikens' had hit their target, implanting themselves in Kakashi's body.

"Aw! No way! Sasuke, you idiot! You went to far!" shouted a terrified Naruto.