Safely hidden at the top of a tree, Epsilon only now dared to look around. "A ninja must know how to conceal their movements and hide effectively," Kakashi spoke, then lazily glanced around.

Naruto, being the over confident person he was, stood just a little in front of him with his arms crossed. "You and me right now fair and square! Let's go!" Kakashi tilted his head in confusion and squinted his visible eye.

Fool.

She narrowed her eyes. That was Sasuke's thoughts again. She really hoped that it would stop with just his voice. It was setting her on edge.

"You know," Kakashi spoke to Naruto. "Compared to the others, you're a little bit... Weird."

"Oh yeah? The only thing weird here is your haircut!" Naruto yelled back at him and charged. Kakashi slipped a hand into the pouch on his back and Naruto bounced a few steps back. He glared at his instructor, waiting for him to make a move.

"Shinobi Battle Techniques Part One: Taijutsu. The physical part." Epsilon recalled that this was the first challenge that she was given when they tested her. Naruto readied himself. Then Kakashi pulled out the Ichi Ichi book he was always reading. Naruto nearly stumbled back in shook, a look of pure disbelief on his face.

"What are you waiting for?" Kakashi asked impatiently and began reading his book. "Make your move."

"But- I mean- Why are you reading that book?" Naruto spoke frustratedly.

"Why? To find out what happens in the story of course. Don't let it bother you. With your weak attacks it won't really matter if I'm reading, or whatever." He was clearly edging the blonde on. By the way Naruto's fists were clenched, it was working.

Naruto pulled his arm back for a punch and charged the Jounin. "I'm going to crush you!" He yelled, extending the word you. He went to punch his face but Kakashi blocked it. A kick and he ducked. Naruto stepped back and tried for another punch when Kakashi suddenly vanished.

"Don't let your opponent get behind you all the time." Kakashi was crouched behind Naruto with his book in between his hands. The index and middle finger of both hands were pointed up. 'Here we go.' Epsilon thought with a shake of her head.

"Naruto, get out of there quick! He's going to destroy you!" Sakura shouted, making Epsilon realise that she doesn't hate him enough to not shout that he's in trouble, even though it's not in the way that she thinks. Naruto glanced in her direction before glancing behind him.

"Too late. Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu!" Naruto paled considerably before Kakashi sent him flying from his butt with only four fingers. "A Thousand Years of Death!" And Naruto became the first flying fox.

He splashed down in the near by river and Kakashi re-opened his book. "Now where was I." Seconds later, two shuriken came flying from the water. Epsilon heard Sakura gasp from somewhere off to her right. When the two spinning blades neared him, he caught them by putting a finger in each hole and letting them spin until they fell.

Kakashi stood in front of Naruto as crawled out of the river, coughing and sputtering. "What are you doing now?" The jounin asked in a disappointed tone. "You know you won't get lunch unless you take a bell by noon."

"I know! I know! You told us already!" Naruto sat by the edge of the river.

"You look pretty wobbly for someone who's going to surpass the Hokage."

"You told us not to eat breakfast! How can I fight when I'm starving to death?!" Naruto retorted. Kakashi began to walk away. Naruto stated to wave his hands around. "So you caught me off guard! That's all it was! Believe it!" Naruto hunched over. "I'm so hungry I don't have any strength. But I can't let that stop me, I gotta get one of those bells no matter what! I'll find the strength somehow. Believe it. I'm going to pass this test, and I'm not going back to the academy. I will become a ninja!" The water behind him rippled, and seven Naruto clones shot out.

Kakashi glanced back, as if only now Naruto had grabbed his attention from the book. "Ha ha!" A clone laughed. "You're over confident, Sensei! That why you weren't ready for a shadow clone attack, my best jutsu!" They all hit the ground running, their outfits sloshing with water. Kakashi turned to him fully now. He mumbled something but Epsilon was too far away to hear it.

"Great technique, but I don't think you can maintain it for very long," Kakashi noted. "You talk like you're the best, but you're still the worst student. You can't beat me with this jutsu." A Naruto snuck up from behind him and jumped on his back. His visible eye widened and he turned his head.

The Naruto chuckled. "Didn't you say 'Don't let your enemies get behind you?' Good advice Sensei. Believe it." Epsilon suppressed a small chuckle from escaping her lips. The clones pounced and latched onto Kakashi's legs so he couldn't move, even when he struggled. A Naruto leaped into the air. "I had one of my clones come out of the river and sneak up behind you super quiet. Now this is for nailing me in the butt earlier!"

A diversionary tactic. Nice.

Finally a compliment from the Uchiha.

"You're mine and so are those bells!" The Naruto that had jumped, swung his fist... Only for it to collide with another Naruto. "Huh?" He was clearly confused. After they had hit the ground, the Naruto that had jumped pointed at the one he had punched. "It's you. You're Kakashi-sensei, aren't you?! You transformed into me using a jutsu!" Then all the Narutos began to bicker, and Epsilon almost sighed aloud. He was so clueless all the time, but it was an endearing feature. Eventually, Naruto figured it out and undid the jutsu, leaving only his beaten up self standing in the clearing.

He got you with a replacement jutsu. Loser.

And now back to the insults.

With this jutsu, you quickly switch your own body with an object. So your enemy thinks he's attacking you, when he's actually attacking a log or rock, leaving him open to a counter attack. In this case, the Jounin let himself get caught. Then switched bodies with one of the Naruto clones, so Naruto thought he was hitting him, but actually he was just attacking himself. And that Jounin was so smooth he made Naruto look like a total moron.

Thank you captain obvious.

Who's there? How are you reading my thoughts?

Epsilon froze. Had she just communicated through thoughts? She would not be doing that again, so she stayed silent. Sasuke could just simmer in his own thoughts without adding her's to the mix. He might accidentally find out pieces of the plot that way, and she couldn't risk that.

She looked up just in time to see Naruto get yanked off the ground and hang by his ankles on rope attached to the tree. "Hey! Let me down! What is this?!" He yelled as he bounced around.

Of course it was a trap. That Jounin doesn't let down his guard, even when he's fighting a fool like Naruto. Isn't that right, voice?

Epsilon panicked. She was being called upon, but she didn't want Sasuke to think that the voice is a recurring thing. So of course she blurted something out.

No duh.

Even as Naruto hung, he desperately reached for the bell. Kakashi came, picked it up, and sighed. "Think before you use a jutsu, or else your opponent might use it against you. Oh and also," He jingled the bell in his hand. "If the bait is obvious, don't take it." Naruto became enraged and failed around in the air. "A ninja must see through deception."

"I, get, it!" He said between breaths.

Kakashi put his hands in his pockets. "I'm telling you this because you don't get it. You think you get it, which is not the same as actually getting it. Get it?"

This is my chance.

Kunai and shuriken flew from the foliage off to her left and headed toward Kakashi. She didn't even have time to tell him not to.

He finally dropped his guard!

"Won't you even learn?" Kakashi said, right before the sharp object embedded in his side, knocking him down.

"Ah! He just got blasted but Shuriken!" Naruto yelled at turned in Sasuke's direction. "Are you out of your mind, Sasuke?! You went too far!" As the Jounin fell, there was a puff of smoke, and log was suddenly in his place. It hit the ground with a thunk.

I'd run now if I were you. She thought to Sasuke.

You're right. Now he knows where I am. It was just another substitution jutsu. I thought he lowered his guard, but he did that on purpose, and I fell for it.

Epsilon heard a rustle of leaves as Sasuke dashed past her hiding spot. More rustles as Sakura left and dashed off to find him. Not a minute later, her scream pierced the air. Epsilon folded her hands behind her head and leaned on the tree's trunk as she watched Naruto cut himself free, only to land and be yanked back up by another rope.

Sounded like... Sakura?

Because it was. Who else would scream like that?

Genjutsu. He thought, completely ignoring her rhetorical question. It's just simple mind control. I'm not surprised he caught Sakura with it, but...

He must have started speaking out loud, because she couldn't hear him anymore. She would go looking for him when she saw the fire over the trees. So for now she closed her eyes.

Minutes later, she smelled smoke, and figured that was her que to go. She opened her eyes and stood up. Plumes of smoke rose off to her right, so she headed in that direction. She heard Sasuke yelling, and figured that he would a lone head right about now. When she arrived on the edge of the clearing, she found out she was right.

"That was Ninjutsu," Kakashi was saying. "The third Shinobi battle skill. You have talent, and you were right, you are... Different from the others, but different isn't always better." He stood up, pulled out his book, and walked away. "They say the nail that sticks up is the one that gets hammered down." He paused for a moment, and created a single shadow clone. The clone jumped off while the real Kakashi stayed behind. Epsilon couldn't help but have a feeling of dread laid upon her at that action.

"Great." Sasuke mumbled under his breath.

"How long were you planning on sitting in that tree, Zeta?" There was the placement of dread. Epsilon allowed herself to become visible by dropping onto a lover branch. Se quickly tugged on the chakra-type string she was holding, hoping he didn't notice. If he did, he didn't show it.

"As long as a piece of string," she replied. "How did you know?"

He faced her, book still in hand. "I felt you running here when I was under the ground. Very light feet you have, but not silent enough. Perhaps if you had come sooner, I wouldn't have noticed as fast. Any surprise attack you had planned wouldn't work now."

She leaned against the tree. "I'm not planning on fighting you," she said simply.

He raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

She glanced at him from the cover of her visible eye. "Because I already know the reason for the exercise, so I don't need to fight you. It would be a waste of energy."

"I see." Kakashi closed his book and Epsilon tensed. "Well, I'll being going now since I have no more business to attend to here." Then he poofed into smoke.

"What were you thinking, letting him get away?" She glanced at a fuming Sasuke.

"Why would I need to keep him here? I'm not going to fight him alone," she said pointedly. He looked like he was going to spew some nasty retort, but her thoughts stopped him.

I wouldn't provoke her. She is stronger than she seems. She also seems to know exactly what she's doing, so tread carefully. Maybe having a voice inside Sasuke's head wasn't such a bad thing.

And how would you know?

She scrambled for a response. Apparently, replies to easily angered boys were not her strong suit, but she managed. I'm that reasoning in the back of your head. I take the things you notice and store them for you until they become important, like active subconscious memory if that's a thing.

Then how are you talking to me if you're my subconscious?

She hadn't thought of that. It has something to do with that girl. I first awoke when you met her behind the paint shop. Don't trust her, she seems... Off. Like she knows more than the lets on. She was walking in dangerous territory, but she had planted the seed for his hate towards her. Betrayal and mistrust. The quickest way to have someone hate you. Now she just needed that for Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi.

She had an odd aura, so I guess that makes sense. That's why I went to check in the first place.

That explained it, but it also raised another question. What aura did she emit? And if Sasuke noticed it, who else would too? What are you going to do about Kakashi and his bells?

He's stronger than I am. I can't get around that.

Both Epsilon and Sasuke were shaken from their thoughts when Sakura darted out of the bushes. She caught sight of Sasuke-the-head, and froze mid step with her eyes wide as dinner plates. She blinked for a few seconds and shook her head, as if it were an illusion and she was trying to shake it off. "Sakura?" Sasuke questioned, and she flipped out.

"Sasuke's just a head and he's talking!" Then she fainted.

"And that's my partner..." He grumbled in a mix of disbelief and disappointment..

"Yes." Epsilon spoke calmly. "But she's not your only one." He sent her a suspicious glance, probably thinking that she was talking about herself, and she couldn't help but smirk. "There's Naruto too." His face fell even farther than before.

Once Sasuke had climbed out of the earth, which he had had refused Epsilon's help with, the two walked over to an unconscious Sakura who was lying on her back. Sasuke knelt over here while Epsilon continued to stand.

She stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Part of me hopes that she died of shock." Sasuke sent her a wary glance, as if wondering if she had those thoughts often. If he was thinking it, she couldn't hear it.

Sakura suddenly groaned and her eyes fluttered open, very anime like. "Sasuke," she mumbled and then her eyes widened. She sad up in a flash and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "You're okay!" And she began laughing in relief, almost hysterically.

"Hey! Cut it out! Let go! Let go!" Sasuke yelled and shoved her away from him, but she continued for hold onto him. Eventually she had let go so he could stand up. "I've got to get a bell before lunch. That doesn't leave much time." He then turned and began walking away from the pinkette.

Sakura stood up as well. "Sasuke," she sounded like she was pleading to him. He paused, and turned. "You're still trying to get one of those bells?"

"A while ago I touched one. Next time I'll get one," he said through gritted teeth.

Sakura clasped her hands together. "That is really great. I can't believe you did that you're amazing!" The way she said it though, was as if it was a bad thing. She was probably upset that she and Sasuke would be separated if he actually did manage to get a bell and she didn't. It took all of Epsilon's will power not to gag. "It's almost lunch. There's not really enough time left, so maybe we should just give up and try again next year."

He sent her one of his famous glares through one eye, and she looked up, startled. Moments passed. Epsilon could almost see Sasuke's thoughts about his brother. The one who killed his entire clan.

Very clever dear, learning to control that one's power, at least to an extent.

And you better get good at it or you won't be able to keep that act with the Uchiha up.

The voices startled her. She hadn't heard them for a while, even when she wasn't purposefully blocking them out. They had never done that before.

Yes. For the time being, five out of the eleven of us will help you on your journey. Speaking of, I suggest you go back to it. You will find out more about you, and us later. 

The wind had picked up, which she had just now noticed, and it set the scene perfectly. Perfect for showing which character had a broken past. "I'm the only one, who can destroy that person."

"What?" Sakura questioned. "Who? You mean the sensei?"

"That day," Sasuke continued, ignoring Sakura's question. "I was crying."

"When were you crying?" The pinkette asked slowly, as if the question would bite her for being asked.

"I was my..." He trailed off.

"What? What happened to you?"

Sasuke stood a little straighter. "I am an avenger. That means I must be stronger than my prey. I need this training. There's no time for setbacks." He tone was grim.

Epsilon couldn't help but realize the irony of the situation. "That's great and all Sasuke," she said, folding her arms. "But doesn't that mean you shouldn't be here talking, and instead be out looking before the time runs out?" He glared at her, almost like he hated her for the truth in her words.

As if on cue, the timer rang. It wasn't very loud from where they were located, but they all clearly heard it. Sasuke grunted in anger. "I wasted too much time." Then he stalked off towards the ringing, leaving metaphorical steam in his wake.

The trio reached the stakes and found Naruto tied to one already. Sakura and Sasuke gave him odd looks, but Epsilon knew why he was there. He had tried to eat food before the bell rang, and paid the price for it. Sasuke and Sakura plopped down on either side of Naruto, but Epsilon perched herself on top of one of the stakes, trying to distance herself from the group. Her team members' stomachs all growled in unison next to her.

"Uh oh. Stomachs growling huh?" Kakashi stood in front of them which is arms crossed. He spared a glance at Epsilon, whose stomach wasn't following the trend. "That's too bad. Oh, and by the way, about the exercise, well I've decided I won't send any of you back to the academy." Naruto grinned like a maniac and laughed.

"What?" Sakura looked as confused as she sounded. "I passed? All I did was faint and fall over. Do you get points for that?" Sasuke even looked slightly pleased. Sakura began jumping up and down and shouting "yeah!" when Epsilon cut in with an annoyed expression and tone.

"He said 'We wouldn't be going back to the academy'. If you've learned anything, it's that his words don't show their direct meaning right away, and can have multiple meanings."

Sakura turned to her and crossed her arms. "You're just upset because you didn't touch a bell like Sasuke did. The rest of us are glad we passed."

Kakashi smiled, but it was clearly a sinister one, hidden but full of spite. "Yes. All four of you... Will be dropped from the program, permanently." The cheering immediately died, replaced with a crushing sadness.

"Drop us from the program!? That means we can never become ninja!" Naruto ranted in a fury of rage. "You said if we couldn't take the bells we'd be sent back to the academy! You can't just change your mind and kick us out! Why would you do that?!"

Kakashi moved his hands to his hips. "Because you don't think like ninja. You think like little kids. Like brats," he taunted. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke tense. Then, he charged.

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled as if it would change the predicament he was in, which it didn't. As soon as he reached Kakashi, the Jounin had him pinned to the ground with Sasuke's arms twisted behind him and Kakashi sitting lazily on his back.

"You think it's all about you," Kakashi continued as if nothing has happened.

"Let go of Sasuke! You can't step on him like he's some kind of bug!" Sakura raged.

Sasuke struggled under Kakashi, but the older man didn't move. "You don't know what it means to be a ninja. You think it's a game huh?" Kakashi's voice turned dangerous. "Why do you think we put you on squads? Did you consider that question for one moment?"

"I-I don't know what you mean," Sakura stammered out.

"I mean, you never realized what this exercise is all about. Not even close."

"What it's about?" Naruto furrowed his eyebrows.

"That's what determines whether you pass or fail."

"That's- I mean I wanted I ask you that from the beginning," Sakura spoke nervously.

Kakashi make a 'tch' noise. "Use your head. Three, or four in this case, people on a squad. Why do you think we would do that?"

"Argh!" Naruto yelled. "How are we supposed to know why you picked three or four people?! We didn't make the rules!"

"It's so basic." He sounded annoyed, and turned his visible eye to Epsilon. "You seemed so confident that you knew what it was, so tell us. What is the reason?"

Epsilon hesitated. She could just say that she didn't know and just make Kakashi think that she was bluffing, but then again, he would see right through her. He would know something was up. So she thought, 'What the heck', and told him. "Teamwork." Her teammates were stunned, and even Kakashi looked a little surprised that she true did know.

"Just working together, is that what you mean?" Sakura piped up?

"That's what I mean. It's too late now. If all four of you had come at me, you might have been able to take them. Well anyways, it's over," he said with venom.

Epsilon decided that it was a good time to call out her trap card. "I wouldn't be so sure about that Kakashi." He turned to her with a questioning look.

"And why is that, Zeta?"

"Well..." She reached into the hidden pocket in her outfit. Out came a silver bell that shined in the sunlight on a red string. Kakashi almost did a double take, then glanced at the bells on his side. Sure enough, one of the three was missing. "I think one of us got a bell."

Sakura gasped, Naruto gaped, and Sasuke even looked stunned. Kakashi's eyes on the other hand narrowed. "How did you do that? I had them guarded the whole time."

"Not the whole time." Epsilon shifted her weight on the stake. "When you were talking to me, you let your guard down just enough. Here," she tossed them back to Kakashi. "Take a closer look."

He inspected them further. "Wait, those are chakra strings. When did you..." He trailed off as realisation dawned on his face. "Before. When you asked to see them."

"Bingo." If Epsilon hadn't known better, she would have said that Kakashi was smiling under his mask.

"Very clever," he said. She stood on the stake and bowed with perfect balance, then sat down again.

"Wait a minute," Sakura spoke aloud. "You set it up with four people, but only three bells. If we worked together and got the bells only three of them could keep them and that would lead to group conflict and the squad would break up," she noted.

"Exactly," Kakashi said with a puff of exasperated air. "I purposefully pitted you against each other." Naruto seemed taken aback. "I wanted to see if you could overcome that and put the squad ahead of yourselves. A genin should have a natural feel for teamwork. But you, it never even crossed your mind." And the rant began.

"Sakura," Kakashi started, and Sakura lurched back like something unexpected had flown past her face. "You obsessed about Sasuke who was gone, while Naruto was right in front of you and you wouldn't lift a finger to help him." She looked down, embarrassment showing through her pink cheeks. "Naruto, you do everything on your own. Everything." Naruto closed his eyes, looking crest fallen. "And you," He pressed a little harder on the Uchiha's head that was under his foot. "You, Sasuke, thought the others were so far beneath you they were worthless. Arrogance." Kakashi then turned on Epsilon. "Zeta, you had figured out the reason for the whole exercise yet you failed to tell your teammates. You might have had good reasoning for it, but they were lacking information that you could have given them. You became belligerent." Epsilon shrugged as if it were no big deal. It was their lesson to learn, not hers. Though, she had to admit, his last comment stung a little.

"Ninja missions are carried out in squads. Of course you need individual skills, but teamwork is the most essential element. Every shinobi understands this. If individuals put themselves above the squads, this can lead to failure and death. For example," he pulled out a kunai from his back pocket and pressed it to Sasuke's neck underneath him. "Sakura kill Naruto now and hand Zeta over or Sasuke dies." Naruto and Sakura gasped and the blonde looked back and forth between Sakura and Sasuke, probably extremely sure that she would kill him to let Sasuke live. "That's what happens on a mission." He pulled back the kunai and Sasuke seems to visibly relax some.

Naruto sighed in relief for his life, and Sakura sighed in relief for Sasuke's life. "Oh boy that was really scary," she said.

Kakashi spun a kunai on his right index finger. "The enemy takes a hostage and you've got an impossible choice, and someone ends up dead." He caught the kunai point down, then slipped it back into the pouch on his backside. He stood up. "On every mission, your life is on the line." He walked over to the black memorabilia stone tablet behind him. "Did you look at this stone? The names engraved on it?" His voice softened just the slightest, and Epsilon knew he was thinking about Rin and Obito. She had a sudden urge to go up to him and hug him, to tell him that he was no longer alone, but refrained from doing so. She blinked. Where had that thought had come from? "They are all ninja who are honored as heroes in our village."

"That's it! That's it! That's it!" Naruto shouted suddenly with a grin on his face. "Now I know! I've decided I'm gonna have my name engraved on that stone! I'm not going to live and die for nothing like a dog! I'm gonna be a hero! A hero!" By this time, Sasuke had stood up from laying on the ground and walked past Naruto to crouch further back.

Kakashi turned to look at the blonde from the corner of his one visible eye. "They are... A special kind of hero."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, still grinning. "What kind of heroes are they? Come on! Tell us!" It was only now that Epsilon truly realised how utterly annoying Naruto could be at times. This was one of them. When Kakashi didn't answer, he prodded him more. "Well? Well?" He got louder with each successive word.

"They are all K.I.A." Kakashi said simply, but Epsilon knew that it wasn't so simple for him to say it.

Naruto's eyes got wide for a second, then his face went back to a grin. "Ooo. That sounds real cool."

Sakura looked at Naruto with a twinge of pity and a lot of sadness. "It means killed in action. They all died."

Suddenly, Naruto didn't seem to enthusiastic about getting his name engraved on that stone. His grin slipped off his face and turned into one of sadness. Epsilon glanced at Sasuke to see that his expression too, had become sad. But his was a silent fury sad.

"This is a Memorial Stone. The names of my closest friends are engraved here." There was a long silence, and the information sunk in for the genin. For Kakashi, it was filled with memories. The Jounin then looked back at his pupils with his back still turned. "Alright. I'm going to give you one more chance." He turned to face them now. "I'm going to make it much harder for you. You'll have three hours to get a bell. Eat lunch now to build up strength, but Naruto doesn't get any." Naruto made a sour face. "It's your punish for breaking the rules and trying to eat by yourself. And if anyone tries to feed him, " he leaned towards them. "That person will immediately fail." Naruto's jaw dropped in disbelief and he made a strangled noise. "I make the rules, you follow them. Got it?" Without waiting for an answer, he was gone in a puff of smoke.

Sakura and Sasuke quickly picked up their bentos and began to eat in silence. Epsilon was about to do the same when a realisation hit her like a truck. She didn't know how to use chopsticks properly. You would think and avid watcher of anime could do it easy, but not her. She barely had any practice with them, and she refused to make a fool of herself, so she set down the bento gently.

A growl led three heads to turn to Naruto's stomach. "This is no big deal! I could go without eating for days, for weeks! Believe it! This is no big deal!" Epsilon couldn't decide whether he was shouting or just talking loudly, but it didn't matter because his stomach rumbled again. "No problem." He said again, but this time his voice was weaker.

Sasuke swallowed what he was chewing, deep in thought, then glanced at Naruto who was clearly suffering. "Here," he said with a hint a resentment, and held up his bento to the tied boy. Epsilon mentally pumped a fist in the air. They had figured it out without her help. Naruto's eyebrows shot up, mostly in confusion.

"What?" Sakura cut in. Now she too had stopped eating. "No Sasuke you can't do that." She glanced around nervously. "You heard what the sensei said."

"Kakashi's gone. We need to get those bells as a team. If Naruto's hungry, he'll be weak and ineffective. That hurts the team and jeopardizes the mission," he spoke factually.

"Um..." Naruto stared down at him, obviously not quite sure if he had heard right.

Sakura looked down at her own bento. Then she nodded her head, as if she was finalizing a decision she had made. She too offered her lunch to Naruto. His eyes almost bugged out of his head. Then they watered and a wavery smile came to his face, and for the first time, Sakura smiled at him. Epsilon nearly toppled backwards off the stake she was sitting on from the pinkette's action. She had forgotten that part. All three of her teammates looked up at her expectantly. Then it dawned on her. They wanted her to offer her food too.

She sighed and lifted her bento to him too. "Great now we're all holding our food out like a bunch of idiots." She grumbled.

"Okay, thanks." Naruto said, almost as if he were in a daze.

"Don't thank me," Sakura chided lightly. "Just hurry up and eat."

"But isn't that your lunch."

"I'm on a diet," she spoke hesitantly after a few seconds. "I don't eat as much as Sasuke so... Just take it Naruto!"

"I can't take it," his voice was strained. "Because I can't move my hands. You've gotta feed me."

"Huh?!" Sakura shouted.

"Hurry up. He could come back any minute." Sasuke glanced around for any sign of Kakashi.

Sakura's fury was building as was she picked up some rice with chopsticks. "Argh. This is one time only! That's it! I'll never do this again, is that clear?!"

Naruto went back to his grin. "Clear as a bell, Sakura." She put the food up to his mouth and he chomped his mouth and ate it. Sakura gained a disgusted look on her face. He smiled and she grimaced.

A giant cloud of smoke exploded in front of them and they all shielded their eyes. The newly created wind whipped the girls' hair around, making it hard to see. "You!" Kakashi yelled and is face appeared out of the quickly disappearing clouds. Sakura and Naruto screamed in distress while Sasuke looked more determined than ever. Epsilon could only smirk. "You broke the rules. I hope you're ready for the punishment." If Epsilon didn't know better, she would have guessed that Kakashi was a bad guy. He played the part so well.

He made a quick series of hand signs and the sky darkened. Lightning flashed up in the newly formed rain heavy clouds. "Any last words?" He spoke darkly. Sasuke looked ready to fight and Sakura sat on the ground with her hands covering her head, whimpering pitifully. Naruto looked scared to death, but Epsilon was perfectly at ease.

"B-but y-you s-said-" Naruto started. Kakashi tilted his head, almost as if this were a horror anime.

"Yes?" His eyes were ferocious. This was truly thrilling.

"You said there were four of us! That's what you said and that's why, Sakura and Sa..." His voice died when he lost his confidence.

"We're all on this squad and we're all in it together," Sasuke finished.

Hearing Sasuke speak seemed to give Sakura just enough courage to speak too. "Yeah! We gave our lunch to him because the four of us are one!"

"And if one of us falls," Epsilon decided to let herself say something inspirational. "Than the rest of us falls with them."

"Yeah yeah yeah yeah!" Naruto shouted. "Believe it! That's right!"

"The four of you are one?" Kakashi said mockingly and walked closer to the group. "That's your excuse?" He placed his hands on his hips and leaned down, towering over them still.

After a few moments passed, he smiled, or at least Epsilon thought is was a smile through the fabric. The dark clouds behind him parted and gave way to the sun. "You pass." His voice was suddenly cheerfully calm, even with a hit of happiness.

Sakura and Naruto were both stunned, but Sasuke still looked suspicious.

Oh man, he got you four good, didn't he? Epsilon spoke to Sasuke, making sure it seemed like it wasn't coming from her.

"You, pass," Kakashi said again, slower this time like he was talking to toddlers. Though with this group, he might as well be.

"What do you mean? How'd we pass?" Sakura was the first to speak.

"You're the first squad that ever succeeded. The others did exactly what I said, and fell into every trap. They couldn't think for themselves. A ninja must see through deception." Kakashi glanced at Epsilon, who in his eyes, was eerily calm throughout the whole test. "In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. That's true. But, those who abandon their friends, are worse than scum."

Sakura smiled widely, Naruto looked as if he was about to cry, and Sasuke smirked with satisfaction. Even Epsilon couldn't help but look mildly pleased. "He's uh," Naruto started, his voice wavering from holding back tears. "You know, he's kinda cool."

"The exercise is over. Everyone passes." He gave them all a thumbs up. "Squad Seven starts its first mission tomorrow."

"Yes!" Sakura cheered.

Naruto was actually crying now. "I did it! I did it! Believe it! I'm a ninja! Ninja! Ninja!"

"Let's go home," Kakashi said real epic like, then turned and walked into the sunset with Sasuke and Sakura right behind him.

Epsilon smirked back at a completely annoyed and still tied up Naruto. She tugged out and kunai and threw it at him. It hit the wood by his head. "I'm sure you can handle it from here." She turned and ran before he could start screaming profanities at her.

~~~~~~~~

A/N:

Fifteen pages everyone! Most of my other chapter have been around 10, so this is a special one that I hope you enjoyed. It's mainly to make up for my lack of updates during the summer. Now that school has started again, I don't even know when I'll get back to working on it. I do love this story, so I will try my best!

~Violet out!