Aoi walked silently as Naruto filled his silence with meaningless chatter. Naruto didn't seem too nervous about the survival test, because he judged Kakashi based solely on how he was hit with that eraser. On strict instruction, Aoi wasn't allowed to tell Naruto of Kakashi's true skill. Aoi just walked silently while his roommate chattered endlessly.

When they got to the clearing, instead of standing near the others, Aoi sat on one of the three posts in a crouch. The others chatted amiably, or what Aoi considered so, and he looked on. It was mostly Naruto talking, but Sakura was trying to get Sasuke's attention as well. Sasuke just sat there apathetically. Eventually, Naruto and Sasuke began to just glare at eachother and Sakura came up to Aoi.

"Hello Aoi-kun!" Aoi looked down at her and nodded slightly. His hair hadn't been cut since he had come here, and it hung shaggily in his face and halfway past his shoulder blades. Sakura blushed when she caught a glimpse of Aoi's blue eyes. "What did you do last night?"

There was a small silence, only ruined by Naruto's incessent yelling at Sasuke. Finally Aoi spoke, "I slept."

"Really?" Sakura beamed at the conversation she had going, no matter how one sided it was. "Aren't you even worried about fighting Kakashi-sensei?"

"Why would I be worried?" Aoi's head tilted slightly.

Sakura almost fainted at the 'cuteness' of it, but she recovered. "You're right! After all, you're so strong and cool."

The conversation continued like this for some time, but after a while all of them, ommiting Aoi, grew bored. They sat around lazily, except Sasuke, who was standing the same as he had been the whole time. Aoi sat on the post, and because of this was the first to see Kakashi approaching. He gave no sign of it though, and soon Kakashi joined them.

"Yo!" He waved carelessly at them, one hand stuffed in his pocket and shoulders relaxing lazily.

Naruto and Sakura jumped up, "You're late!" They chorused.

"Sorry, a black cat crossed my path and I had to take the long way around."

"How did you do that?" Aoi looked at his two hyperactive teammates.

"Do what?" The chorused again and turned to Aoi.

"Talk at the same time." Aoi stared at them blankly. The two gaped much like fish out of water before their mouths snapped shut rather audibly. There was the slightest sign of a snicker from Sasuke, but it was quickly covered. Aoi's question got no further response.

"Anyways, let's start the test." Kakashi said, blowing off the entire conversation. He set a timer on the post next to Aoi. "This timer is set for noon. You're goal is to get these bells from me before then." This accompanied with the jingle of two bells.

"But Kakashi-sensei, there are only two bells!" Sakura stated obviously.

"This is to ensure one of you will be tied to the post. If you fail to get a bell, then I'll eat my lunch in front of you." He seemed to think a moment. "Now that I think about it though, there are four of you..." The thoughtfull look soon cleared from his face however and he clapped his hands and reached in his pocket. "Luckily, I have a third bell!"

He tossed it to Aoi, who quickly caught it. Aoi sat a moment, studying the bell. The other three stood confused, wondering why Aoi had just been given the third bell. Sakura was the one to voice the thought.

"Kakashi-sensei, why did you give Aoi a bell?" Kakashi's dull gaze fell on her.

"Hmm? Oh, well I know Aoi's skills. The three of you are more of a mystery however. I suppose if you can get the bell from Aoi then you can keep it though." He glanced them over. "None of you beat him in the academy though, so I wouldn't count on that."

Sasuke glared a little before scoffing, Sakura stood there in awe of Aoi, and Naruto was just getting angrier by the moment.

"That's unfair, believe it!" Naruto shouted at Kakashi.

Kakashi ignored Naruto somewhat though, "The loudest dogs are always the weakest. Let's not worry about him and get started with the test."

Naruto snapped and pulled out a kunai, "I'll kill you!" He began to charge Kakashi. Kakashi, with his speed, managed to grab the hand with Naruto's kunai and point it at the base of his skull. Naruto had kept hold of his kunai and one move from Kakashi could end his life. All three gulped audibly.

"I hadn't said start yet. You came at me with the intent to kill however." Kakashi gave a closed eye smile, "I think I'm starting to like you all." He released Naruto and stood back from the three on the ground. "Now then. Ready?" The three shifted slightly, "Go~!" Kakashi pracitally sang.

Sasuke and Sakura fled to take cover while Naruto moved and faced Kakashi head on. Aoi just stayed stock-still on his post. As Naruto began his fight with Kakashi, a kunai was shot at Aoi. Moving rather slowly, for him, he caught the kunai between two fingers before it had the chance of hitting him. Before the others that followed closely after the original could strike him, Aoi had a firm hold on the weapon and deflected them all. Looking in the direction from which they had been shot, Aoi saw Sasuke.

Sasuke froze, not sure what to do. Aoi made no move to attack however, and Sasuke soon relaxed. He moved a few feet from the tree he had been on, but continued to watch Naruto and Kakashi's match.

Naruto was soon dangling from a tree by his feet. Kakashi appeared, picking up the bell. Naruto began to yell at Kakashi about whatever came to mind, but in response Kakashi just stated.

"Shinobi must see underneath the underneath."

"I know that, believe it!" Naruto shouted, bouncing on the rope.

"I'm telling you because you don't." There was the barest hint of a sweatdrop, until kunai flashed forth. Kakashi had done a kawarimi, but both Naruto and Sakura cried out in fright. When it was discovered by the two, Sakura quickly fled, knowing her spot was compromised. Soon it was only Naruto left, and reaching in his pouch, he cut himslef down.

He would have seemed cool if he didn't immediately get caught in the same trap. Naruto hung there a few minutes by his feet, seemingly in thought. Finally he looked over at Aoi.

"Why did you get a bell?"

"I don't know." Aoi lied easily.

"That just isn't fair!" Naruto huffed in annoyance. "We have to fight Kakashi, and you can just sit there!"

"I don't have to just sit here," Aoi looked at Naruto from under his shock of hair.

Naruto mumbled something about a haircut before speaking louder. "Then why are you doing just that?"

"I'm waiting."

"What are you waiting for?" Naruto looked rather curious by now, though he was still hanging upside down, making the entire conversation rather awkward.

"I can't tell you." A silence stretched between the two after this, and they just looked at eachother while that sank in.

"Eeeh? Why can't you tell me?!" Naruto shouted, pointing down at Aoi.

"I can't tell you."

"How secret is this supposed to be!? Give me a hint, c'mon!" Aoi shook his head at Naruto's words. "Not even a tiny one?" Again, a shake of the head. "Fine." Naruto humphed a little in annoyance. Eventually, Naruto cut himself down again and ran off.

Aoi didn't wait long before Naruto was tied to the post next to him. There was no conversation between them, and soon the timer sounded noon. Everyone gathered, and soon Kakashi was staring at the genin upset.

"You all look hungry. About the training though..." Kakashi looked them over, "there's no reason you three need to be sent back to the academy."

"Then all four of us?" Naruto yelled excitedly, the other two in celebration as well. Aoi just sat to the side blankly.

Kakashi smiled. "Yup! The three of you, should quit as shinobi!"

"Quit as shinobi?! So we couldn't get a bell, but why to we have to quit?!" Naruto yelled angrily. Aoi looked at him, wondering at the emotion. But even not understanding, he knew it was wrong to interrupt here.

"Because all of you are just punks who don't deserve to be shinobi." Sasuke's anger was roiling now as well. He charged Kakashi, only to end up face down with Kakashi sitting on his back, arm twisted behind his back. "That's why you're a punk."

Kakashi looked up, finally showing his own anger. "Are you underestimating shinobi? Why do you think you were divided into teams for training?"

"What are you talking about?" Sakura spoke for the group. She was the only one to have retained her temper.

"You guy's aren't understanding the answer to this test."

"Answer?" Naruto looked a little taken aback.

Kakashi's expression was controlled now as he looked at the two whom he wasn't sitting on. By now Aoi was completely forgotten from the conversation. Sakura looked aprehensive as she spoke, "So... what was the answer?"

"Geez," Kakashi looked down before looking up angrily. "It's teamwork!" All of them were slightly shocked. Aoi mainly because he didn't really understand that word. "The four of you working together would have been able to get the bells, no problem."

"Then why are there only three bells here!?" Sakura shouted out defiantly.

"It was to set you up for the argument. The purpose was to see whether or not you could forget about your own interests and work together successfully.Yet Sakura, instead of Naruto who was right in front of you, you thought only of Sasuke, who was farther away. Naruto, you were just running around by yourself. Sasuke, you just assumed the others would get in the way and tried to do everything yourself. Missions are done by teams. Individual skill is important, but teamwork is even more so." Kakashi started rummaging in his pouch. "Individual play disrupts the team and can get you or your team killed. For example, Sakura!" She flinched back as Kakashi put a kunai to Sasuke's throat, "Kill Naruto or Sasuke dies!"

There was worry through all the team, especially with Naruto. "If a hostage is taken, you have tough choices and then die. You'll be risking your lives in these duties." He got up and walked to the stone monument behind him, "This monument has the names of shinobi who were recognized as heroes of the village, but they aren't normal heroes."

"I've decided! I want my name on that stone! What kind of heroes are they?!" Naruto shouted out stupidly.

"Those that were killed in action. My best friend's name is carved here." All three were completely sobered by this point in the conversation." He turned back and faced them. "I'll give you one more chance after lunch. Don't give any to Naruto though, because he tried to eat without everyone."

"Wait!" Sakura yelled out. Kakashi regarded her and she went on, "If the point was teamwork, then why did you just give a bell to Aoi? In fact, he hasn't really been in the conversation at all!"

"Aoi is different from you three. Raised outside the village, he is already at a higher level than you. I tested him yesterday to be sure of this." All three's eyes widened, but the end of the fight was with-held from them. "I gave Aoi a bell in the hopes that one of you would ask him for help. If you had, he would have simply handed you the bell. This is what I spoke with him about yesterday. The fact he already had a bell made him seem like an opponent, but a shinobi must see underneath the underneath." All three's eyes widened at the hint Kakashi had blantantly given earlier. "Now then, I'll leave you to lunch, and remember not to give Naruto any."

Kakashi left quickly and the three just sat there a moment. By the time Sakura and Sasuke reached for the lunches, they noticed that the three had turned into two. Looking up, they saw Aoi already had a lunch in his hand and was eating it with the other. I didn't even see him move! All three thought in unison.

"Heh, I don't need food! I'm fine not ea-" Naruto was cut off by his stomach growling loudly. Sasuke regarded him for a moment before holding out his food with a grunt.

"Here, you'll just slow us down if your hungry."

Following Sasuke's lead, Sakura held her lunch out as well. "I'm on a diet anyways."

Naruto ate no more than three mouthfulls until a hand was shoved in his face. Aoi held rice in the palm, and though all three were shocked, Naruto ate it.

Even more unexpected was when Aoi spoke. "I'm not sure about my emotion, or that of others, but this seems like a good place to start. If understanding comes though actions, then perhaps I'll grow to understand by doing some of the same things as you all." Aoi's mouth twitched up in an imitation of a smile that he had seen others do. "And maybe you can understand me soon as well."

Kakashi poofed into existance not 5 feet from the small group. "You guys!" They all jumped in fright, but Aoi jumped into action. He was startled and was soon on Kakashi's back with the man in a chokehold. Kakashi bent down from Aoi's weight, but once Aoi got hold of the situation, he released Kakashi. Kakashi simply smiled. "You all pass!"

After getting over the shock of seeing Aoi with Kakashi in a chokehold, they became confused with Kakashi's words.

"You guys are the first to pass. Even Aoi got the point of the lesson it seems." Kakashi's lips seemed to form the slightest smile, but his eye held a sadness. "Those who break the shinobi codes are called trash, but those who abandon their comrades... They're worse than trash."

All of them were incredibly happy, and were soon walking off. "Wait! I knew this would happen!" Naruto called out. "Untie me! Oi!" He flinched to the side as a blur was seen from Aoi's retreating back and then there was a kunai embedded hilt deep in the trunk near Naruto's arm. The ropes loosened after being cut, and after recovering from his initial shock, Naruto ran after them. The kunai still sat in the bark, the only sign other than the rope that today had happened and that Aoi was there.

_+_

So yeah, a shorter chapter, but nothing else could really be put. Aoi didn't do much either. I wrote, deleted, and rewrote this chapter several times, but I'm still not satisfied with it. A lot is just copied dialogue too... -_-' All in all, I don't like this chapter. It had to be done though... I suppose.

Well, If you've read through that, and are still reading, I have an honest to goodness question. So, Naruto and his classmates are thought to have always been in the same class, right? But then, when Iruka catches Naruto after painting the Hokage Monument, he says something along the lines of this being his third time to take the test. If we assume that the academy has it's graduation exam every year, then wouldn't Naruto have taken the first test when he was about 10 or 11? If so, does that mean Naruto is advanced in his learning? Going even futher, does that mean that the rest of Naruto's class, who we assume hasn't changed any, also failed those three times? It's been plaguing my mind for some time, but I'm too lazy to look it up. If you read to here, then thanks!

Please comment/eat/vote/fan/sleep/add! Two of those are essential after all.

-Nicky~