"He fell asleep while waiting for you to get to the point," said Sasuke. "This is the Bell Test isn't it?"
"Well, yes, I pretty much stated that to begin with," admitted Kakashi.
"Right," said Sasuke, frowning as he did something he preferred not to do. Expositionary dialogue. Bleah. "As to your question, did you know that when certain large-scale events occurred the day Naruto was born - that the solution to those events didn't go quite as was advertised?"
Kakashi studied Naruto (who'd managed to fall asleep in mid-lecture) and then Sasuke. A mere glance at Sakura revealed she had absolutely no clue what was going on. "You're referring to S-Class secrets."
Sakura gasped. "S-Class?! That's considered so secret you can't even tell yourself!"
"Uhm, no - actually that's SS-Class," corrected Kakashi. "As for you, Sasuke, how do you even know about that?"
"I was there when Naruto spoke to his mother and father, though he was only able to summon them for a few minutes," said Sasuke. "Which is why he's so tired out now. We were getting intel."
"His father and mother are dead," said Kakashi.
"Yes. Your point?" asked Sasuke, who then paused. "You didn't read the files on Naruto, did you?"
"I read his Academy transcripts and summary," said Kakashi.
"Not impressing us with your ability to gather intel here," said Sasuke. "Just saying."
"But... how can Naruto gather intel from his mother and father if they're dead?" protested Sakura. "Did they leave diaries or something?"
"Good guess," said Sasuke, using his foot to prod Naruto awake. "Hey. It's the Bell Test."
"Oh," said Naruto, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "Why couldn't it have been the Simulated Mission or Scavenger Hunt?"
Kakashi blinked. "Okay, now that everyone's awake. So when I say 'start' - you have to come after me with everything you have. Start!"
Sakura looked to Sasuke. Sasuke just grunted and went into a taijutsu stance, getting between Kakashi and Naruto.
"Naruto. Do it," said Sasuke.
"Right!" said Naruto, slapping his hands together in quick hand-seals that looked Wrong somehow.
"Why is it suddenly colder? Why is the light getting dimmer? Is this a genjutsu?" asked Sakura.
"No," said Kakashi, taking a small leap back and going into a defensive stance himself. Whatever Naruto was doing was NOT a genjutsu. Come to think of it, it wasn't that the hand-seals were just incorrect. There was something fundamentally wrong about them.
A wind whipped through the clearing, then settled down to a thin breeze that seemed to cause the leaves on the trees to settle into constant whispering.
Sakura turned her back to Naruto and Sasuke, trying to watch everything around her. "Is this... something Naruto's doing?"
"He's summoning the spirits of the dead to aid us, calling in favors owed," said Sasuke.
Kakashi Hatake reached up and slid his forehead protector back enough that he could look with his Sharingan eye. If this is a genjutsu after all, I'll be able to see. Nope. Not a genjutsu. Space/time alteration, but the rift in the air is... There's Obito and Rin. Oh, this is not good.
Kakashi, whispered Obito Uchiha, stepping closer. We have things to discuss.
"I... how did we pass?" asked Sakura.
"Hnn," indicated Sasuke, more than happy to pass the dialogue duties on to Naruto.
"How much did you see?" asked Naruto.
"Not much, there was the wind, then I saw..." Sakura thought back to before she fainted. "Then I woke up and Kakashi-sensei was unconscious and you had the bells."
"Ah," said Naruto, sitting a bowl of ramen on the table. "It's like this. Kakashi-sensei wasn't ready for my special jutsu."
"It was a genjutsu right?" asked Sakura. "I thought you weren't any good at genjutsu."
"I'm not," admitted Naruto.
"But you managed to produce that gate and those shapes..." Sakura looked to Sasuke and then Naruto, noticing the flat looks both were giving her. "That was real?"
Naruto and Sasuke nodded.
"I see," said Sakura, reaching for a cup and missing. On the second try she managed to grab it, but some spilled over from her shaking.
Sasuke shook his head. He really wasn't sure this 'team' thing would work out.
"Kakashi? Why do you look more pale than usual? Why are you shaking?" asked one of the chunin guards.
"S-Class secrets," said Kakashi, who then pointed at the door. "Is he in?"
"Yes," said the Hokage's voice through the door. "Come in, Kakashi. I think we have much to discuss."
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(Posted Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:18)
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