11 Rebirth of the Uchiha Chapter 11

"...Team Seven will consist of Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura Haruno-" A joint cheer and groan interrupted Iruka, who found himself staring at a clan head attempting to sink into the ground without the aid of ninjutsu and a pinkette trying to glomp him. "...and... Uzumaki Naruto..." who was currently laughing his head off. "Back to business. Team Eight will be Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino, under Yuuhi Kurenai. Team Nine is still active, so Team Ten will consist of Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chouji and Yamanaka Ino, under Sarutobi Asuma."

Naruto glanced over at his new teammates, beaming as he leaned over to talk to Sasuke. "Looks like I was right, eh? And you said it'd never work." he whispered smugly. Sasuke rolled his eyes, one hand still trying to fend off his #1 fan (despite Ino's grab for the title). "Extenuating circumstances. You had to pull off some really unlikely shit back in the forest. The bet is null and void." Naruto stuck a tongue out in response, as Iruka finished announcing the last of the teams.

"Take an hour for lunch and then report back here to meet your Jounin sensei. Dismissed." concluded Iruka, his students dispersing. "Team Seven, wait here for just a few minutes." he hastily amended, seeing the two boys headed straight for the window, Sakura confusedly clutching a log. The three of them gathered in front of him, Naruto being the first to speak.

"What's up, Iruka-sensei? Is this something to do with the sensei you forgot to mention?" he asked, the picture of innocence. Iruka made note to check his desk for a special 'goodbye' prank, nodding in response.

"Yes, actually. You see, genin teams assigned here have to complete a final exam before officially becoming shinobi and being elligible for missions. In your case, your sensei has asked to begin your test today, instead of tomorrow, with the other students." he offered, rubbing the back of his head and smiling as their faces fell. "Cue screaming in 3...2...1."

"WHAT?!" chorused all three, aghast. "You mean we went through all that sh-" "-the damned council will take me by the b-" -we're already qualified for-" The three voices overlapped in mangled protests. Iruka pointedly stared at the clock, waiting for them to get it out of their systems. Although...

"Did I mention there's a time limit involved?" he smiled, somewhat evilly as they all stopped mid-rant. "Better. Now, as I was saying, you have until 8pm to complete your test." His expression grew more serious. "That gives you a little under six hours, after which you will fail and be sent back to the academy for a year's extra training." he continued, all three instantly shutting down at this bit of news.

"Wait, seriously, Iruka-sensei? Tell me you're joking. This-this is payback for the Oiroke no Jutsu, isn't it?" Iruka shook his head, trying not to think too hard about that particular instance. "I'm afraid not, Naruto. Now, the details of your test are in here," he said, handing a scroll to Sasuke. "Good luck." he offered before running through hand seals and vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Carefully, Sasuke unrolled it, noting the hokage's seal at the bottom, growling as he read further.

"To my potential students,

Shinobi were originally trained as infiltrators and information gatherers rather than one-man armies. It was something that could be achieved without even the smallest measure of chakra. Any students of mine must be observant, intelligent and creative. To that end, your test is as follows;

Find out who I am.

You can use any means or contacts at your disposal, aside from Umino-san or Hokage-sama, who already know me. I will not leave Konohagakure during this time. Your only clues; I know all three of you, your skills and connections and I had something of a reputation for vandalism before Uzumaki-san took my title. When you believe you have found me, report to me directly, as Team Seven.

Good luck."

Naruto gaped dumbly as Sasuke clenched his teeth and re-rolled the scroll detailing their 'mission', giving a voice to the team's collective opinion.

"Fucking asshole."

SCENE BREAK

2:02 pm, Konoha Shinobi Academy

The trio stood on the roof, making their plans. "So, we split up to cover more ground, Naruto provides clones for backup for each of us, and when we find the target, the clone breaks off to find the other two. Naruto clones should have a copy of the Bingo Book, but be careful with it. If we don't find anything by 5, meet back here to make a new plan." Sasuke concluded, Naruto nodding and Sakura looking confused.

"But aren't clones just illusions, Sasuke-kun?" The Uchiha groaned and looked at the girl. "Normally, yes, but Naruto has a technique to produce solid clones. Naruto?" The blond smirked, prducing a cloud of smoke that obscured the roof. When it cleared, three Sakuras and three Sasukes stood there, one of each looking confused. One of the Sasukes shrugged non-commitally.

"Let's face it, you're more likely to make a good impression on most people than I am, 'specially if we're looking for someone." he offered. Sasuke gritted his teeth, looking at the watch he'd... borrowed and deciding it wasn't worth getting into.

With a subtle nod to one another, the groups broke off, heading in three different directions.

2:45 pm, Konoha market street

"So you have no idea, then? No idea who it could be?" asked Sakura, making use of her parent's reputation to try and wheedle some answers out of the civilians running the market. The man standing behind the counter shrugged helplessly. "Sorry, but most of us don't really pay attention to the ninja side of things until we're hirng them. Except for those ones working at the academy or the tower or somewhere like that."

Dejectedly, Sakura and her personal Sasuke clone turned back, leaving the shop. What were the odds of finding their would-be sensei in a bookstore anyway, especially one with an ADULTS ONLY sign covering half its shelves?

3:34 pm, Hokage Tower

"Is there any way for us to check the records? See who Hokage-sama was talking to about the team assignments?" Sasuke asked, the Hokage's receptionist staring at him, brow arched. Sakura Clone squirmed uncomfortably under the woman's gaze.

"Why exactly do you need to know about the Hokage's private meetings?" she asked, a strange tone entering her voice. Something along the lines of 'answer incorrectly and you will hurt'; Sasuke could attest to that being a thing, as the son of the Military Police Chief. Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, before his companion piped up.

"Myself and Sasuke-kun got this note from our sensei and we need to get that information in order to become genin." she smiled sweetly, Sasuke growing more and more disturbed with how well his best friend could impersonate members of the opposite sex.

A smirk appeared on the older woman's face. "Ah, yes, so you're Team Seven, then." "Most of it," chirped Sakura Clone. "We just need to pass this and we'll be a team!" she squealed, Sasuke slowly edging away from the noise.

The smirk was now a full-blown evil smile. "Ah, yes, Hokage-sama mentioned you would be coming and gave me some strict instructions, " she continued, dropping a scroll onto her desk, almost as large as the Forbidden Scroll. "This is all you'll be getting from us. This is the list of every shinobi to speak with the Hokage in the last forty-eight hours. I hope you're quick studies." she cackled, tossing the scroll to Sasuke, who nearly buckled under its weight.

As the prospective genin left, mumbling threats against herself, the Hokage and anyone else that came to mind, she calmly sipped her tea. "That was far more fun than it had any right to be. I hope they pass, even the Uzumaki brat, little troublemaker. We were the same way once, eh, Mikoto, Kushina?"

4:48 pm, Konoha Shinobi Library

Naruto (cunningly disguised as Sasuke, whose mannerisms he could perfectly copy) groaned and found himself clutching the bridge of his nose. This was so goddamned annoying! He could find the address of any civilian he wanted, but the whole secrecy thing tended to make shinobi paranoid to the point many of them listed their postal express as bars or restaurants they frequented. While sensible, it also put the kibosh on Naruto's plans. All he had was a set of lists, 'Likely', 'Less Likely' and 'No, Just No'.

Seeing the librarian staring at him oddly, Naruto signalled his clone and they readied themselves to leave. He could scarcely imagine the problems it would cause if the 'Demon' was found to be impersonating the Uchiha clan head and all-round genius.

The librarian was baffled. Why was the Uchiha clan head wandering around with a 'kick me' sign on his back?

5:03 pm, Konoha Shinobi Academy

"So, in summation, we're absolutely no closer to finding out who our sensei is going to be. Wondeful." grunted Sasuke as the Naru-corps began cross-referencing the lists from the library with the one from the Hokage tower. Sakura and Naruto stood in front of him, one dejected, the other indignant. "Calm down, teme. We got some info, and it's better than nothing." retorted the blond, who had dismissed one of his clones for trying to prank him.

"...Fine. But only because we're on a time limit. Let's check the test scroll again." Unfurling the scroll and scanning it with his bloodline, Sasuke found himself experiencing the strangest sensation of deja vu. 'Why is this so familiar?"

"...and I'm telling you, we won't be put on a team with the old man!" "But the pattern fits! Dead last who's actually not that bad, kunoichi with perfect chakra control, and genius who's weird and pale! It totally fits!" Sasuke's eye twitched as the clones' conversation drifted back to him.

"Would it be weird for me to strangle you in front of you, Naruto?" he asked, as politely as possible. He was waved off by the blond, who was now engrossed in the 'mission' scroll. "Go ahead. They're being assholes today, anyway. I must be hungry or something..."

"I've got it!" came the cry as Sasuke fanned away the smoke from the most annoying of the clones. The original, unfortunately, was harder to deal with at times, as he dragged him back to the cheering pinkette.

"ANBU! Whoever wrote this knows us well, and the ANBU are always assigned to keep watch over the academy and festivals, and they work at your compound, too! We're going to be trained by ANBU!" she squealed, trying to cuddle up to Sasuke, who hid behind Naruto.

"We still have to find them, though. Don't go celebrating just yet, Sakura," Sasuke interrupted her gleeful exclamations with his usual brand of stoicism and mild annoyance. "We still need some kind of a plan. Do you have any ideas?" he continued, turning to his best friend. The grin on the Uzumaki's face was threatening to split his head in two.

"I might have something in mind..."

6:17 pm, ANBU barracks Delta entrance, Konoha forests

"This is so stupid. So very stupid," muttered Sasuke, as Naruto landed on the branch beside him, hood up, clutching a bag almost as big as himself. "You really think this will work?" he asked skeptically, as Sakura clambered up to the same branch, her role as scout finished with. Naruto just laughed, as a siren came from inside the building.

"Just watch. I'm gonna use tact. And diplomacy and shit." he grinned. Sasuke rolled his eyes, seeing the entry guards readying themselves to move. "Yeah, we are most definitely screwed."

"Stand down!" came a voice, attached to a person, attached to the knife at an unconcerned Naruto's throat. The man turned the three genin around slowly, his face covered with what looked to be a pink towel. "Fuck's sake, Uzumaki, why'd you-" he began, before touching a hand to the communication device in his ear. "Call off the search, Naruto did it- what? No, I don't know how! Because I haven't asked- how am I supposed to ask if you won't shut up? Goodbye!" he barked, before looking back at the smirking genin.

"Heya, Kame-san? How've things been back at base?" "You are in so much trouble, brats." Naruto just grinned wider. "Actually, we're not. You see, we have a document which has been authorised as a mission by the Hokage. Any problems you have with our completing our mission objectives have to be taken up with him rather than us." he elaborated, ignoring the incredulous looks he was getting from all present.

"Anyways, here's what we need. We need to question all of the ANBU members who spoke with the Hokage about the possibility of leading a genin team, in the next hour and... forty minutes. Organise this, and you get your masks back." Kame snorted at that. "Oh, is that all. I'll see what I can do as soon as you give me back the damn masks." he offered, the four of them now approaching the barracks entrance. He began muttering under his breath as he replaced his mask. "...really seeing how much he can pull with that damn Jounin rank..."

Sasuke nudged Naruto as they waited. "I still say this was a stupid idea."

7:28 pm, ANBU barracks Delta entrance, Konoha forests

"Shit, that's the last of them. Now what do we do?" moaned Naruto. Sakura was by now panicking, and Sasuke was wearing a path into the forest floor. "I don't know, Uzumaki. Why, did you not have a plan for this in that 'master prankster' brain of yours?" "Hey, this was your idea, and my plan worked great!" "Great's not the word I would use..." "You wanna go a few rounds, bastard? I'll-"

"Shut up!" screamed Sakura. "If you two can't work together, we'll have no chance of passing this test. Get your shit together!" she roared, reddening as she realised what she had just done. The two boys went back to glaring at one another, before Naruto sighed.

"Sakura-chan's right, we've only got like, half an hour left. Besides, the most important thing on a mission is teamwork. Huh, why does that sound familiar..." Sasuke nodded, trying to think. "I remember Iruka-sensei saying something like that when we were talking about the Fourth back during the war..." The three of them looked down at the list in front of them in silence. Naruto, once again, was the first to breach the peace. He did so with the subtlety and nuance he was known for.

"FUCK! Guys, come on!" he bellowed, bursting back towards the village proper. The two shared a look before trying to follow the sprinting blond. Sasuke grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her behind him as the chase moved to the rooftops, ignoring her blush and squeak of embarassment.

Their chase came to a stop at an apartment complex in the north of the village. Sasuke and Sakura, now out of breath, landed next to Naruto, who was counting the apartments with a finger. "Wha-what the he-hell, Uzumaki, what was that about?" panted the Uchiha, trying and failing to glare at him. Naruto gestured for them both to follow him as he started his explanation.

"See, I figured it out when you reminded me of that history lesson. See, our sensei knows about all three of us, and tried to tailor the test to each of us; I'm creative, Sakura-chan, you're intelligent, and Sasuke, you're observant. That means whoever set up the test actually wants us to pass. I can name the adults who'd want me to succeed on one hand and most of them are either civilians or Hokage-sama. Plus, Kame-san was saying something about our sensei trying to see what he can do as a jounin."

"So," continued Sakura, starting to get the picture as they stopped, knocking at one particular door. "That means he's only just moved into the role and wants to see what his rank is capable of doing. So someone who's just become a regular jounin, not someone who's held the rank for a while." That plus the note..."

"The test was to see how well we could deal with having a minimum of information, not just test our ability to locate someone. That plus how well we could work together, seeing as we'd be screwed if we hadn't." concluded Sasuke as they heard the lock being opened. "We had to compare our information and we had to all fill a role for the ANBU infiltration."

"Excellent work. Now there's only one thing left for you three to do, hopefully in the next... four minutes." laughed the spiky-haired man standing in the doorframe, a book in his hand. All three had smiles of varying sizes on their faces as they bowed in respect.

"Team Seven reporting for duty, Iruka-sensei!"