Chapter Four

-Kakashi Pov-

This was hell.

The forest was burning, Burning!

I dashed to the side, avoiding another fireball that burned the tips my hair and my hand shot up to push the blade that was going for my head like the merciless weapon that it was. It was just a weapon after all. The real problem was the one using it.

One Sasuke Uchiha was scary. The traps that were set up around the whole damn forest were not only double layered, but triple layered. Log coming my way? It explodes. Kunai being launched at me? They had wire on them to restrain him... And they explode!

Why do I have to have the pyromaniac on my team? Was this revenge from the Hokage because he failed all the other times? The bells were thankfully still on me. But they were only there because they weren't aiming for them, they were aiming for me.

And it has only been an hour and a half!

Jumping from the ground, I avoided a clone of Naruto that lounged at me... It exploded.

Dear Log, I was going to die. If I went all out, they would fall quickly but this wasn't about me winning, this was about their teamwork. And I had to admit, they were working together very well. With Naruto acting as a distraction, Sakura throwing projectiles and Sasuke leading him to traps that I could swear weren't there a second before, they made a very good pursuit and destroy squad.

They already passed and I dreaded the enemies that would face the three of them. The only problem was that I was the one facing them right now.

Sasuke came back in again, his sword clashing with my Kunai one more time as a volley of the same weapons as mine flew towards us. Our clash ended as I backed off but contrary to my expectations, Sasuke perused the Kunai passing through him like they weren't even real.

My eye widened in realization, I was under a Genjutsu. My chakra stopped and pulsed dispelling it and I traced the source from the Uchiha that was chasing me. But when? Sharingan? No, his eyes never changed color but then when? Our blades connected again and I felt it, his blade was traced with chakra that spread to my kunai and entered my system.

It was unnoticeable in the heat of battle but it was very effective. And I saw the fruits of it, but this time it was a single Kunai heading towards them with an explosion tag attached. This wouldn't work twice. My chakra stilled again and pulsed, this time however, the kunai didn't disappear, passing in between the two of us.

My eyes widened when Sasuke caught the damned thing and activated the tag that was still in his hand. His sword came from below cutting the string that was attached to the tag and knocking my kunai upward simultaneously. He let go of the sword again and grabbed the tag, it didn't take long for him to start pivoting on his heel and attach the explosive tag on my right hand sleeve.

This little shit!

My foot connected to the said shits chest, sending him back into the woods, disappearing from my sight as I reached for my right sleeve. Gripping the cloth, I pulled, ripping the sleeve off the rest of my shirt and tossing it to the side. The damned time bomb exploded a few feet from me, sending me flying back. I hit something, probably a tree and immediately got to my feet.

The clearing, as small as it was, got eerily quiet. My senses didn't provide any information so I resorted to smell. Still nothing.

Paranoia hit me like one of the legendary Sannin. What were those little devils up to? I felt the urge to uncover my other eye, but that would hurt my pride. They were just Genin, fresh out of the academy... So why were they so good at traps?!

Suddenly, he felt a flicker of chakra and looked in the direction it came from. I immediately spotted Sasuke but there was something different about him, looking closer, I could see that he cast no shadow, meaning this was an illusion clone.

Suddenly I felt uneasy as the clone smiled... Smiled! and made a half Ram seal. The sound of something sizzling hit me like a wave, and it came from everywhere.... Oh, I was so done.

"You little-"

The clearing exploded.

Thankfully, I was already underground, using hiding like a mole Jutsu. I passed through the ground like it was water, moving around with mastered ease. Instincts, cultivated by the war and then Anbu flared and I hurried to surface. As soon as my foot landed on the solid ground, I reinforced it with Chakra and dashed to the trees as the ground exploded behind me, chunks of dirt and pebbles flew past me as I landed on the trees, turning to stare at the craters that were previously smooth ground... How the hell did they get those tags in there? And how many more traps were there in this forest?!

"What are they feeding kid's these days?"

I muttered, staring horrified at the destruction before me. To create craters like that one would need the highest grade explosive tags, those things could take down castle walls with ease.

"Apples and a good amount of juice."

My single eye turned to my right where Sasuke was sitting cross legged on a tree branch, looking at their handy work.

My hand flew to my Kunai Pouch... Which was no longer there. Ignoring that little fact, My hand flew to my thigh holster, taking out the single kunai there and flinging it towards the little shit.

The deadly piece of refines steel flew through the air and dug into his neck, only for him to burst into smoke. Oh, he knew shadow clones too? Neat. That was added to the pile of problems that was known as Team seven.

The trees around me burst into smoke as I looked up to see dozen copies of Naruto coming straight towards me.

Before I could jump away, I felt the branch I was standing on give out and my eye turned to Sasuke who was cutting the same branch I was standing on. In the corner of my eye I saw those damned Kunai with explosive tags attached to them and a patch of pink hair...

I couldn't even Substitute with either of them. Sasuke could probably escape, but I didn't want to risk it, Sakura wasn't as physically fit as the other two and the Original Naruto might be with those clones... So I did the only thing I could, substituted myself with a Log. Also knows and shinobi lifeline.

Whatever would I do without the trusty Log?

I looked up at the sky for a moment, checking the position of the sun. There is about an hour left. Taking a deep breath, I exhaled. The kiddie gloves were coming off.

My chakra pulsed, spreading through my body and I burst into action. Concentrating Chakra into my nose, I sniffed the air a few times, locating Naruto and Sakura and a second later Sasuke too. It only made sense, they probably didn't know about my Ninken contract. Having a good nose was basically a requirement.

Ignoring the two boys, I used my enhanced speed to go for the weakest link between the three. Sakura.

As I got closer, I could see her face turn to fear, then determination. Grabbing a kunai from that endless bag of hers, she swung it at me. Although, it was so slow from the lack of conditioning that I dodged it automatically and knocked her out with a well placed chop to the neck.

She dropped like a lifeless puppet. though she was still alive, thankfully.

Turning around, I stared at the wide eyes of Naruto and calm expression of Sasuke as silence fell on the field. It didn't take long for Naruto to shout out in anger and swarm the clearing with Shadow Clones and Sasuke sighed.

He seemed to realize that the teamwork they had been displaying, as minimal as it was relaying on the traps more then each other and coincidences as it were, was gone.

The clones dashed forward and I replaced myself with one of the clones that was at the back of the horde. Leaving the still enraged clones of the blonde behind, I dashed at my two problematic students.

Naruto was the first to rush me like an enraged berserker, swinging his fists around wildly. None of the hit me, naturally, but at least there was an attempt. They already passed, so I needed to wrap this up.

With a quick application of force on the back of the blondes neck, he was out like a light, much like his female teammate.

Now my gaze fell on Sasuke Uchiha, the last of the three.

"Maa, you three fell apart very quickly."

He just grunted and shrugged, as if agreeing to my point and simultaneously admitting that there was nothing he could do about it. Couldn't he at least dignify me with words?

"Well, I wasn't expecting much, anyway, they did provide adequate level of assistance considering their skill level."

Thank you, you little shit.

"Well, aren't you arrogant?"

He rolled his eyes and I dashed towards him. My chakra enhanced speed didn't catch him by surprise as his blade came up in an attempt to meet my face with it's business end.

A single swing of my hand shoved the blade aside, knocking it out of his hand and leaving him defenseless, that action did slow me down though and the Uchiha took full advantage of that by preforming a cartwheel in an effort to hit my chin with his legs. Tilting my head to the side to avoid the the desperate attack, I perused and grabbed the hem of his shirt. As I was about to dash to a tree and slam him into it for a little revenge, he brought his right leg up above my arm and over it.

Instantly he straightened it and positioned it on the back of my head. Using my head as leverage he tried to hit my outstretched leg but his feet came just short of it and I proceeded with slamming him head first into a tree with enough force to knock him out.

What was he trying to do there?

Looking at the knocked out kid in my hand, I replayed the encounter in my head. If that his leg connected with mine with enough force I would fall, naturally, but with his leg still on my head the force I would hit the ground with would hurt.

But he would need to be taller then he is right now to preform such a thing.

Sighing at the predicament, I threw him on my shoulder as he his hands dangled over my back and walked towards the two other knocked out Genin. These three would be very problematic.

-Sasuke Pov-

As I came to, my eyelids flew open and I was staring at a very beat up Kakashi. I couldn't see the bells on him anywhere so they must have been lost in one of those... dozen explosions.

He seemed very irked for some unknown reason as he leaned down, bringing his face close to mine, his single eye looking very iritated.

"Since when do you know how to use Shadow Clones?"

His question only got a raised eyebrow out of me. Shadow Clones? Does he mean corporeal clones that Naruto could somehow make?

"That was Naruto, he just used transformation to look like me to distract you long enough for that explosion to go off."

He hummed, looking more annoyed then before as he leaned back. I tried to stand up but found myself unable to move due to the sudden pressure on my abdomen. Looking down I blinked at the ropes binding me and looked up at Kakashi again, raising an eyebrow, conveying the single word message I was thinking.

(Really?)

Somehow, his single eye deadpanned, saying "Yes, Really". Rolling my yes, the ropes around me loosened and fell as I stood up and stretched my arms. My right hand came down from the stretch in front of me and Kakashi as I caught something in my palm.

Looking down, I noted that it was my sword and absently placed it back where it was before.

"So, what do you have to say for yourself?"

I made eye contact with him and stated blankly with no emotion in my voice.

"It's a draw."

The silver haired Jounin didn't seem very amused at the answer and inhaled before looking down at his attire before back at me, as if expecting something else. Was he worried about the other traps in the forest?

"There are no more traps, if you're worried, I used the last one before you knocked us out."

"No you little twat! I want an apology for ruining my clothes... And where is my Kunai Pouch?!"

Deadpanning at the older man, I reached for the said pouch that I was now wearing. I snatched it during our combat, since I gave mine to Sakura at the start. The intention to use his own ammunition on him was wasted as he ended things there but I had no chance from the beginning.

I could hold him off when he was holding back, but I couldn't last even a minute when he got serious, as evidenced by the teams state right now.

With a sigh I threw it back to him and his annoyance bled away for some reason...

Weird.