Bab 3: Let’s Keep it Professional (End)
10 advanced chapters (and some bonus if you get it before chapter 5 is out) on my Patreon: Fiction Haven
===
I came back to my dilapidated apartment with a sealing scroll containing the things I needed. Sarutobi didn't give me any Jutsu scrolls, but that was understandable. He had yet to consider me a Genin until I passed Kakashi's test. To compensate for that, though, he gave me books detailing the theory behind hand seals.
Getting into my apartment, I created three clones to clean it. Creating six clones more, I unsealed the books I had received from Sarutobi and gave each of them one of the books. They immediately found a quiet place to read. As my clones were busy doing my task, I went to check the fridge. Taking a few ingredients, I went to the stove and cooked.
Despite the bustling activity, no human sound was made. That was why I loved the clones: they understood me well. The clones cleaning the apartment dispersed themselves a few minutes before I finished cooking. Once I finished cooking, I brought the highly nutritious food to the table and ate it in silence.
I washed the dishes once I finished eating and then cleaned myself in the bathroom. Creating another clone, I told him to cut my hair. I trusted myself, so I immersed myself in the book I had in my hands: Theory of Hand Seals. Over half an hour later, my haircut was done. Although I trusted myself, I still looked in the mirror to make sure.
I had a fade cut on the side and the back of my head. The top was cut slightly, making it less unruly. My bang wasn't cut much and that was not important as I swept it to the back, leaving a few strands hanging before my forehead. I didn't look as handsome as Aizen yet, but I would in a few months.
"Thanks for the hard work," I said to my clone.
"I am happy as long as you are," he replied.
"We are one, after all."
"Indeed."
Poof!
When he dispelled, his memory rushed into my head. I could feel his enjoyment of his activity. I was glad that he enjoyed what he did. I wouldn't want to feel his displeasure. I put down my book, cleaned the hair littering the floor, and then sat on my bed. I meditated and felt the addicting sensation soon.
The first thing I noticed was that my reserve had shrunk, albeit almost unnoticeably. Getting an idea, I created thirty clones, cramming the apartment. My Chakra reserve shrunk noticeably, this time. That was not important, though. I noticed that I could control my chakra better.
Opening my eyes, I looked at my clones. "Given that you have less Chakra compared to me, I believe Chakra exercise is not as hard for you as it is for me. Divide yourself into three groups. The first group will do the leaf-sticking exercise, the second will do the leaf-balancing exercise, and the last group will do the tree-walking exercise."
"Understood!"
Thirty Naruto came out of the apartment in order. I didn't have to tell them to look for a place without prying eyes to train. They were as smart as I was. They didn't have to read my mind to know what they should and should not do.
Going back to meditating, I reveled in the ecstasy of being able to control Chakra brought me. It wasn't as fluid as I wanted, but it was a huge leap for someone who didn't know anything about control before. Chakra made me invigorated. I could even think faster when I channeled it into my brain.
It was time well spent. But then, a tragedy had to happen. A group of my clones decided to dispel themselves. The memory rush shocked my brain for a moment, causing my control over my Chakra to falter. In a chain reaction, the other clones dispersed themselves, and then memories from twenty-six sources crammed into my head.
I passed out and I only woke up in the morning. A good sleep allowed me to digest every information I had gained. My control over my Chakra had improved, but it was nowhere near impactful to my overall combat ability. Not shied by what happened the day earlier, I created thirty-six clones and told them to repeat what they did the day before.
As they busied themselves, I took a shower, dressed up, and then cooked breakfast. It was a little bit over nine by the time I finished breakfast, but I didn't worry too much. Kakashi would be late for, at least, two hours. In case he wasn't late, I was sure the council would pull something to get us to become Genin either way. We had the prized Uchiha in our team, after all.
Standing in front of the mirror, I looked at my new appearance. I wore a tight black T-shirt underneath a grey vest that was reminiscent of an Anbu vest. My Hitai-ate was tightly wrapped around my upper left arm. My hands were covered in fingerless gloves with a steel plate right below the knuckles. To cover my lower body parts, I had a pair of black pants and a pair of black ninja sandals. In short, I looked badass.
"Alas, my skills don't match my look, yet."
Quickly shrugging off the thought, I got out of the apartment and locked the door. Sending Chakra to my feet, I ran to the Third Training Ground. Upon arriving there, I found a brooding Sasuke and a bored Sakura leaning on one of the trees in the training ground. My arrival alerted them and their faces immediately developed a scowl.
"You are late!" the banshee hissed.
"What took you so long, dobe?" Mr. Mc Broody grunted out.
"Did Kakashi fail us already?" I asked, genuinely wondering.
"No, but imagine if he wasn't late!" the pink-haired washingboard screeched.
"Be thankful that he is."
Sitting at quite a distance from the match made in Tartarus, I closed my eyes and meditated. I tuned out everything in my surroundings, reveling in the sensation of channeling my Chakra to every part of my body. I knew time passed faster whenever I meditated, so when I felt a presence invading my space, I immediately opened my eyes.
"Good morning, Naruto," Kakashi greeted lazily.
"Good morning, Hatake-sensei," I greeted back.
"Well, don't be so cold."
"Let's keep it professional for the time being."
"How uptight."
As I stood up, the pink-haired hell spawn rattled at Kakashi for being late. I thought she had already done that, but she had been busy gawking at Kakashi before I finished my conversation with him. The emo kid didn't say much, but he was openly showing his displeasure. Kakashi merely gave a stupid excuse while rubbing his head sheepishly.
"Well, why don't we get to business?" Kakashi said authoritatively, causing the two displeased unofficial Genin to straighten up. "You are going to undergo a test that will determine whether you are worthy of becoming a Genin or not."
"But we already have a Hitai-ate," the pink-haired hell spawn pointed out, confused.
"The test is simple." Kakashi took out a pair of bells and showed it to us. "You will pass if you get one of these two. The one who fails will be sent to the reserved batch or back to the Academy depending on how bad you did. Life as a Genin without a Jōnin Sensei is hard, I tell you."
I stretched my hand and showed off a pair of cherries. My teammates looked at me weirdly until the cherries I was holding turned into a pair of bells. Kakashi quirked his eyebrow and then immediately dropped the bells in his hand which turned into cherries upon touching the ground.
"H-How!?"
It was a creative usage of Kawarimi no Jutsu, but I didn't have to explain that to my female teammate.
"When did you…?"
Kakashi took out an orange book and gazed at me lazily. "Their fate is in your hands, Naruto. Decide to whom you will give the other bell."
I knew Kakashi was planning some time. My trick, as creative as it was, shouldn't have been able to catch him off guard. If he wanted something interesting to happen, he would be sorely disappointed. I was not that eager to spend my time in a team. I would be an independent Genin. Fuck this dysfunctional team.
Turning to my teammates, I fought a cunning smile from rising. I couldn't let them see how glad I was leaving them. They looked at me uncomfortably. Sakura kept glancing between me and Sasuke had a scowl as he glared at the ground. I briefly wondered if Sakura was thinking that I might choose her over Sasuke but immediately forgot it. Her thoughts mattered not.
"You can have them for yourself," I declared as I threw the bells at them. Shrugging, I added, "I still feel inadequate, anyway." Turning around, I walked away with my hands in my pocket. "Until we meet again."
Now, what is Kakashi going to do? Is he going to fail us all or look for a replacement for me? Either way, I am free. Ku-Ku-Ku.
"No, I won't accept it!"
"I don't want to have something I don't get myself!"
My feet stopped in my tracks. I didn't want to believe it was happening.
"We are going back to the academy together."
"Hn."
I looked up at Kakashi in astonishment, asking if he could believe what they were saying with my eyes. He only grinned at me.
"Congratulations, all of you passed!"
They should be hating me!
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone