Karina

I yawned and stretched again. Where the heck was Master Kakashi? It was already 8:30 and there was no sign of him. Just like yesterday.

            “He’s late again!” Sakura voiced my thoughts. “Where the heck is he?!”

            “Be quiet. If you want to know, go find out.” Sasuke was sitting propped up against a tree, arms crossed as usual.

            “No need to be so cold, Sasuke.” I said. “We’re all teammates here. Even if you don’t want to work with us, you don’t really have a choice.”

            “Shut up, you idiot.” Sasuke muttered. He was obviously still angry over yesterday’s little… encounter.

            “No.” I liked talking back to people in order to annoy them, and Sasuke was a good target. He was always so cold and distant, and he needed a little… let’s say… distraction.

                “Well, I’m not talking to you, idiot. So you might as well shut up.”

            “Why?” It was a trick I had learned from Koyuki. To say “why” after others’ statements and/or commands would definitely annoy them.

            “Because you’re annoying.”

            “Why?”

            “Shut up!”
            “Why?”

            Sasuke gritted his teeth hard and turned to me, balling his fists. “You wanna get hit?!”

            “You couldn’t land a punch on me anyway.” I taunted. He launched towards me, and I flipped backwards. Poor Sakura. She was just staring open-mouthed at us. She couldn’t do anything. I formed a hand sign. Art of the Shadow Doppelganger!

                Now Sasuke would have to take a lucky guess.

            He picked a clone, and it disappeared with a poof! He hit another clone, and another, and another. But there were still seven of us. He was getting angry, from the looks of it. Haha… too bad for him.

            “Will you stop it already?!!” Sasuke was infuriated. He killed three of my clones in a frenzy, and was about to kill another one when we were interrupted by the timely arrival of:

            “Master Kakashi!” Sakura exclaimed.

            “Good timing.” I said, making the rest of my clones disappear.

            “Hmph!” Sasuke grunted and turned away.

            “What’s with you two?” Master Kakashi peered at me and Sasuke. “Fighting this early in the morning?”

            “It’s her fault.”

            “It’s his fault.”

            We pointed at each other at exactly the same time, and said almost the exact same words.

            “Well… since we’re running a little late—“

            “You think?” I muttered under my breath.

            “—let’s get on with the exercise.”

            The three of us all sat up and looked at him attentively. He pushed a button on an alarm clock that he had set on a nearby stone.

            “The timer is set for noon. Your task will be to get these two bells from me.” He held up two small bells, and fastened them to his waist. “Anyone who doesn’t get a bell won’t get any lunch.”

            “So… that’s why you told us not to eat breakfast, isn’t it?” I glared at Master Kakashi, who smiled and nodded under his mask.

            “Correct!”

            “But—wait a minute!” Sakura exclaimed, pointing. “There are only two bells! That means one of us will have to go without lunch…!”

            “That’s right. And that person will also get tied to the stump over there. I wonder who it’s going to be…? You may use shuriken, or any other ninja tool that you have on you. Attack as though you intend to kill me, or you’ll won’t stand a chance.” Master Kakashi turned to us.

“B-But that’s dangerous!” Sakura stammered in surprise. “You could get killed!”

“Calm down, Sakura…” I said, glancing at her out of the corner of my eye. “He’s a Jonin. Jonins don’t usually get killed by Genins… doncha think?”

“I guess…” Sakura muttered, but I could tell she wasn’t completely reassured.

“When I say “go”, you three will start the task. Got it?”

                “Yes, sir!” All three of us said in unison.

            “Okay. Ready… steady… GO!!”

            I leaped over the green training field like a gazelle and hid myself behind a tree. I saw Sasuke high up in a tree directly across from mine, and Sakura was hiding underneath some bushes. Good. At least this was a good start.

Kakashi

                I glanced around. Good. Everyone was hidden well. Now… who would attack first…?

            Two shuriken whizzed at me, and I caught them on my index and third fingers on my right hand. Judging from the direction it was coming from, I guessed that it was Karina’s doing. I heard a slight rustle behind me. So she was moving to conceal her position.

            “Lesson number one: Taijutsu!” I called as Karina leaped at me. I spun around and blocked her punch, then reached down to knock her off her feet. She wasn’t bad, though; jumping clear over my head, she launched two small throwing knives at me. I had never seen knives like this before, and leaped backwards. It seemed that they were just knives…

            Karina ran towards me again, her hair streaming behind her. I caught a glimpse of her right eye, and was startled. It was red…?! I had no time to process my thoughts, though, because she was onto me again.

            This time, I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my favorite book, Make Out Paradise. It wasn’t exactly… appropriate, but I liked it anyway.

            Karina was staring at me, dumbfounded. She had halted in her tracks when I had reached into my pouch.

            “What’s with the book?” she asked coolly. I knew she was half Uchiha, and now it seemed as though all the Uchihas always kept their cool! First Itachi, then Sasuke, then Karina… and who knows how many more there would be if the clan had survived? Probably the only Uchiha I had ever known to be rowdy and loud was Obito, and he was long gone. Unfortunately.

            “Oh, nothing… I just want to find out what happens next.” I replied, flipping a page. Karina glared at me.

            “Well… I won’t give you that big of a chance!” she yelled, launching herself at me. I blocked her attacks and threw her back, then flipped another page, laughing because the main character had been rejected by his newfound love. Poor guy!

            “Darn!” I heard Karina mutter, then looked up as she ran at me again. This time, I threw her all the way into the small stream beside the training ground. What would she do this time…?

Sakura

            I watched as Karina was kicked into the water. Would she be all right? Suddenly, eight figures leaped out of the water at Master Kakashi. Karina! And there were eight of her! Like the clone jutsu, only…

            It wasn’t Genjutsu. There were eight distinct, solid bodies. What technique was she using…?!

            I watched from my hiding place as Karina and her clone things launched attack after attack at Master Kakashi. Although he was still reading his book, he had started to become more wary.

            “Gotcha!”

            I gasped as another Karina came up from behind Master Kakashi and grabbed him. She had tricked him! I smiled. She was good at this! Her clones all disappeared, and I realized that the real her was the one who had come up afterwards.

            She was about to punch him when he disappeared, and a log took his place. Substitution Jutsu! Karina was no idiot, and immediately disappeared into the woods; to hide, no doubt. I pushed myself off of my elbows. I had to get moving too, if I wanted to get a bell.

            Just as I was about to leave, Master Kakashi reappeared in the center of the clearing, still immersed in his book. I was startled when about half a dozen shuriken flew at him—and… hit him!!

            My mind spun. I knew it was Sasuke, but… how could he just kill our new master?! A Genin killing  Jonin was also unheard of, but still…!

            And then I realized that Master Kakashi had let his guard down on purpose. He was trying to lure out somebody to fight. And Sasuke had just revealed his position by throwing those shuriken. Besides, Master Kakashi had just used another substitution. He wasn’t dead. Not even close.

            But if Master Kakashi knew where Sasuke was, would he go after him? I ran off into the woods, calling Sasuke’s name. Master Kakashi couldn’t have gotten him, could he?!

Sasuke

                That darn Kakashi! He had let his guard down on purpose! I sped through the forest, until I came to a sudden halt. Kakashi was right there, in the center of the clearing. I realized that he knew I was there, and that there was no use in trying to conceal my position.

            So I took the advantage and threw a couple of shuriken. The stupid Jonin merely dodged them, flipping another page in his book. Ugh! That stupid book! What could be so interesting that he had to read it in the middle of our training?!

            Suddenly, I heard a cry. Sakura…? Kakashi smiled. “Lesson Number 2: Genjutsu.”

            If it was Genjutsu, Sakura was probably down already. And Karina was nowhere to be seen. But…

            “I’m not like them.” I stated, stepping out in the clearing. Kakashi didn’t turn, and wasn’t surprised at all. He just turned around slowly and looked me up and down.

            “Save your boasts until you get a bell… Sasuke.” He said calmly. And then… I rushed him.

            I ran at him and tried to punch him in the stomach, but he caught my fist. My other hand was stopped as well, and when I tried to kick him, he used his arm to catch it. As we struggled for a second in mid-air, my fingertips were able to barely brush the bells hanging from his belt. Yes!

            But Kakashi realized what I was doing and threw me backwards before I could actually snatch them. I landed on my feet, skidding backwards for a few seconds before forming my hand signs. Fire Style: Fireball Technique!

                I blew fire at Kakashi for a while, then stopped, confused. Where was he?