"Well then, now that we're all here." Sasuke and Sakura glared at the silver-haired man as he eye smiled at them, about two hours after the scheduled meeting time.

"Question." Naruto said from his place leaning on his Varg.

"Yes?"

"Can we expect this of you every day?" Naruto waived his hands in a general manner.

"Huh? Expect what?"

"Two hours later?" Naruto raised an eyebrow while Kakashi chuckled sheepishly.

"Maybe." He eye smiled again, ticking off Sasuke and Sakura. "But you'd better be on time, just in case eh? Any more questions? No? Good? Now, see this clock?" He produced a wind-up clock from his… um, somewhere and put it on a nearby log. "It's set for two hours. That's how long you have to get these." He motioned to two metallic bells that were strapped to his belt, the wind making them jingle slightly. "One each."

"But there's only two of them." Sakura said.

"Oh, good, you can count." Kakashi eye-smiled at her, making her eyebrow tick and Naruto and Lok snicker. "Well there's a reason for that too. There are only two bells simply because only two of you will become real Ninja."

"What!"

"No need to shout, I'm right here." Kakashi rubbed his pinky finger in his ear. "Well, anyway, that's how the game goes."

"Game?"

"Sure. It's gonna be fun." He grinned at them, not that they could see it.

"Then let's get started. I don't have the whole day to spend here with you peasants." Sasuke charged at Kakashi, who just stepped out of the way and twisted the Gunning's arm, which was holding a kunai, to his throat.

"Maa, maa, Sasuke, you in a hurry? I didn't even say 'go' yet? Now, ready? Wait for it…. Go!" Two of the Gennin disappeared into the forest, while Naruto and Lok'Tar stood their ground, one leaning on the other, looking at the sky.

"Uh, you two alright?" Kakashi scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, we're fine." Naruto muttered, scratching Lok behind the ear.

"Great weather we're having here." The Varg said, enjoying the sensation.

"Well, now that you mention it…" Kakashi turned his head to the skies as well, watching the clouds fly by for a moment. "The clouds do look extra fluffy today. But that's not why we're here, now is it?"

"No, I suppose not." Naruto got up from the ground, stretching his back. "We did come here to fight, didn't we?"

"Well, not exactly, we…"

"Yeah, I know, I know, I heard you the first time." Naruto waved Kakashi off. "You do realize you're testing us for teamwork? You know, the Sharpshooter and his mount."

"Yes, yes, yes, let's get on with it."

"If you say so." Naruto shrugged. "Let's go Lok." He mounted the Varg, pulling out the bow from his back, cocking an arrow from the holster.

Kakashi grinned in excitement as he watched Naruto fire an arrow from his white bow. He dodged it easily, feeling a little disappointed, before he noticed a few hairs falling from his head.

"What just happened? I dodged the arrow."

"The arrow, maybe. But each one of them in my holster has a different enchantment, and I've just picked up a new shipment. That one had Keen Edge cast on it. But let's try something different now." He leaned on the Varg, which took off in great speed towards the Ninja. Kakashi gulped as he watched the grayish blur fly towards him, shooting off arrows at regular intervals, which were faster than before, and hit keener as well. Arrows he had more trouble dodging, too.

Naruto grinned as he felt the rush of air past him, firing off his black-feather arrows. He always loved the thrill of battle. He attributed it to spending so much time with the Orcs.

He leaned slightly to the left, Lok'Tar adjusting his charge, and took three arrows from the quiver, cocking them all at once, and letting them go after slight aiming.

Kakashi yelped silently as he saw three arrows streaking at him. He cursed and jumped over them, flipping in the air and steadying himself. A move Naruto was just waiting for. Grinning, he fired two consecutive arrows, one above his target, and one below, a moment after, managing to finaly hit Kakashi in the leg.

Kakashi landed on his good leg, cursing at the wound.

"Heh, I clipped you." Naruto grinned.

"Yeah." He grunted, taking a piece of cloth from his pouch and wrapping it around the wound. "Luckily it just scratched my leg."

"You're a quick one, I'll give you that. But I wasn't really trying to hit you."

"Wha?" Naruto bent down and picked up the two bells that were tied to Kakashi's waist from the ground, jingling them and grinning.

"Look at what I got."

"Dammit. Hey!" Before Kakashi could do anything Naruto and Lok'Tar vanished into the forest as well.

"You mind explaining why we're doing this again partner?" Lok asked him as they jumped through the trees.

"This is a team exercise. We need the two to pass."

"But we can be a team on our own."

"Yes, we can, in any other situation. For now, just play along."

"Play along?"

"Just trust me on this."

"Fine. I smell them this way."

"Where the hell are they?" Sasuke scanned the clearing with his eyes, frowning. "I haven't got all day."

"Really now? You have something better to do?" Naruto and Lok'Tar were behind him, grinning at his startled look.

"I'm warning you…"

"Yes, yes, we're all very terrified of you." Naruto waved him off, ignoring Lok's snickering. "Here catch." He threw his one of the bells.

"What the hell?"

"You're welcome." Naruto rolled his eyes before jumping off into the woods to find Sakura.

"Where is Sasuke-kun?" Sakura wondered, standing straight and looking around the forest.

"About a mile to the west." Naruto spoke from behind her, making her jump up in the air. She turned around and glared at his snickering figure on top of his Varg.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Why do you both have to curse so much?" Naruto scratched his chin. "I mean, you're only what, thirteen, fourteen?"

"Fifteen." Sakura growled. "Now answer the damn question."

"Fine, fine. How do you like that, I come here to help and she growls at me."

"She's just lucky there are no other Varg here. That growl sounded just like in mating season." Naruto snickered at the image while Sakura blushed and gagged.

"Here, a bell. I gave Sasuke another." He jingled the bell in front of her.

"What, are you trying to con me into taking some fake bell while Sasuke gets nothing, then he'll get booted and you'll have my love? Is that what you want? Well it's not gonna work." Her whole posture turned from angry to love-struck in a second. "Sasuke-kun is gonna get both bells. Then he's gonna give one to me, then we'll be on the same team. Then, in a year or so, he'll propose, and we'll get married, and have babies…" Naruto rolled his eyes and threw the bell at her, striking her in the forehead.

"Shut it and take the fucking bell. The test is over anyway." As he said that the bell rung, signifying the end of the test. Sakura subconsciously took the bell and made her way to the center clearing, Naruto and Lok'Tar following, the former still grumbling.

"Well now, this test has taken quite the turn, now hasn't it?" Kakashi scratched his chin in thought. "Here we have Naruto and Lok'Tar taking both bells and giving them to you two. But what do you two say. Who's passing?"

"Huh, the idiot can fail for all I care. I got the bell." Sasuke smirked while Sakura stared at him with starry eyes.

"Cha! Sasuke-kun's right. Fail the idiot! Fail the idiot!" She started chanting. Naruto and Lok face palmed, while Kakashi just shook his head sadly. And then paused for a moment, wondering how the hell Lok'Tar managed to face palm without any actual palms.

"Well, that was extremely pathetic of both of you. You both managed to completely destroy the whole spirit of the test. But all of you pass anyway, and only because of Naruto and his wolf."

"Varg!" Lok'Tar growled at the man who chuckled sheepishly.

"Sorry, my bad. Well, meet here tomorrow at noon…ish. See ya." He poofed away, leaving the others to get on with their days.