Chapter 9: Diference of ideals

Hinata and Sasuke arrived at the training ground both still trying to rub the sleep out of their eyes. The sun was just barely peeking over the mountains as the early morning fog began to dissipate.

They both caught sight of their third teammate, standing silent as a specter in the shadow beneath one of the trees waiting for them.

He turned his head in their direction, barely nodding in greeting.

The two gennins each walked forward and sat down, no one exchanged a word as they waited for Kakashi to arrive. Eventually Sasuke and Hinata fell asleep again, trying to catch those last few seconds of rest while Naruto remained awake. Silent as the dead.

It was several hours later that Kakashi showed up in his signature puff of smoke. "Oyaho." He greeted.

"You are late Hatake." Came Naruto's voice in a flat tone which held a distinct edge of annoyance in it.

Kakashi waved his hand dismissively "Maa, maa, I'm not late your just early." He stopped the nonsense as Naruto turned and glared, clearly irritated. He cleared his throat before he made two hand seals which formed two small streams of water that hit Sasuke and Hinata in the face, startling them awake.

Kakashi held in his mirth at their startled expressions but let a chuckle escape his lips at their mutual death-glares. God he loved these moments.

When it looked like the two clan heirs were about to get up and ring his neck he immediately took out his two bells and his alarm clock. "Now then, the purpose of this test is simple. In order to pass you must simply take a bell from me, before time runs out."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "In case you haven't noticed Kakashi, you only brought two bells."

"Your powers of observation continue to serve you well Sasuke." Kakashi said happily as his eye curved upwards in an upside down U.

"Then that means that one will automatically fail?" Hinata asked incredulously.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the cycloptic jounin. 'What are you up to Hatake?'

Kakashi cleared his throat, "Ready." A slight pause. 'Begin!" He yells before vanishing in a black and silver blur.

Sasuke and Hinata rush off to hide, not knowing where their sensei has vanished while Naruto vanishes in his own blur to follow the copy nin, having able to follow his form rather easily.

A few moments later, Kakashi and Naruto stand in a clearing. The former reading his orange book. Though most of his attention was on the living weapon.

"I am impressed Hatake." Naruto says slowly, making Kakashi's single visible eye turn to him.

"Ohh are you now? What did I do to impress you so?"

"Using an exercise that shows, the gennin they may one day have to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their assigned mission. I did not think one such as you would ennact such a test."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly. "Even though the test is centered around personal sacrifice, it is for one man to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their teammates, not for the sake of the mission."

This time it was Naruto who narrowed his eyes, though only in curiosity.

"You do realize Hatake, that in the Shinobi world, the mission, is what counts, not your teammates."

Kakashi kept his cool facade, it saddened and angered him somewhat, that the legacy of his sensei, the man who put the lives of his fellow Shinobi above all else, had been turned into this drone that was imbued with the stagnant foolish beliefs of the old Shinobi ways.

Still perhaps he could bend the truth to suit his needs. "A great man once told me. 'Those who break the rules are trash. But those who abandon their comrades…are worse than trash." He quoted his old teammate yet again.

Naruto remained impassive. "Then he was a foolish idealist. The law of the Shinobi is quite clear, the mission comes first. I would think the disgrace your father suffered would have taught you the price of such idealism."

Kakashi's grip tightened on his book as he reined in his temper. He had insulted both Obito and his father, were he anyone else, the boy would be in a great deal of pain right now. Crippling pain. He took a deep breath and calmed his temper. 'He knows no better. This is precisely what we want to undo. I cannot hold him responsible.'

He looked back up at the boy. "Well Naruto, do you know who it was that told me that?"

"Obviously not." Naruto said.

Kakashi smirked. "It was the Yondaime Hokage of Konoha." Not exactly true, but perhaps it would serve to shake some of that conviction of the Shinobi law out of him.

He saw him stiffen and knew that his ploy had the effect of at least surprising him.

Naruto indeed felt surprise.

The greatest ninja the world had ever known carried such a philosophy?

He stiffened for a moment before he relaxed again shaking his head. "It matters little and less who says it. The words are false."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, apparently this was going to be harder than he thought. "Even if the greatest of all Shinobi hold that same philosophy? The Hokage's were and are the strongest ninjas of the village. Each of them had one thing in common. The desire to protect, to defend their people. They are shields not swords Naruto. What does the Shinobi law state about that?"

Naruto unsheathed one of his blades calmly and took up his stance. "It is a Kage's sworn duty to lead, guide and protect his village, therefore, they are merely following their own mission and orders. While we follow ours." He stated simply.

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