ctg 5

ctg 5

Part 5… Survival Exercises

The next morning, Michiyo was up and half-awake. She didn’t like the early hours, but she had to use a normal pace to get to the practice field today, so…she slipped her pancakes onto her plate. Grabbing the maple syrup, she sat down at her small table. With napkin secure she dug in. About 10 minutes later her plate had syrup remains and crumbs.
Michiyo dabbed at her lips before swigging down the rest of the milk. She swiped at her jaw with the napkin as she rose from her seat. She dropped the napkin in the bin before she cleaned off the plate and washed it in the sink.
‘Time to pack ninja gear…’ Michiyo strolled over to her pack and began putting in various things. There were some scrolls, some weapons, and some scrolls she was told that had uses as weapons. Well… she would find out, she supposed. As she put in a few snacks, it occurred to her that Master Kakashi had told them all to not eat breakfast…

-… unless you enjoy throwing up.”-

‘Hmmm… well, no wonder I forgot! Haha… I didn’t buy it. Even if he took his act far enough, I’m not going to fall for whatever he had in store. I’m no wimp; like I’m a Legendary Assassin of the Order for nothing!’
Laughing softly to herself, Michiyo hefted her pack onto her shoulders. But before she locked the door, she grabbed her locket and put it on, same as yesterday. She unrolled a scroll on Substitution and read on her way to the practice field.
“Michiyo!”
“Huh…?” Michiyo put down her scroll and saw her teammates arranged next to each other.
“Hi Sakura. Hey, wait”- Michiyo suddenly looked down at what was lying at Sakura’s feet.
Her eyes widened as she took in the huge packs next to her teammates feet. She couldn’t form words for a second.
“Sakura…”
“Michiyo! How come your pack is so light? It’s so… regular!”
“…What? Oh!” Michiyo looked at her own pack before turning her attention back to the Hulk Backpacks on the grass.
“Uh… Sakura, yours isn’t exactly what I would call regular… in fact, it looks like ya must’ve practically broken your back just getting it here…” Michiyo pointedly looked at Sasuke’s and Naruto’s.
“Seriously.”
“Welllll, it WAS heavy, but I managed to get it here, all the same. It wasn’t that hard!” Sakura waved at Michiyo’s face. Her expression was incredulous.
“Are you serious…? …Naruto? Did you have ANY trouble?...” Michiyo’s gaze shifted to Naruto’s lack-a-daisical form stretched listlessly over the second Hulk Backpack. His head gradually lifted from his hard pillow.
“Huh…?”
“…” Michiyo’s expression seemed a bit more rigid as she fought to keep a strained expression away.
“…”
“…”
“…Say, Michiyo,” Naruto’s bleary eyes started to focus themselves as he woke in stages. “Your… backpack… is smaller, somehow…” His eyes finally totally refocused.
“Hey, wait… IT IS! How’d that happen?! Michiyo, we were told by Master Kakashi to bring ALL our ninja gear!”
Sasuke looked over at Michiyo’s humanly-possible-to-carry pack. He lifted an eyebrow.
“Yeah, well, I did. Sort of.” Michiyo held Naruto’s gaze as she gauged his reaction.
“Wait, is that ALL??!” Naruto’s eyes opened more. Sasuke was quietly hiding a very offending face. Sakura walked over to Michiyo and opened the pack. She rummaged through all of the things in there twice before she took her hands out.
“Well, you essentially have all the ninja gear, anyway.”
Michiyo let her pack slip from her shoulders.
“Thank you.”
She looked at Sasuke’s composed expression, Sakura’s hesitant one and Naruto’s attentive body language.
“So… where’s our teacher?”
45 MINUTES LATER…
Michiyo was sitting down with her chin in her hands, as she stared dully at her grinning teacher walking up to them.
“Good morning, class!” He waved amiably.
“YOU’RE LATE!!” Naruto and Sakura were decidedly not.
‘No, we are NOT.’
Kakashi laughed and scratched the back of his head.
AND SO, THE LESSON FINALLY BEGINS…

“I’ve set this alarm to go off at noon.”
Michiyo’s teammates looked questionably at Kakashi-sensei.
“I have here three small bells. Your challenge is to steal them from me before the timer sounds. Anyone who fails doesn’t get any lunch. Instead, you will be tied to that stump while I eat your lunch in front of you.”
Michiyo turned her attention to her teammates’ growling stomachs and disgruntled expressions. She put a hand to her mouth in an attempt to hide a smile.
“You only need a bell a piece, but since there’re only three, one of you is definitely heading for the stump. And whoever that is will be the first of you to fail. One of you is on your way back to school… and disgrace.” He shook the bunch of bells threateningly.
Naruto gulped audibly. Michiyo was meanwhile admiring Kakashi’s smooth lying. It was pretty good. She felt like she was watching a show; thus she smiled at a secret joke.
“You may, if you choose, use shuriken. Attack as though you mean to kill or you’ll never stand a chance.” Kakashi snapped the bells back up dismissively.
“But, that’s so dangerous!” Sakura protested.
‘Oh, let the man do his job!’
“You couldn’t even dodge an eraser! You’re gonna get yourself killed!” Naruto laughed.
‘…Naruto…’ Michiyo groaned the name inwardly.
“Only the weak speak loudly. Now, let’s forget the dunce and we’ll start on my signal!” Kakashi replied off-handedly.
Michiyo saw the anger building in Naruto’s eyes. She saw every movement as he reached for his kunai, pulled it out, spun and held it tight in his fist as he advanced toward Kakashi-sensei.
‘NOW!’ Michiyo tensed every muscle in her body. She forced her eyes open to look surprised, but to also observe Kakashi-sensei’s streaking fast reaction. Too bad she was faster. …She usually was…
{She was running on a damp blanket of moss. She darted through trees, letting her muscles work themselves to their extent. She laughed. It was amazing, the way she hurtled so fast through the trees. The branches never once touched her; even if they did, it wouldn’t bother her any more than a bending blade of grass. She slowed down, before she tensed her muscles very tight, building up the tension. Then she crouched down swiftly, head to the ground; she sprang. Yet to simply say she sprang would be comparing the flight of an arrow to a paper airplane. Her body flew faster than the eye could follow, up, up, past the tops of the trees, above the birds, to float among the clouds. And, high as she was, she strangely felt no fear. Simply… exultation. She twirled around to feel the air rush past her, eyes closed. As her body slowly straightened and angled her to meet the earth headfirst, she opened her eyes. And then she really did start to fall. The air RUSHED past her, as though to shriek at her, she was falling, she would be dying. Her eyes widened in fear at this new realization. For moments, she fell, paralyzed by fear. Her eyes then swam into focus, as she curled up and twisted to face skyward… she fell slower… and slower… then she seemed to be floating downward. Staring at the sky one last time, her eyes closed. Then… then… what happened-}
‘What…the…’
A cloud of dust erupted around Naruto’s and Kakashi’s feet. Michiyo snapped back to reality to see Naruto’s attack thwarted by Kakashi.
‘As I thought…’
His kunai hand was twisted to point at the back of his head, and Kakashi’s hand was holding Naruto’s head by the hair firmly.
“Not so fast. I didn’t say ‘go’ yet.”
Sakura looked up at him, shocked. Sasuke had a look of wariness and excitement. Michiyo’s dazed look from her flashback suited the scene quite well.
‘Hmmm… I’m not sure whether or not she is worthy of all the credit I gave her… I thought I … no, I can’t tell.’
“Well, at least you struck to kill. Hehe… maybe, just maybe, I’m starting to like you three.”
‘…three?!’
‘What on earth does he mean by that?’
“Now ready, steady… GO!!”
Michiyo launched herself toward Kakashi as fast as she dared. She had to balance herself just right, or else the air pressure…
She grabbed the bells, and switched one with a hasty substitution jutsu. She then sprang upward, backward, into the tall limbs of a tree. Even though she was in plain view, it didn’t matter much, as she already had one of the bells. So she relaxed and splayed out on the limb. She turned her head to watch a laugh-out-loud hilarious scene.
‘What is she doing up there?!’
‘I wonder if she’s planning something…’
“Hey, Michiyo! Watch my totally awesome fight with Master Kakashi!” Naruto turned and waved up at Michiyo with a grin.
Michiyo raised an eyebrow, grinning as well.
“Sure.”
“All right, hear that?! There’s going to be an audience to your failure, Master Kakashi!”
“…I highly doubt the last part…” Kakashi steadily quipped.
Michiyo stifled a laugh. She thought so too.
And so Michiyo watched the “fight” with ever-increasing glee. It seemed Naruto was doomed to fail, as his attacks were effortlessly dodged by Kakashi. Though the beginning was the most delightful; Kakashi pulled out an ‘adult’s only’ book, and bade Naruto to continue.
-“Considering who I’m up against… it shouldn’t make any difference in the outcome. Carry on…”-
When Kakashi made a hand sign behind Naruto, Michiyo briefly wondered what it could mean.
“Naruto, get yourself OUT of there!! You’ll get killed!” Sakura shot out of her hiding place.
‘Oh…so that’s where she was hiding!’
“Konohagakure’s most secret and most sacred technique…!”
“HEY SAKURA!” Michiyo sang out, waving below.
“Huh…?!”
“ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!!!” Kakashi slammed his hand sign up toward Naruto…
…and Naruto went FLYING, screaming and clutching at his buttocks.
“YAAAAAAAAAAAAH”, on, and on…
‘Oh…wow…’ Michiyo tilted her head to watch Naruto’s very own Flight of Fear.
‘Oh…my…GAWD…!’

She burst out into a full-out fit of laughter.

Naruto was still arcing, hands on butt, and screaming.
Thus she began rocking back and forth, clutching her stomach.

Naruto really was an excellent class clown!

She was having the time of her life when Naruto finally plunged headfirst into the stream.
‘What kind of sacred technique was that?! More like he just shoved something right up Naruto’s butt! I bet Michiyo’s in cahoots with Kakashi-sensei…’ Sakura smoldered indignity.
‘…she’s enjoying this…’
‘Well, that was simple. Now, what happens next…?’ Kakashi turned the page, enjoying Michiyo’s pealing laughter. Now, not that this wasn’t amusing, but Michiyo decided to wait it out; so she casually climbed higher into the tree. She found a spot, and rested there comfortably. The last thing she saw was the emerald leaves soaking up as much of the white-gold sun as possible. She drifted off in her shady spot…