"Itsuko! Wake up! You're 3 hours late!"

"Why are you waking me up so early?" She yawned, rubbing her eyes. She tucked herself back into bed, covering the ray of the sun with her thick white blanket. As she shut her eyes she drifted back into unconsciousness, enjoying the warmth and comfort of her bed.

"You're 3 hours late." Kurama emphasised in a irritated tone.

"So? You woke me up 3 hours late." Itsuko mumbled, quietly cursing at him for waking her.

"And what am I? Your alarm clock?" He grumped, not speaking to her any further. She groaned, rolling off her bed before she lazily got herself prepared for the day.

"Geez you're so uptight sometimes. I know Kakashi well enough to know he'd be late." She returned with a huff, shortly before she slammed the door behind her, leaving the house. She wanted to stay in her bed, though she doesn't sleep well but it was still comfortable regardless.

Slowly strolling to the training ground, she could the the three of them already gathered there. Sakura had a irritated facial expression, Naruto was on the verge of falling asleep, Sasuke couldn't care less about them but was irritated by the fact that Kakashi and Itsuko we're very late.

"Itsuko sensei! You're late!" Sakura jumped, yelling at Itsuko just as she entered her sight.

"I never arrive earlier than Kakashi." She yawned again, walking on the tree so she could rest on a tree branch while she waited. She needed to wait for Kakashi's test to be over too.

"Can we start on your test first? Waiting for Kakashi sensei is a waste of time." Sasuke glared. She was certainly not someone very patient.

"No. But I can give you guys a head start on what to expect." Itsuko smirked, jumping off the tree branch, landing on her two feet.

"That works too!" Sakura squealed excitedly, clearly having no clue on what was going to happen.

"I can beat you easily! Since you're really weak." All of a sudden, Naruto yelled with his hands behind his head, looking as carefree as ever. Weak? It's been a long time since she had even heard someone call her that. Those who did were all dead.

"Tell me that when you beat me in the test later." She laughed. There was no way she could beat her, not even if he uses Kurama's chakra to the maximum.

"Kakashi get your bell test over with. They need to know who they're up against and watch their words or I might end up slaughtering someone." Itsuko spoke, to Kakashi who was watching from behind the bushes for awhile now.

No one noticed him but Itsuko. She didn't really expect anyone to notice. They were only genins after all.

"Hey Sasuke. Is she stronger than Kakashi sensei? How strong was your brother?" Innocent Naruto whispered into Sasuke ears with his hands covering his mouth, hoping Itsuko wouldn't hear.

"He only had the skill to at most destroy a clan in one night." Sasuke replied.

He thought, Itachi wasn't that strong.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura and Naruto both screamed at Kakashi as he crawled out from the bush upon being noticed by Itsuko. Sasuke just glanced over. He probably didn't care much but to get this over and done with.

"Well a black cat crossed my path so I had to take another path." He laughed nervously, not even putting in effort to hide the fact that he was late on purpose.

"Anyways, today's assignment is to take these bells away from me by noon. Those who don't get it don't get lunch. You'll be tied to the that as I eat my lunch before your very eyes." He explained, pointing to the three logs in front of the training field.

"There's only two bells so that means only two person can pass while the others gets send back to the academy. It might be just one person or all of you. You can use your ninja tools. You won't be able to get a bell unless you come at me with intent to kill." Kakashi smirked as he stared at their unbelieving faces.

"And for fun, I'll help weaken Kakashi just by a little." Itsuko smirked, catching Kakashi off-guard. This was the last thing he expected to happen.

"What-?!" Shocked, Kakashi's facial expression immediately changed. He was serious now, ready to battle.

"What is it Kakashi? Scared that you won't be able to face the genins later? They're just genin, it shouldn't be a problem for you." Itsuko mocked, reading his every thought. "Well, they all waited long enough. Let's begin."

Just as she spoke, she sent simple kicks at Kakashi. Though they were simple, they sent Kakashi flying towards a tree. The tree almost breaking. He pressed himself against the tree, even he was struggling to get up but he still had to get up. He was trained to do this, he could handle this much.

"You're on your own now." Itsuko simply strode off contemplating which tree she would use to watch the show.

"Alright! You and me fair and square!" Naruto immediately jumped in, standing in front of Kakashi.

Kakashi would've been able to stop Naruto easily while reading a book but he had been weakened quite a lot so he thought it was smarter not to read. He can't have himself defeated by genins. That would be more than embarrassing.

Though it was as he expected, he could block Naruto's attacks without breaking a sweat. Before Naruto knew it, Kakashi had unleashed his attack, a thousand years of pain. The pain of embarrassment.

Kakashi had sent clones for Sakura and Sasuke.

Sakura was an easy target. Kakashi only needed to cast a simple genjutsu. Making Sakura watch badly hurt, suffering and dying Sasuke was all it took for Sakura to pass out.

As for Sasuke, as skillful as he was, he only managed to touch the bell after launching some of his attacks on Kakashi but still didn't managed to get the bell.

Then there was Naruto, trying to steal lunch after he got himself out of the river.

It wasn't long before noon. The alarm clock went off. Time was up.

Kakashi tied Naruto onto the long for having caught trying to eat his lunch.

"We'll continue after lunch. However Naruto doesn't get lunch, for trying to eat lunch on your own. No one is to feed Naruto or that person will be failed immediately." Kakashi warned them seriously before he headed off, hiding behind a tree.

"What a horrible hiding spot." Itsuko leaned against the tree, teasing Kakashi.

"Captain-" Kakashi bit the bottom of his lip. He was lost of words.

"Take them seriously. It may be a waste of time and energy, but treat this as a training." She suggested, even though she herself was really annoyed, it was still her job as his previous captain to give him advice.

"Yes, captain.l Kakashi said before he headed over to his team, who were now sharing their food. It might have been against the rule but that was what Kakashi wanted to see from the start. He had no intention to let them take the bells in the first place.

"Now, my test. Let's give you a head start. You attack me. My hands would be tied up to my back. If any of you manages to successfully land an attack on me, you pass." Itsuko explained, giving them a fake friendly smile.

"But captain-" Kakashi said, ending his sentence almost immediately knowing he should keep whatever he had in mind to himself.

"Shall we get started?" Itsuko tied both her hands to the her back. Her handicap increased their confidence drastically.

"Let's go!" Naruto yelled excitedly. He was sure he would be able to pull it off with the team.

Their teamwork was way better then before. They had all sorts of tricks up their sleeves, kunais, shurikens, even physical combat. But none of these were any threat to her.

She gave her sword a light kick and it flew out of the cover. Catching it in her mouth, it was simple for her to use it to block off the weapons. Then, with the same sword, she attacked.

She hasn't really started but the team was already worn out and couldn't go on. They sat on the floor, panting while she waited for them, placing my sword back into its cover.

"Sasuke I thought you said she wasn't as strong as him? With these skills, she can destroy the whole village in one night." Sakura choked, trying her best to grasp for breath.

"Oh? Did he tell you I'm not as strong as Itachi Sasuke, sasuke, you don't know me as well as you think you do." Itsuko sighed, untying her hands. He wasn't close to her as a child, all he had seen was her struggle with their parents.

"I'm way stronger than Itachi. I became anbu captain, while Itachi only became team captain. The reason your dear Sasuke think it's the other way round it's because our parents had only ever praised Itachi for his achievements. I've always been an outcast." Itsuko's voice soft but they all heard her. She was strong but deep down the goid in her heart could never be filled.

Everyone, especially Sasuke looked shocked as well. Kakashi felt a surge of pity and pain for her but left only that of a blank look on his face, knowing the consequences of showing his emotions.

"I don't think you all can make it out alive if we continue. That's all for today I guess." Itsuko changed the topic, adjusting her sword. Kakashi then brought them to the memorial stone. He had planned to do so for the team he would pass.

He gave them a brief back story and explanation about ninjas that got killed in action, those who followed rules and didn't have teamwork and so on.

Looking at the dead names, only reminded Itsuko of her old friend, Shisui...

"Team 7 starts it's first mission tomorrow!" Kakashi gave them a smile, acting enthusiastic. His sentence interrupting Itsuko's train of thoughts.

"And I'm not joining you all for every mission. No point in me doing chores, I have anbu to train tomorrow. Besides having Kakashi there is more than enough."

Then, Kakashi gave them a short briefing on their schedule tomorrow and in the future before he dismissed them, allowing the tired genins to go home and rest.

"I never thought any team would be able to pass this." Kakashi spoke. He didn't believe it, he actually passed a team in many years.

"They aren't just any team." Itsuko smirked, walking off. If it was just any team, they most likely wouldn't be able to pass. But this team was different in one way or another. Their relationships are very strained but somehow, they could be really strong when they work together. Maybe it's their individual unique ideals that brings them together, who knows.