Team Seven's POV (Team Nine Training Ground - Hidden Leaf Village)
Naruto's POV
Naruto and Ino walked through the paths built throughout the forest of the Hidden Leaf. The trails lead to the various training grounds used for most shinobi, save for those of notable rank or those with access to their own training grounds. And the two of them were mere minutes away from their destination.
Kakashi, as he had warned, had something special for their training today. It must be something indeed for Kakashi to have bothered to reserve them a different training ground. Ino and Naruto had met to go together, but Neji had elected to go his own way, likely already there.
"So what do you expect this training to be, Ino?" Naruto asked, hands resting on his head. "I mean, I'm sure it's some sort of team exercise, but not sure how Kakashi intends to fix that…"
"Probably something shrewd and manipulative, knowing him," Ino said with a sigh. "But whatever the case, we kind of need it. Neji may be a dick, but we're supposed to be a team, we need to get through to him."
"I know. Hell, I would honestly prefer it if we did get along." Naruto admitted tiredly. "We're stuck together for a while, and hell, I think we could make an amazing team. But I'm not gonna tolerate mistreatment from him or anyone else, especially if he's gonna do it to you as well."
Naruto watched as Ino rose a brow. "I appreciate it, but I'm surprised you leap to my defense like that."
"We're friends, aren't we?"
"Well, yeah… yes, we are," Ino said with a strange tone. "You're a lot different from what I expected…"
"Eh, I've never been good with first impressions, and honestly don't really care if people love or hate me. Most do the latter, and they can always grow to the former. Honestly, if not for my habit of pranking and temper, I'd wonder if fewer of them would."
"You'll win them over, Blondie." Ino mocked as the two stepped through the brush and into an open field.
It was a field cleared in a natural dip in the ground. There was almost a wall around their area, with random mounds of plantlife and mud surrounding it. Among the smoothest areas was a trio sitting, waiting. One was the female Uchiha Naruto had met before, who seemed grossed out by what was happening before her, and the other was Choji, who sat happily munching a bag of chips. Both were watching a human-sized mound of insects that shifted and skittered around what must've been beneath them all.
"Am I losing it? Or is someone quite literally being eaten alive by bugs while their team watches?" Ino asked as the two of them paused before reaching the others.
"Well, I think I might know who's doing that," Naruto said with a nod. "He's a bit weird but a good guy from what I've dealt with so far."
"Ahuh," Ino said as the two approached the others. As they got within shouting distance, Naruto offered a hearty hello. The two observers turned to gaze at them. Yuno raised a brow, and Choji howled in excitement as he ran over.
"No way that's you, Naruto!" Choji called as he drew close, and thudded a hand against Naruto's back with shocking strength. "Was wondering how you've been doing since the formation of the new teams! Especially when we ran into him…"
"Him?" Naruto asked with a raised brow.
"Yeah." Yuno chimed in with a dramatic sigh. "Gorgeous and rude is over there." She said, pointing to a giant mound nearby the group. At the top of the mound sat a meditating Neji. "He was here before us and, for the most part, kept to himself. He responded to us at first, but has flatly ignored us since."
"Sounds about right. Guy is a real ass, hasn't been much more than rude to us either." Naruto agreed with a nod, shooting a glare at Neji, who seemed unaware as he continued to mediate. "Don't take it personally. Well, since our sensei sent us here, I'm assuming this is some sort of joint training day or something?"
"Oh, we can play," Yuno said with lidded eyes, making intense eye contact with Naruto.
"Oh uh…" Naruto replied, confused.
"Yeah, this is a professional kind of thing," Ino interjected with an awkward laugh.
"We can mix business and pleasure, I only do so with the cute ones," Yuno replied with a chuckle.
"Okay, at some point here, I've lost the plot, but I'm pretty sure you just called me cute," Naruto said, pounding his fist into his palm as he connected the dots. "Am I cute?" He asked the others.
"Um, not sure?" Choji said, raising his hands as if surrendering.
"You're alright, looking Blondie, she's just teasing you." Ino declared with an amused roll of her eyes.
"I am somewhat." Yuno agreed. "We have just met, but you are cute in a rough kind of way. I wouldn't mind if we got closer."
"Business!" Ino once again reminded the group. Naruto wondered why the normally talkative and social Ino was being so closed off.
"Shikamaru will love this!" Choji chuckled to himself.
Um, another question." Naruto changed the subject as it seemed to be getting tense for some reason. "I'm assuming that's Shino under there, but regardless, what is going on there?"
"Oh, that's pretty normal for Shino," Choji replied. "Does this at least once a week, think it's his way of restocking and interbreeding his hive."
"Wait, so he really does keep an entire hive of insects within him?" Naruto asked, shocked. "I've heard rumors that Aburame did that, but assumed it wasn't true…"
"Oh no, it is," Yuno replied with a nod. "Shino is one of their best breeders as well, and this strange little exercise before us is the reason why. "He'll spend hours before training attracting and checking the local wildlife, insect-wise. Breed those he likes with his own hive, and over time, increase the number and abilities of his hive. SHINO IT'S ALMOST TIME TO TRAIN!" Yuno howled out suddenly.
Naruto and Ino flinched as the living shape of insects pulsed. The insects seemed to react all at once, all fleeing into the trees around them and revealing an unharmed and unassuming Shino below. The man in the shade nodded at them and sat down to rest.
"Did it go well, Shino?" Yuno asked. "You didn't leave behind any mosquitoes, did you?"
"No, I've been sending out pheromones to repel them in a mile-wide area from our exact location. I don't sense anything nearby as well. However, I must remind you that mosquitoes are a vital part of the Land of Fire ecosystem. They are one of the most preyed upon species in the world. If they ever were to go extinct…"
"Shino, I love you, dear, but save us the lecture," Yuno replied with a roll of her eyes.
"Okay…" Naruto said, confused. "So if we're all here, where are our sensei's? Ours are always late, so that's to be expected, but surely not your's too?"
"No," Shino replied simply. "Kurenai sensei respects our time and expects us to do the same. She doesn't come late nor tolerate it from any of us."
"And that hasn't changed today." A confident female voice suddenly sounded out. "In fact, we have been here for a while, long enough to set up the first exercise for today."
"That is to say, you all have been much too relaxed." Kakashi's voice chimed in as well. "See, this first exercise is one of the mind. We have taken one of your teammates, in fact, one of them is a clone of ours."
"Your goal will be to determine which of you is, without the obvious method of attacking one another or using some sort of jutsu or unique ability to do so. That goes for Yuno and Shino if that isn't clear."
"Our voices right now are being projected by clones. You have ten minutes to figure it out! Good luck~!"
The six of them sat in silence for a moment. All suddenly suspicious of one another and unsure of how to proceed.
"Well, this is interesting. I was certain anything Kurenai sensei did would be." Yuno commented. "So, how exactly do we go about this?"
"Well, if we want to draw out the clone using our wits, forcing them to bait themself out would be the best move," Ino said with a hum. "I suppose discussing it would be as effective as anything."
"So, how do we drill each other?" Naruto asked with a raised brow.
"It's probably he who is the fake." Neji suddenly added as he dropped from the mound and walked over to the group. "He is the only one I can imagine from my own team incompetent enough to be taken without knowledge."
"Really believable coming from the guy who came on his own." Naruto pointed out. Maybe it was just because of who Neji was and his own accusations of him, but the blonde just had a gut feeling it was him. "If any of us were somehow replaced, it would be him."
"Hold on," Shino interjected. "While it would be wise to interrogate each other, we should refrain from having members of the same team be the interrogator. If the fake among us is actively against us, they will likely sow the seeds of chaos."
"Knowing our sensei's…" Choji trailed off.
"It is almost certain that we see your point." Ino declared. "Who do we start with?"
"Oh, I think Shino and I already know ours." Yuno decided with a nod.
"Without a doubt," Shino added.
"Eh?!" Choji sounded out in shock. "You think it's me?"
"More of know it, for one, you've been way too relaxed this entire time. Choji may be reliable, but he's a bit of a wimp." Yuno replied. "The sudden arrival of our peers and the sudden reveal of this test would have left him at least nervous."
"Furthermore, Choji is rarely comfortable watching me cultivate while eating. Even when not, he respectfully averts his gaze, not staring at it with interest." Shino added. "I suppose we need only aid Team Seven, then."
"Isn't it a bit presumptuous to go off mere assumptions?" Neji countered.
"Hate to agree with the guy," Ino added as Naruto raised a brow. "But people aren't so simple; there's a myriad of factors that could lead to him acting differently."
"We've all been training together for nearly a week now." Yuno pointed out. "Not gonna pretend we should be as thick as family now, but it's long enough to know each other… right?"