Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Chapter 4

The next morning, all three genin arrived bright and early at the training ground. Red closed his eyes as he leaned against a convenient post, while Kasumi eyed him with a faint blush, wondering if he had noticed her long hair out of it’s ponytail, and Satoshi stared at Kasumi.

Kasumi looked so much prettier now!

Natsume arrived exactly at seven, and this time, they were better prepared for her unexpected appearance.

“Well, let’s get started.” She said crisply. “First, I need you to demonstrate all of your skills.”

“What types of skills?” Kasumi asked curiously.

“Combat.” Natsume said. She smiled, and withdrew two bells from her weapon pouch. They tinkled lightly as she tied them to her belt.

“The training for today requires you to get these bells away from me, using any means at your disposal. You can use any weapons or techniques you like, but if you haven’t gotten a bell before noon, you’ll be tied to one of those posts there and I’ll eat your lunch in front of you.”

Red nodded, eyes bright.

Kasumi bit her lip. She had to get one of those bells! Otherwise she would be separated from Red! This was a test of love!

Satoshi grinned cockily. This would be no problem!

“I do have to warn you though.” Natsume said seriously, “That if you don’t come at me with the intent to kill, or at least injure, you will not get a bell.”

Kasumi swallowed.

“Ready, begin!” Natsume said.

The three genin shot off in separate directions, and Natsume nodded. At the very least, they would need to know how to conceal their presence.

Red clung carefully to the branch of the tree he was perched in, taking a good look at Natsume. He didn’t know much about her or what techniques she might use, so he decided to observe for now. His flame attacks didn’t have too much distance, and as they were in a forest he might accidentally burn it down. Hmm…

Though….

Kasumi squinted through the leafy foliage of a bush at Natsume. How to win? How to win…

Satoshi glanced at Natsume from his perch in the river, shielded by a bunch of rushes. Someone had to do something, soon… hmm…

Well, he might as well go for a direct attack then!

“Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!”

Six Shadow Clones formed around him, and flew into the air, charging at Natsume. Natsume casually punched, kicked, and slapped all of them out of the way in a few seconds.

Satoshi blanched. Well, if that wasn’t going to work, then…

He grabbed his shuriken and threw four of them at her, but she blocked them easily as well. With a yell, he sprang out of the water himself and launched at her, hands busily making the seal for Thundershock.

Natsume smiled, before her hands blurred and became the seal for Light Screen. Satoshi hit the wall of shimmering air and bounced back down. As he hit the ground, Natsume rushed in and delivered several blows to his torso, leaving him winded.

“Sorry.” She said unrepentantly, and that was when Satoshi noticed too late that her eyes were glowing with Hypnosis.

Shoot!

Kasumi gulped as she watched Satoshi drift off to sleep. She… what was she going to do? She was startled when she felt a tap on her shoulder. “R-Red?”

“Shh.” The other boy hissed. “We need to think of a plan.”

Kasumi nodded, and followed him a few yards back into another bush.

“The way I figure is that we’ll need a distraction.” Red told her. Someone has to distract her, and the other person has to get to her before she can put up her Light Screen protection.”

That made sense.

“Which moves do you know?”

“Just the basics.” Kasumi admitted sheepishly. “And Mist.”

Red’s eyes sharpened. “Mist? How strong?”

“Well… enough to cover about twenty yards?”

“That’ll be enough, then.” Red said. “Listen. After you cast Mist, I’m going to attack her. Do you think you’ll be fast enough to cut the bells off before she puts up Light Screen?”

Kasumi hesitated. “I…I’ll try.”

Red grinned. “All right then. Let’s practice a bit first…”

Twenty minutes later, Natsume was in the middle chapter of a romance novel when she saw Kasumi burst out of the bushes. The girl looked terrified, but that was only to be expected. Natsume’s eyes rose as thick white mist poured out around them, and shrugged. It was a minor annoyance.

Her danger senses prickled, and she jumped away as a fireball burst through the area she had just occupied. So. It seemed that Kasumi wasn’t alone…

Red’s eyes sparked as he made the seals for Flamethrower. Ember had only been a warning, after all.

Natsume’s eyes widened as she hastily erected her Light Screen defense, only to feel something brush past her.

The bells…!

Kasumi gave Red a V for victory she held up the two bells. “I did it!”

Natsume shook her head. It seemed she had underestimated Kasumi… but Flamethrower… that wasn’t an attack a genin normally knew. It took a lot more chakra than Ember did, or even Flame Wheel.

Red had worked hard too…

Needless to say, Satoshi was very unpleasantly surprised when he awoke tied to the log. Red and Kasumi were watching him, Kasumi with contempt and Red with an expression that didn’t seem to mean anything.

Satoshi growled.

“What are you staring at?”

“You didn’t get one of the bells.” Natsume said quietly. “Perhaps this has taught you a lesson about teamwork?”

“What teamwork?” Satoshi bristled.

“Well, Kasumi and Red managed to defeat me because they worked together. Running off like a loose cannon is no guarantee of success. You were placed on teams for a reason.” Natsume said quietly. “But as it were, you did try your best. I will accept you as my team for the time being. However, in the future I expect you all – yes, you and Red too, Kasumi – to work together. All three of you.”

Red nodded curtly, Kasumi grinned and hugged him, and Satoshi seethed.

Stupid Red…

What was so good about him anyway?

“Dismissed.” Natsume said. “Feel free to set yourself loose whenever you want, Satoshi. We’ll meet here tomorrow and begin our missions.”

Satoshi sighed, before he extracted himself from the restraints – luckily they had learned in the Academy – and walked home slowly.

Damn…

End Chapter

Completed 3/3/07

Natsume is biased. I am too. But I don’t like Ash/Satoshi very much, or Naruto, and I love Red. Not so much Sasuke… I like Anko though, a lot! Pity she didn’t get to show off much in the manga…