Naruto's POV (Team Seven's Training Ground - Hidden Leaf Village)
"Why the hell not," Naruto replied evenly. "In fact, I'm tired of all this nonsense. You won't relent until I show you I'm no joke. Can't think of a better way of doing it than kicking your ass."
"We're tied down, fool."
"We wait until after Kakashi's new training, and then we finish this," Naruto decided. "Whatever our beef is, we leave it in there."
"You truly intend to oppose me?" Neji asked with a raised brow. "How will suffering a beating from myself prove anything?"
"That wouldn't, but you'll be forced to accept the reality of things once I win. You believe fate rules the world, that I'm fated to be a loser, and you are an enslaved genius. Well, if it's true, then fate is on your side. So if I win…" Naruto trailed off.
"If you win, Naruto Uzumaki, I will accept you as my equal." Neji decided with equal parts humor and dedication. "I'll do my best to be agreeable and even friendly from then on. However, if I win, you'll accept the reality of this team and, by proxy, the world."
"Holding you to that, Neji."
"To be clear," Ino said, her tone dry and her exhaustion clear to the both of them. Breaking through the tension for the moment. "We have been tied up and left to suffer because we cannot behave like a team. In response, have the two of you decided to fight each other? Do either of you realize how stupid that sounds?"
"Of course." Both men answered in sync.
"It is brutish without a doubt," Neji admitted blatantly. "Perhaps even beneath myself, but it has become clear that Naruto needs to be humbled, a pecking order is needed, and a reality check is coming."
"He's about dead on, save for who needs the humbling." Naruto agreed with a nod. "Neither of us is the type to suffer disrespect or hold our tongues. The only way our beef will be settled is a good old-fashioned brawl; we'll see eye to eye once that's done. It's how men work; kicking his ass will just be a bonus."
"So we're willingly being stupid…" Ino sighed as the three bound Genin settled into awkward and tense silence as they awaited their sensei.
Kakashi's POV (Mikune's Dango Bar - Hidden Leaf Village)
They said old habits die hard. A saying Kakashi supposed must have some truth in it. As his Genin were left raging and helpless, he was now returning to a place he often had when left troubled. For many years of his life it had served as his home away from home. Somewhere safe, comfortable, and familiar, back then he needed any sort of stability. Now it was purely his preferred social haunt. Mikune's Dango Bar was a favored bar of the Jounin and Chunin of the Hidden Leaf Village. Mikune, the namesake of said bar, was once a shinobi himself until the death of his baker wife made him retire. He now boiled and glazed the dango his wife once made and served drinks to his former coworkers. The man-made for a great host for the often troubled shinobi.
It was that very group Kakashi sought out tonight. The man was determined to check in with the other Jounin Sensei and see how their teams were progressing. Surely, they were facing similar issues; if so, they had some good advice. In fact if he could, he had something of an odd plan. He just needed to get one of them to agree to it. As Kakashi entered the dim establishment with the ring of the bell, he nodded at Mikune. The portly bald man politely nodded back, gesturing with one hand to the back of the bar as he used the other to drop a couple newly cooked dangos into a pan, lightly frying them for a gushing couple.
Kakashi scanned the familiar bar as he ventured to the back. The establishment was custom-made for shinobi. The seats were private and spaced apart, and booths with high walls and dampening seals were placed nearby. Shinobi appreciated privacy more than most, after all. The fully wooden establishment felt homely as ever, but he was here mostly on business today.
He finally spotted the group sitting at a booth at the back. Gai, Asuma, Kurenai, Shisui, and even Anko chatted with each other before his so-called "Eternal Rival" spotted him and hollered in excitement.
"Kakashi! I had not expected you to show yourself; perhaps my rival's team is proving as exceptional as my own?!" Gai half praised, half accused him.
Kakashi used the same strategy he often used with Gai. Rudely ignoring the man's bold hello, he sat next to him and picked up a ball of dango off his plate, eating happily. Gai was a handful for sure, but Kakashi had grown to appreciate the earnest and honest man he was. That being said ignoring him just made things easier.
"Kakashi." Kurenai acknowledged him, beside her Asuma, nodding along with her.
"Wait, you're telling me you took up that job?!" Anko cried out with a laugh. "That old man tried to get me to do the same, but I had the sense to say no! How's someone even weirder than me in charge of Genin? I get they're not kids anymore, but geez."
"You're not a Sensei nor a full Jounin." Kakashi joked in response. "But you are correct; it is not going well."
"No surprise there." Asuma chimed in with a pitying sigh for Kakashi. "The three you got seem like a real handful indeed. The Violent Side House member of the Hyuga, a catty Yamanaka, and Naruto-"
"Watch yourself," Kakashi warned the man.
"Hey, I didn't mean anything by it, honest." Asuma offered to raise his hands in surrender. "Just not sure how you're going to deal with them."
Kakashi nodded, accepting the apology. "To be fair, I am not doing well, so your concern is valid."
"HA!" Gai roared. "It seems in our newest challenge, I now lead Kakashi. While you struggle, my team works like a dream!" The man suddenly became serious, thankfully, his bold features narrowing as he did. "Forgive my gloating, my old friend. It seems this may be bothering you. Have you perhaps attempted to instill them with the power of Youth?"
"I love you, Gai, but if I don't get some real suggestions, I fear my team will fall apart." Kakashi quipped as he was tossed a beer by Anko. The two cracked the cans open and guzzled the freezing cold liquid within. "Being a bit dramatic, of course, but my team wants to tear each other apart. They can't even get along, let alone work together."
"My team isn't doing perfectly either," Shisui admitted with a sigh. "The other two just follow Sasuke's whims as if he was the leader, well did anyway."
"What fixed it?" Kakashi asked.
"Well, one snapped and showed Sasuke that he wasn't untouchable. Damn near tore him apart, kind of worked to gain his respect, and therefore being treated fairly by him," Shisui admitted. "But that was mostly luck."
"I'd offer something, but my own team gets along fine," Asuma admitted with a shrug. "The three are pretty relaxed and talented. Hell, they're actually pretty funny to listen to."
"My own team is doing well as well." Kurenai agreed with a nod. "However, I think that makes the idea all the better. If your team and my team were to have a joint training day. We could count on your team to realize just how dysfunctional they are in comparison. Oftentimes, being shown a weakness makes a student address it. Especially when compared to their peers."
Kakashi nodded, smugly happy Kurenai had come to the same conclusion as him. In truth she had been his target from the start, the woman was ambitious and focused. He had been certain she would leap upon offering a solution. His team would work with Kurenai's and, in the process, be outworked by the synergy her team had. Neji and Naruto were proud people; he doubted either would take such a sitting down. Ino was less driven but more emotionally intelligent. She would realize his intention and hopefully reflect on it. "That may just be a good idea…"