They failed again even after the lecture from Kakashi, which resulted in their current situation. As the sun climbed higher in the sky, casting warm beams over Training Ground 7. Team 7 sat tied to the wooden posts, their earlier failures weighing heavily on them. Naruto Uzumaki fidgeted with the ropes around his wrists, his face scrunched in frustration. Raven Kamizuki lounged lazily, despite being tied up, chewing on a stray piece of mozzarella from her earlier pizza trap mishap. Sasuke Uchiha glared at the ground, while Sakura Haruno let out an occasional sigh of disappointment.
Across the clearing, Kakashi Hatake perched on a tree stump, his ever-present orange book in hand. The bells on his belt jingled softly with every turn of the page.
Naruto's stomach growled, breaking the silence. But instead of complaining about food, his eyes narrowed as they focused on Kakashi's book.
Naruto tilted his head, squinting at the cover. The bright orange color had always intrigued him, but this time, something caught his attention—the title written in bold letters.
The Thirst For Her Knowledge – Volume 15 of the Yuri Paradise series.
Naruto's curiosity piqued instantly.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called out, his voice cutting through the quiet. "What are you reading?"
Kakashi's visible eye froze mid-scan of the page. For the first time, he seemed genuinely rattled.
Inside, Kakashi's mind raced. Oh no. His thoughts spiraled into chaos. He noticed the title. That little…
And then it hit him—Sayuri Arata.
The mere thought of Naruto's mother finding out he was reading Yuri Paradise in front of her son made Kakashi's heart pound in a way no battle ever had. He could almost feel her glare piercing through the trees, imagining Sayuri locking her sights on him, ready to unleash a storm of fury.
If Sayuri finds out I was reading this in front of Naruto… I'm dead. She'll turn me into pizza sauce.
Sweat began to bead on Kakashi's forehead. Not even the Sharingan could save him from Sayuri's wrath.
Naruto tilted his head further, completely oblivious to the internal meltdown Kakashi was experiencing.
"Sooo… what's the book about, Sensei?" Naruto pressed, his voice dripping with innocent curiosity.
Kakashi's eye darted from the book to Naruto and back again. I need to shut this down. Fast.
In a moment of pure survival instinct, Kakashi reached into his pouch, pulled out one of the bells, and tossed it at Naruto with surprising urgency.
"Congratulations!" Kakashi said, his voice pitched slightly higher than usual. "You passed the bell test!"
Naruto caught the bell mid-air, blinking in confusion. "Wait… what? I passed?"
Kakashi nodded furiously, slamming his book shut and shoving it deep into his pocket as if it were contraband.
"Yep! You're done. You can just, uh, stand over there now. Relax. Enjoy the view."
Naruto scratched his head, completely baffled. "But… I didn't even get the bell from you."
Kakashi waved him off, desperate to end the conversation. "Technicalities. Don't worry about it. Just… shhh."
Naruto, still confused but too excited to argue, untied himself and strutted over to the sidelines, the bell swinging proudly from his fingers.
"Guess I'm just that good," he muttered to himself, plopping down under a nearby tree. He gave Raven a smug look. "How's it feel, pizza girl? I passed first."
Raven raised an eyebrow, chewing on her mozzarella. Something's fishy.
But before she could respond, Kakashi's voice cut through the clearing.
"Alright. The rest of you—Sasuke, Sakura, Raven—let's continue."
Sasuke wasted no time. With a determined glare, he broke free from his bindings, launching himself at Kakashi with renewed ferocity. His earlier failure burned in his mind, fueling his every move.
Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!
Small, rapid bursts of flame shot toward Kakashi from multiple angles, a refined version of his earlier attack. But Kakashi, ever the calm shinobi, dodged with effortless grace, his body moving like water through the trees.
Sasuke tried to predict Kakashi's movements, but the sensei was always one step ahead. In a flash, Kakashi appeared behind Sasuke, tapping him lightly on the head with the tip of his finger.
"Better," Kakashi murmured, "but not good enough."
Sasuke landed on the ground, panting, frustration etched deep into his features.
Next up was Sakura. She had taken Kakashi's earlier lesson to heart and knew brute strength wasn't her style. She needed to outsmart him.
Sakura formed quick hand signs, casting a subtle Genjutsu. The illusion was simple but effective—a field of mirrors reflecting Kakashi's image from every direction.
She hoped the disorientation would give her the opening she needed.
But Kakashi didn't even blink. With a swift chakra pulse, he shattered the illusion, the mirrors dissolving into mist. But not before he fixed up his hair a teacher has to look good after all.
Before Sakura could react, Kakashi appeared in front of her, his eye crinkling in amusement.
"Nice try," he whispered, and with that, he flicked her forehead, sending her stumbling back.
Raven was the last to move. She'd watched Naruto's foolishness, Sasuke's intensity, and Sakura's cleverness. Now it was her turn.
But unlike the others, Raven didn't rush. She took her time, circling Kakashi from the shadows, her mind spinning with ideas.
I could take a bell right now, she thought. But where's the fun in that?
Instead, Raven decided to test Kakashi in a different way.
She crafted a series of pizza-based distractions—from pepperoni smoke bombs to a mozzarella net trap. Each attack was more ridiculous than the last, but Kakashi countered them all, his patience unwavering.
Finally, Raven appeared in front of him, hands on her hips, a sly grin on her face.
"Having fun yet, sensei?" she teased.
Kakashi chuckled softly. "You're creative, I'll give you that."
"But not good enough?" Raven asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kakashi's response was swift. He tossed a kunai that sliced through the rope of a nearby tree, sending a net of pizza crusts crashing down around Raven.
Pinned under the doughy mess, Raven couldn't help but laugh.
"Alright, alright. You win this round."
Kakashi gathered the three of them back in the clearing, his expression unreadable.
"You're all talented," he admitted, "but talent isn't enough."
Raven, Sasuke, and Sakura exchanged glances, the weight of his words sinking in.
"You're still missing the point," Kakashi continued, his voice low and serious. "Think about what you're doing wrong."
As Kakashi stepped back, giving them space to reflect, Raven's mind raced.
We can't win this alone…
But before she could voice her thoughts, Naruto's voice called out from the sidelines.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto grinned, twirling his bell. "Since I passed already, does that mean I can watch you get your butt kicked?"
Kakashi's eye twitched, and for the first time, Raven noticed a flicker of panic on his face.
What's that about?
The team sat in silence, the tension thick in the air. Raven's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, already plotting her next move.
If we're going to win this… it's going to take more than jutsu.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the clearing, Kakashi's voice broke the silence.
"You've got one last chance," he said. "Use it wisely."
Raven smirked. Oh, we will.
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