The sun hovered at its peak, casting sharp shadows across Training Ground 7. The air buzzed with tension as Raven Kamizuki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno stood together in the clearing, their earlier failures fresh in their minds. Nearby, Naruto Uzumaki lounged under a tree, swinging his bell proudly, oblivious to the undercurrent of frustration and determination running through his teammates.
Across the field, Kakashi Hatake stood with his usual relaxed posture, his visible eye betraying none of his thoughts as the two remaining bells jingled softly from his belt.
The silence stretched until Raven finally spoke, her voice cutting through the heavy air.
"This isn't working," she said, her violet eyes gleaming with mischief. "It's time to try something different."
Sasuke scowled, his arms crossed over his chest. "What do you mean?"
Raven grinned, the corners of her mouth curling with a familiar spark of mischief. "We've been trying to do this alone. But that's not the point of the test, is it?"
Sakura's eyes widened in realization. "He said we need to think about what we're doing wrong…"
Raven nodded. "Exactly. It's not about who's the strongest. It's about working together."
Sasuke's scowl deepened, but after a moment, he gave a curt nod. "Fine. But what's your plan?"
Raven's grin widened. "Simple. We prank him."
Raven gathered them closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Here's what we're going to do…"
The plan was absurd. Ridiculous. But as Raven outlined the details, even Sasuke's lips twitched in reluctant amusement.
Kakashi remained in the clearing, flipping casually through his book—though his visible eye occasionally flicked toward the group, wary of their next move.
The first phase of the prank began with Sakura, who approached Kakashi with a wide, innocent smile.
"Kakashi-sensei," she called sweetly. "I'm really sorry about earlier. Can we talk?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow but didn't lower his book. "Oh? And what do you want to talk about?"
Sakura took another step forward, holding a box behind her back. "I brought you a peace offering."
Kakashi's eye flicked toward the box with mild curiosity. "Oh?"
With a dramatic flourish, Sakura presented the box, opening it to reveal a perfectly crafted pepperoni pizza.
"It's from The Crusty Kunai," she added with a bright smile.
Kakashi blinked, his stoic mask slipping just slightly. A peace offering? From Raven's family's pizzeria?
His curiosity got the better of him. Slowly, he closed his book and reached for the pizza.
As Kakashi reached for a slice, he failed to notice the fine string of mozzarella attached to the box's bottom. The moment he lifted the pizza, the string snapped, triggering the second phase of the prank.
Hidden in the trees above, Raven and Sasuke sprang into action.
A large pouch of pressurized marinara sauce, hidden above the clearing, exploded the moment Kakashi disturbed the pizza box. The sauce rained down, splattering Kakashi from head to toe in bright red.
Kakashi blinked through the dripping sauce, his expression unreadable.
But the prank wasn't over yet.
While Kakashi wiped marinara from his mask, Sasuke launched the final phase of the plan.
Using his Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu, Sasuke directed a series of small fireballs—not to attack Kakashi, but to ignite the strategically placed cheese strings and pepperoni discs hidden around the clearing.
The heated cheese melted into a sticky, gooey mess, creating a web of mozzarella that ensnared Kakashi's legs as he tried to move.
Raven, timing her move perfectly, slid in from the side. With a swift motion, she snatched one of the bells from Kakashi's belt.
At the same time, Sakura, taking advantage of the chaos, darted in from the other side and grabbed the second bell.
The team gathered together, panting and grinning, as Kakashi stood in the middle of the clearing, covered in sauce and cheese, the remnants of their prank still dripping from his clothes.
For a long moment, there was silence.
Then, Kakashi chuckled—a deep, genuine sound that surprised them all.
"Well," he said, wiping a glob of marinara from his mask, "congratulations. You finally figured it out."
The team blinked in confusion.
Kakashi's visible eye crinkled in a smile. "This was never about the bells. It was about teamwork."
Naruto, still lounging under the tree, blinked in surprise. "Wait… what?"
Kakashi nodded. "A ninja team succeeds together or fails together. You couldn't pass this test alone."
He gestured to the messy battlefield, sauce-stained and covered in melted cheese.
"And despite the… unconventional methods," he added, eyeing Raven with a raised brow, "you worked together. That's what matters."
As the team processed the victory, Naruto stood up, stretching with a wide grin.
"Man, that was awesome!" he exclaimed. "But hey, Kakashi-sensei, are you gonna keep reading that weird book from earlier?"
The clearing went silent.
Kakashi froze. His eye twitched. Slowly, he turned toward Naruto, his mind flashing back to the title—The Thirst For Her Knowledge from the Yuri Paradise series.
For a moment, all was still.
And then the panic set in.
Kakashi could almost feel Sayuri's glare burning through the trees, her wrath descending upon him like a storm. The image of her discovering his literary choice sent a shiver down his spine.
Without another word, Kakashi vanished, his body flickering into the trees with a burst of speed that left the team blinking in surprise.
As his voice echoed back from the distance, it carried a note of pure panic.
"Meet me back here tomorrow for your first mission! And—AND DON'T TELL YOUR MOM!"
The team burst into laughter, the tension of the test melting away like the mozzarella that had ensnared Kakashi.
Raven smirked, shaking her head. "Guess even the great Copy Ninja has someone to fear her alternate and fiercely overprotective persona as Naruto's mother.
Naruto grinned, clutching his bell. "That was awesome. But I still think ramen would've been a better prank."
Sasuke snorted, while Sakura rolled her eyes, but there was a warmth in the group now—a bond forged through chaos and teamwork.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a golden glow over the clearing, the team sat together, their laughter fading into comfortable silence.
They had passed the test—not just as individuals, but as a team.
And though the road ahead was uncertain, one thing was clear:
Team 7 was ready for whatever challenges came next.
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