11:30 AM, Outside the Training Ground
Team 7 arrived on time.
After waiting for about twenty minutes, Kakashi finally showed up, cradling his little orange book in one hand.
None of the three showed signs of impatience or frustration.
He sighed inwardly. It seemed his little trick had been seen through.
"Yo, good afternoon!" he greeted with a lazy smile.
Sakura rolled her eyes.
This white-haired jōnin really wasn't the most trustworthy-looking sensei.
Kakashi waved a hand dismissively. "Alright, let's skip the small talk. Today's test is simple."
As he spoke, he pulled out two small bells from his pocket.
"Your task is to take these bells from me within an hour."
"Wait a second, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura interjected. "There are three of us, but only two bells?"
Kakashi's visible eye curved slightly. "See those wooden posts behind you? Since this is a test, naturally, there's a consequence for failing. Whoever doesn't get a bell will be tied to one and forced to watch the rest of us eat lunch."
"Additionally," he continued, "the one who fails will also be sent back to the Academy for retraining."
Despite his words, none of the three showed any real concern.
Sakura sneaked a glance at Naruto. His expression was calm—almost amused.
In her mind, she suddenly heard Ino's voice: 'Damn it, have I really been missing out on something all these years?!'
Naruto smirked. This setup was so typical of Konoha.
Pitting teammates against each other, ensuring that at least one person would fail—this was a textbook manipulation tactic.
This wasn't just about testing combat ability; it was a test of human nature.
Three people fighting for two bells?
The real objective was to trigger conflict, to force one of them to be sacrificed.
This kind of exam aligned perfectly with the ideology of Konoha's upper echelon.
The so-called "Will of Fire"—wasn't it just a way to justify necessary sacrifices?
A fresh-out-of-the-Academy genin versus a jōnin?
The outcome was obvious.
And in the end, Kakashi would undoubtedly lecture them about teamwork, all while having set them up to fail in the first place.
His father, the White Fang, had been betrayed for following his heart over orders. Now Kakashi was here, enforcing the very system that had led to his father's downfall.
In the original timeline, Sasuke had only figured it out at the last moment. At the time, both he and Naruto had looked down on each other.
Then, suddenly, Sasuke had offered Naruto food. That was what had made them pass.
Even then, Kakashi had smiled like a gambler seeing an unexpected win.
And in the end?
Everyone who passed left. Who cared that Naruto had still been tied to the post?
Some tests depended entirely on who was taking them.
After all, the grading scale might not change, but the passing score always could.
Sasuke scoffed.
With Naruto's insight, he had already figured it out.
Kakashi inwardly sighed, observing how Naruto subtly took the lead among the three. As expected of Minato-sensei's son. His awareness surpasses his peers by miles.
Then he noticed something—Naruto had an extra ninja tool pouch strapped to his leg.
He came prepared?
They planned in advance?
Kakashi's interest piqued. Let's see how good Minato-sensei and Kushina-sensei's child really is.
He was already considering how to steal Jiraiya's spot as Naruto's future mentor.
"Alright," he clapped his hands. "From now on, you may use shuriken. But if you don't have the resolve to kill me, you'll never take the bells."
Sakura hesitated. "Isn't that too dangerous? This is just a test..."
Kakashi shrugged. "It's not dangerous for me. The question is whether you can fight with real intent."
His tone shifted as he addressed her, his expression turning dull.
Sakura noticed.
With Naruto's earlier warning, she picked up on the subtle difference in Kakashi's attitude toward her and Sasuke.
For a moment, she felt frustrated.
But then she glanced at Sasuke and realized he was being treated the same way.
Strangely, that made her feel better.
"Can we start already?" Sasuke cut in impatiently. "Enough talk."
Kakashi raised a hand. "Naruto, Sakura—are you ready?"
"Ready!" Sakura clenched her fists.
I'm different now. With Naruto's advice, I've realized my mistakes. I won't just stand back uselessly this time!
Sensei, just watch! I won't be left behind!
"The test begins—scatter!"
Whoosh!
The moment Kakashi's hand fell, all four of them vanished.
But almost immediately, Kakashi reappeared in a wide-open clearing.
"Good," he mused. "Stealth is the foundation of a ninja. Dispersing positions was the right choice. If they had attacked together, I could've eliminated them all instantly."
At that moment, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were secretly communicating.
The Academy had taught them various temporary battlefield communication methods.
From coded hand signals to wire-tap Morse patterns, even lip-reading techniques.
Naruto made a subtle movement.
Sakura hesitated. "Will it really work?"
"Don't worry," Naruto assured her. "It won't even scratch him."
"Then I'll cover you."
The plan was simple.
Naruto took the lead, confronting Kakashi head-on—just like in the original timeline.
"There!" Kakashi immediately spotted movement.
But he paused. That's... Sasuke?
No.
Not all Uchiha were prodigies.
For every Itachi, there was an Obito before he awakened.
Calming himself, Kakashi charged toward Sasuke.
Here he comes! Sasuke tensed and threw several kunai from his pouch.
Kakashi sighed inwardly.
If that's all, he'll never surpass that man.
Effortlessly, he tilted his head, dodging the incoming kunai.
But then—
Hiss, hiss, hiss—
Wait.
His visible eye widened.
BOOM!
The kunai exploded.
Kakashi was engulfed in the blast.
"Now!" Naruto shouted. "Sasuke, I'm backing you up!"
At that moment, a pink-haired figure suddenly appeared on the flat ground not far from Kakashi.
"Fool!"
"That's a Substitution Jutsu!"
Sasuke shouted.
"Huh?"
The pink-haired figure stood there, dazed.
"Hah~"
"That was a close call."
"Well then, you should get some sleep first."
Kakashi formed a seal with one hand. The pink-haired girl, hearing movement behind her, instinctively turned around, ready to strike.
But it was too late. Kakashi's genjutsu had already taken effect.
Her expression dulled, and she staggered forward. Kakashi reached out to catch her—only for his hand to pass straight through her body.
"Huh?"
For a moment, Kakashi was caught off guard. But as he observed the 'pink-haired girl,' he quickly realized what had happened.
"A Clone Jutsu?"
"Heh, so this is what a Jonin is like?"
Sasuke scoffed, but inwardly, he was shaken. Naruto's clone technique was incredibly refined—almost like Shisui's deceptive fighting style.
When Kakashi raised his head again, his confusion only deepened.
At some point, he had been surrounded by dozens of Naruto clones.
"Not bad. Sakura's role isn't as a frontline fighter, so you had her hide and wait for the right moment to strike."
"Then, you used Sasuke as bait to expose yourself, banking on my reaction."
"I have to admit, your plan is pretty well thought out."
As Kakashi spoke, he casually pulled out his beloved book, Icha Icha Paradise.
"But you don't actually think this is enough to defeat me, do you?"
"Charging in recklessly won't work against absolute strength. If you had adjusted your final strike, your success rate might have been higher."
"Tch, enough talk!"
Sasuke quickly formed hand seals, creating two shadow clones.
In an instant, the three of them hurled kunai at Kakashi in a coordinated triangular attack.
"If it's just kunai... the same trick won't work on me."
Kakashi casually flicked a few shuriken, deflecting the incoming kunai.
Seeing no explosive tags attached, he didn't even bother dodging. Instead, he calmly turned a page in his book.
Maybe I did underestimate them a little.
The three Sasukes moved in unison, forming hand seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Ninjutsu? Not bad. But who do you think would actually get hit by such an attack?"
Kakashi didn't even glance at Sasuke. At this range, the Great Fireball's effectiveness was minimal.
"You think surrounding me with Naruto's clones is enough to stop me?"
KA!
At that moment, the three Sasukes gritted their teeth in unison, producing a crisp sound.
Fwshhh!
Flames surged along thin steel wires.
"Not a Great Fireball... It's Fire Style: Dragon Fire Jutsu!"
Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Not bad. You've mastered ninjutsu to this extent already?"
"In that case, I'll get a little more serious."
"Naruto, I'm breaking through."
Closing his book, Kakashi executed the Body Flicker Technique, appearing instantly in front of the nearest Naruto.
He lashed out with a punch—
Whoosh!
His fist passed right through.
A clone!
Before he could react, Naruto's fist was already hurtling toward his face.
"Tch, no matter how many clones you make, it's useless if they're just basic illusions. I thought you were using Shadow Clones."
"Looks like this is just a diversion."
Despite his words, Kakashi felt a flicker of excitement.
From the beginning, in just this short time, he had witnessed a highly capable team—strong individuals, excellent coordination, and a clear leader.
This team is going to grow into something terrifying.
"Ugh!"
Kakashi suddenly doubled over, clutching his stomach.
I see... Phantom Flicker. That's Shisui's fighting style.
It wasn't surprising that he let his guard down—he knew his own strength well.
If he took Naruto and the others too seriously, he might crush them completely. His goal was to test their teamwork, so it was natural to overlook some things.
"This is troublesome. So many clones..."
KABOOM!
The Dragon Fire Jutsu reached him.
Kakashi leaped back, dodging between the endless Naruto clones.
No...
His experienced eyes caught something off.
There are real Shadow Clones mixed in!
It was then—
Kakashi flinched.
The pink-haired girl, who had seemingly been lying unconscious, had silently slipped behind him.
The Mayfly Technique—a jutsu of perfect concealment.
She crouched down, forming a hand seal.
"Secret Technique..."
Kakashi's instincts screamed at him.
Too late.
"A Thousand Years of Death!"