"What!? Go back to the Ninja Academy?"
"Kakashi-sensei, are you kidding me!?"
Naruto and Sakura both shouted, eyes wide in disbelief. Sakura's composure as a "proper lady" immediately collapsed—this was a nightmare. If she was forced to return to the Academy, the embarrassment alone would kill her. Her friends and even her family would laugh for weeks!
That was something Sakura Haruno could never allow.
Naruto felt the same.
Sasuke, however, stood silent, his face calm but eyes sharp. He didn't even entertain the thought of returning to the Academy. Every second wasted there would only widen the gap between him and that man.
'So, it's happening… the bell test.'
Menma also stood, his expression firm.
Kakashi looked at the four of them with an unreadable gaze. "Haha, do I look like I'm joking? This is the official rule. Passing the Academy exam doesn't automatically make you full-fledged shinobi. Every graduate assigned to a squad must undergo a second test. Only those who pass can truly be recognized as genin."
His tone hardened. "If you fail, you'll return to the Academy for retraining. The pass rate for this assessment? Thirty percent. I won't hold back."
The words hit like a thunderclap.
As Kakashi spoke, his normally lazy, half-lidded eye turned serious. The pressure in his voice made even Naruto go stiff.
Menma, however, wasn't fooled. He already knew that Kakashi's warning was more psychological than literal. In the original records of Team 7's history, nearly every other squad risked being sent back—but not this one.
Team 7's composition was far too significant for the Third Hokage to risk breaking apart. Especially Menma—the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki—Konoha's ultimate deterrent. Hiruzen Sarutobi would ensure his proper development, no matter what.
So, Kakashi's words were simply meant to test their resolve.
Still, Menma knew better than to look detached. Acting was part of blending in.
"Hmph! Fine by me!" Naruto said, pounding his chest with confidence. "Just tell me the task, Kakashi-sensei! I'm not gonna lose to anyone!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his Sharingan not yet active but his focus sharp as a blade. Menma stayed calm, waiting. Sakura, however, looked pale—her nerves fraying. The idea of failing terrified her.
"Haha, good. Confidence is fine," Kakashi replied, his voice returning to its easy tone. "The task is simple—a survival exercise. You must take these bells from me before noon. Use any method you wish. Whoever fails to get a bell… fails the test and returns to the Academy."
He took a small clock from his pouch, set it down, then drew three tiny bells and fastened them to his belt.
"Remember this," Kakashi added coldly. "Unless you come at me intending to kill, you won't get even one bell."
"But… Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said hesitantly, "there are only three bells. There are four of us."
Kakashi gave a lazy smile. "Exactly. Only three of you can pass. The one who doesn't… fails. What you do about that is up to you."
His words hit Sakura like a stab to the chest. Only three? That meant someone would definitely fail—and she already knew she was the weakest. Her heart sank into despair.
Naruto's eyes widened, ready to argue again.
"Alright," Kakashi cut him off, his tone sharp. "The test begins now. Waste time, and all of you fail."
With a casual flick of his wrist—
"Go!"
The four immediately scattered into the surrounding forest, hiding among the trees and bushes.
The setup was classic—one-on-one survival drills had been part of their training since the Academy—but now it felt far more intense.
'Teamwork,' Menma thought, crouched behind a tree. 'Easy to say, but for a new squad like ours, it's nearly impossible to execute properly.'
His eyes narrowed, scanning Kakashi's relaxed stance in the clearing. 'But we don't need perfect teamwork—just something that looks like it. Kakashi's a Jōnin. Facing him head-on would be suicide. But if we coordinate well enough, he'll let us take the bells.'
He smirked faintly. 'Let's see who'll make the first move.'
Sure enough, just like in the original timeline, Naruto stood openly in the field—no stealth, no plan—staring straight at Kakashi.
Kakashi sighed. "Naruto, you do realize this is a survival test, right?"
"Yeah," Naruto grinned. "And I also know you've been toying with me every time we sparred before. But this time's different, Kakashi-sensei! This time, I'm gonna win fair and square!"
He slammed his hands together. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
"Boom!"
Several puffs of smoke erupted, filling the clearing as dozens of Narutos appeared, circling Kakashi.
"Here I come!"
The clones charged at once, throwing shuriken in rapid succession—
"Shing! Shing! Shing!"
The weapons whirled through the air in a semi-circular arc, closing in on Kakashi from all directions.
Menma watched from afar, a faint glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
'So it begins.'
_______________
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