Rumble...Rumble...
"Hahahahaha!" Naruto couldn't help but laugh as he heard the loud stomach growls from Sasuke on his left and Sakura on his right. As expected, listening to his brother was the best choice.
"What the hell are you laughing at, Naruto? You wanna fight?!" Sasuke glared at him in frustration. He was already starving, and now Naruto was mocking him. That annoying Kakashi-sensei had said to meet at 5 o'clock, but now, hours had passed and there was still no sign of him.
Sakura also stared at Naruto. So hungry... When is Kakashi-sensei getting here?
"Sasuke, karma's real, huh? Who was it that said he'd report me earlier? Hahaha!" Naruto kept laughing.
"Shut up, Naruto, you—" Sasuke started to snap back, but another growl from his stomach cut him off. I'm starving!! ┭┮﹏┭┮
Up in a tree nearby, Kakashi figured the timing was just about right.
He had arrived earlier on purpose. He'd planned to leave them hungry and waiting—but he hadn't expected that guy to ruin everything.
Menma… why are you everywhere?!
Kakashi now deeply regretted ever teaching Menma any ninjutsu. He was the one suffering for it now. He couldn't even beat Menma anymore. No—just dealing with him was exhausting.
"Good morning, everyone!" Kakashi finally appeared, a backpack slung over his shoulder as he greeted the trio.
"You're way too slow, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura and Sasuke shouted in unison.
But Naruto, ever unbothered, said something completely unexpected:
"Kakashi-sensei, you're actually early. You should've come a few hours later."
Sasuke: "." (へ╬) Naruto, do you even speak human language?
Sakura: "." Ugh! Not only did this annoying Naruto steal Sasuke from me, now this?! (へ╬)
Kakashi: "." Time to introduce you to Konoha's strongest taijutsu... o(￣︶￣)o
"A black cat crossed my path," Kakashi said with a deadpan tone.
Sasuke: "..."
Sakura: "..."
Naruto tilted his head. "Really? Where's the black cat, Kakashi-sensei?"
Kakashi: "."
Ahem. "Anyway," Kakashi said, dropping his backpack to the ground. He pulled out an alarm clock and two bells, setting the clock on top of three wooden logs about half a meter high. "The alarm is set for noon. Your task today is to take one of these bells before the timer goes off. Anyone who doesn't get a bell won't get lunch and will be tied to one of those logs to watch me eat."
Sakura furrowed her brows. "Why are there only two bells?"
Kakashi replied calmly, "Because at least one person will fail. That person won't just skip lunch—they'll fail the mission and be sent back to the Academy. At least one. Possibly... all of you."
Then he added with a chilling smile, "Feel free to use shuriken. If you don't have the resolve to kill me, you won't get the bells."
No sooner had he finished speaking, Naruto declared, "Sasuke, Sakura—I'll help you both get the bells so you can eat."
Since he had already eaten breakfast, Naruto figured it was only fair to let the others have lunch.
"I don't need your help. I can do it myself," Sasuke said stubbornly. I don't need Naruto's help.
Sakura blinked in surprise. If Naruto gives the bells to us, won't he be disqualified?
"Sasuke, then let's compete to see who can grab the bells first from Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto grinned, then immediately reached into his pocket and flung a shuriken toward Kakashi.
"Shadow Clone Technique!" Naruto shouted, casting the jutsu just after launching the shuriken.
At the same time, Sasuke saw Naruto make his move. He activated his Sharingan instantly and pulled out a kunai.
Sakura stood frozen, overwhelmed by the sudden action. Is it starting already?!
Clang! Clang!
Kakashi blocked the shuriken with a kunai in a flash.
"As expected of Kakashi-sensei—try this!" one of Naruto's clones yelled, flying at Kakashi mid-air, hands flashing through hand seals.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
A powerful gust of wind surged from the clone's mouth, roaring toward Kakashi.
Seeing the familiar technique, Kakashi twitched slightly, but quickly dodged by leaping to the side.
"Kakashi, where are you looking?"
Sasuke had arrived right on cue.
Tiger → Boar → Ram → Hare → Horse → Snake... Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!
Sasuke jumped into the air and released a massive fireball from his mouth.
Boom! The flames struck Kakashi head-on.
"Beautiful, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted excitedly. Sasuke really is my friend—we've got great teamwork!
Sasuke was about to respond, when—
"Watch out, Naruto!" he shouted suddenly.
Boom!
Naruto's clone—the one who used the wind jutsu—was kicked away by Kakashi and slammed into the ground, poofing into smoke.
And just like that, Kakashi vanished.
Sasuke landed next to Naruto, and the two stood back to back.
"Sasuke, do you see him?" Naruto asked. He couldn't sense Kakashi at all.
Sasuke's eyes darted rapidly.
There!
"Forty-five degrees to the left—up in the air!" Sasuke called out, hurling a shuriken. It zipped through the air and clashed against Kakashi's kunai.
He's already tracking my movements? As expected of Itachi's little brother… But Menma's little brother isn't bad either, Kakashi thought, preparing to counter.
Naruto rushed forward, formed hand seals, and shouted,
"Wind Style: Vacuum Bullets!"
He spewed a dense chakra-infused wind sphere straight at Kakashi.
Boom! The attack landed directly, sending Kakashi crashing to the ground and kicking up a cloud of smoke.
"Nice one, Naruto!" Sasuke cheered.
"We got him!" Sakura beamed, raising her hand in celebration.
Thud!
Suddenly, a kunai was at her neck. Her smile froze.
It was Kakashi!
Using the smoke as cover, he'd appeared beside Sakura and taken her hostage. He looked toward Naruto and Sasuke and said calmly, "Your comrade has been captured. Surrender."
Naruto and Sasuke both froze.
"Kakashi-sensei, that's cheating!" Naruto yelled.
"Yeah, how could you?!" Sasuke echoed, fuming.
Kakashi moved the kunai slightly, letting its cold edge press against Sakura's skin.
The sharp sting made Sakura feel fear she'd never experienced before. But even so, she shook her head at Naruto and Sasuke—she didn't want them to give up because of her.
"Surrender?" Kakashi asked again.
Looking at Sakura's pain-stricken face, Naruto and Sasuke realized—Kakashi wasn't joking.
"Release!" Naruto dispelled his clone and lowered his weapons.
Sasuke followed suit, dropping his gear.
In unison, they said, "We surrender!"
Kakashi smiled beneath his mask and released Sakura. "Congratulations—you pass."
(End Of Chapter)
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