Naruto wore a faint smile, Sasuke maintained a calm expression.
And Sakura, who had just awakened.
Looked at Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto with a dazed and confused face.
"Well, that was a perfect tactic. I was indeed deceived by the two of you. You successfully completed the objective of the mission. However, as I said before, grabbing the bell only means you are qualified to compete. There are only two bells, and only two qualification spots. Did you directly choose to qualify yourself and Sasuke?"
Kakashi looked straight at Naruto in front of him and spoke calmly.
Sasuke's expression beside him became slightly subtle.
And not far away, Sakura, who was still bewildered, finally came back to her senses the moment Kakashi's words fell.
What?
What is going on?
Naruto and Sasuke grabbed the bell?
And now Kakashi is asking who gets to qualify?
Although still a bit confused, the situation quickly became clear in her mind.
Haruno Sakura slowly stood up from the ground and looked toward the bell in Naruto's hand not far away. At first, she was slightly stunned, then after fully reacting, a sad and disappointed expression appeared on her face. If Naruto and Sasuke had grabbed the bell, they could graduate smoothly, while she herself had barely played any role at all.
Listening to Kakashi's words.
Haruno Sakura believed it was inevitable that she would be sent back to the Ninja Academy to retake the test.
For a brief moment, Sakura had the impulse to speak.
She wanted to graduate.
She wanted to stay.
She wanted to be on the same team as Sasuke.
But that impulse was forcibly suppressed.
She felt she had no qualifications and no courage to speak up.
Sakura knew very well.
Naruto and Sasuke had cooperated to grab the bell, and in terms of strength, the two were far superior to her. It was only natural that Naruto and Sasuke would graduate successfully, not someone who had been eliminated from the start.
Sakura silently told herself.
Although it was uncomfortable.
She had to accept reality.
That was how Sakura thought.
Sasuke, on the other hand, also believed that Naruto would make such a choice. Or rather, he thought this choice was the most appropriate. The team had only just been formed, and Sasuke had no particular feelings for Sakura—he was even slightly impatient with her (no strength, yet still foolish).
However.
Kakashi felt that Naruto might still surprise him once more.
Perhaps.
But it would require more thought.
Yet in the very next moment, Naruto's actions once again exceeded the expectations of everyone present—especially Kakashi.
There was no hesitation.
No entanglement.
Almost within a few seconds after Kakashi finished speaking.
Naruto smiled lightly, exerted a bit of force with his hand, split the two bells apart, and then flung them to either side. Amid the shocked expressions of both Sakura and Sasuke, the bells flew toward them.
Sasuke and Sakura caught the bells almost reflexively, neither of them having time to react.
"Then I'll directly choose to give the bells to Sasuke and Sakura."
Naruto chuckled, looking straight at Kakashi, who was also visibly surprised, and said calmly.
"Naruto, why did you give me the bell? It should be given to you and Sasuke. Just as Kakashi-sensei said, I didn't play any role at all. The bell was taken by you and Sasuke-kun together. You two are the ones who qualify!"
Before Kakashi could speak.
Sakura, who was holding the bell, spoke up with a firm expression.
Although the moment she caught the bell.
A trace of excitement and anticipation had appeared deep in Sakura's heart, it lasted only a second before being completely wiped away. Sakura knew very clearly that this bell was given to her by Naruto, not something she earned through her own strength. Although her strength was weak at this stage, her mentality unstable, and she often acted foolishly, she was by no means stupid. She understood very clearly what she should and should not accept.
This bell was not something she deserved.
And therefore, she could not accept it.
Even if she wanted it very badly.
She could not take it.
At that moment.
Sakura made her decision and prepared to throw the bell back.
But before she could.
Naruto raised his hand and stopped her.
"No, Sakura. This bell is yours. We can graduate together, right? Kakashi-sensei."
After Naruto waved at Sakura.
Sasuke frowned slightly.
Kakashi, on the other hand, smiled beneath his mask with an expression full of interest.
"Hm? Graduate together?"
Sakura froze in place, not quite understanding.
As for Sasuke, after a brief frown, something seemed to flash through his mind. His brows gradually relaxed, but his gaze toward Naruto became filled with complex emotions.
"Oh? Why give the bells to Sasuke and Sakura? Why do you think I would let all of you graduate, Naruto?"
Kakashi crossed his arms in front of his chest, a playful expression appearing on his face as he looked directly at Naruto and spoke.
"Because the key point of this survival exercise is teamwork between the three of us! Whether it was the bell-grabbing battle just now or the act of distributing the bells now, what Kakashi-sensei really wanted to test was whether the three of us could become a true team! As long as this condition is met, it fulfills your requirement, Kakashi-sensei. Otherwise, even if someone grabs a bell alone, they would still be unqualified in the end! And Sakura choosing to return the bell just now proves that she understands teamwork. That means all three of us are qualified! Right, Kakashi-sensei!"
Naruto slightly raised his head, looking straight at Kakashi in front of him, and spoke clearly and confidently.
Wise.
Bold.
Calm.
Decisive when it mattered.
With extremely sharp insight.
And most importantly, he trusted both himself and his teammates.
It had to be said.
Naruto's performance far exceeded Kakashi's original expectations.
Looking at Naruto like this.
Deep within Kakashi's heart, the image of the jōnin he once followed—Naruto's father, the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato—naturally surfaced.
"Sensei… your child has truly grown."
Kakashi looked at Naruto, a trace of mixed emotions—gratification, nostalgia, and quiet pride—flashing through his eyes. But that emotion disappeared just as quickly, and Kakashi once again turned his attention to the three before him.
This time.
Kakashi no longer kept them in suspense.
He nodded lightly.
"Yeah. All three of you… are qualified."
These calm words fell.
Naruto and Sasuke showed no drastic reaction.
But Sakura, after a brief moment of stunned silence, broke into an expression of disbelief and overwhelming joy.
Qualified!
I'm qualified!
I don't have to return to the Ninja Academy!
I can continue being teammates with Sasuke!
At this moment.
Sakura could not, and did not want to, suppress her emotions.
And when she looked toward Naruto, her eyes were filled with gratitude.
Because of Naruto.
She was able to graduate.
This fact.
Sakura understood very clearly.
And accompanied by Kakashi's final declaration.
This graduation.
Team Seven was officially formed!
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