Konohagakure No Sato :
Training ground 3 :
The clearing in Training Ground 3 was suddenly flooded by a sea of identical blondes, each one shifting into a tactical stance as the atmospheric pressure spiked.
Naruto stood at the epicenter of this golden tide, his blue eyes scanning the battered forms of Team 7 before settling on the silver-haired Jonin. His mind worked with clinical precision, dissecting the true nature of this so-called "Survival Exercise."
Knowing the importance of this day for the future of Team 7, Naruto had meticulously decided his approach long before the morning mist had even cleared.
From the very first "Start," Naruto had been intentionally holding back. To ensure that the special bonds of this team would hold the same weight as they were meant to, Naruto had prioritized the concept of teamwork from the outset.
Naruto strategy was subtle:
he had purposefully exposed his own feigned "insecurity" and "weakness" to let Sasuke and Sakura feel the crushing, absolute weight of a Jonin's presence. He needed them to understand that their Academy accolades meant nothing here
After the initial confrontation, when Naruto had gathered the three of them together, even the arrogant Uchiha and the book-smart Haruno had begun to grasp Kakashi's overwhelming prowess after only a single exchange.
The immediate matter was, of course, cooperation. Naruto had proposed a simple, desperate goal: ignore the bells' scarcity, get them together as a unit first, and deal with the consequences later.
With his confidence visibly wavering, Sasuke had agreed with surprising ease to work with Naruto.
Sakura, in her blind devotion, chose to follow Sasuke without a second thought. She didn't even stop to consider that even if they successfully retrieved the two bells, she—the weakest link—was the most probable prospect to be eliminated.
And so, the first iteration of Team 7 was formed, briefly tasting the reality of teamwork.
When Naruto pointed out that Kakashi would likely target the weakest link first to dismantle their formation, Sasuke had quickly devised a plan to use Sakura as bait.
Without a moment's hesitation, Sakura agreed to play the part of the sacrificial meatshield for her "Sasuke-kun."
Watching her resolve, Naruto could only think one thing:
(Love is truly blind and ignorant.)
The ensuing confrontation was a choreographed disaster that Naruto knew would fail 100%. He had already identified the true motive behind the survival exercise.
While it might have held different sentimental meanings for Kakashi or Other Jonins, the core of the test was nothing less than the establishment of AUTHORITY.
Yes, the purpose was to ensure fresh Genin faced the harsh reality of the shinobi world.
Jonins used these exercises to beat their students appropriately, toning down their youthful arrogance and forcing them to witness the vast chasm of experience.
Every Captain demands an obedient squad, and the most efficient way to secure that obedience is to demonstrate the difference in power—beating them one-on-one, beating them three-on-one, and doing so in the most simple, effortless way possible.
It was a ritual designed to inspire respect through the sheer impossibility of the challenge, ensuring the Genin would become obedient soldiers.
Naruto, however, carried secrets that demanded absolute silence. With the Flying Thunder God and the Adamantine Sealing Chains necessitating strict secrecy, and his own desire to keep his trump cards hidden, Naruto never entertained thoughts of actually winning.
He had tasted a Jonin's true prowess under the tutelage of Hattori-sensei and knew that Kakashi would never allow his position as Captain to be questioned. This was a cycle repeated in every generation, from the Sannin down to Kakashi himself.
Since the fight was an inevitable loss, Naruto decided to keep his greatest assets to himself.
But Going all-out and using life dangerous jutsu without regards , will question his 'Will of fire'
SO Naruto refused to use lethal A-rank jutsus against his own Captain without regard for safety, especially with two "deadweights" on the field who might get caught in the crossfire and be eliminated by accident.
He had strategically allowed Sasuke and Sakura to engage and be neutralized first, exactly as he had planned.
Naruto bet on the fact that Kakashi would want to defeat him at his absolute strongest—when the blonde was unburdened by the safety of his squad and fully focused on the fight. Only by defeating Naruto in this state could Kakashi solidly establish his Captaincy.
Naruto's prediction had been flawless; Kakashi had eliminated Sasuke and Sakura with ease.
(He must already be satisfied with their results... and now, it's my turn,) Naruto thought.
These reflections flashed through his mind in a fraction of a second, but his clones and his physical body were already in motion.
The clones positioned behind Kakashi and the bound Sakura struck first, giving the Jonin no time to readjust his stance.
"[Wind Release: Breakthrough!]" X4
Four of the shadow clones released their gathered chakra in perfect unison, while the remaining three lunged forward, violently scattering a dense barrage of shuriken and kunai directly into the heart of the artificially generated gale.
Seeing the raging storm bearing down on him—covering almost his entire field of vision and hiding deadly projectiles within its currents—Kakashi's visible eye widened. His hands blurred through hand signs.
[Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall]
A massive, thick rampart of solid earth Wall erupted from the soil, groaning as it met the kinetic force of the wind and the metallic clangs of embedded weaponry. But even as he established his defense, Kakashi's tactical mind was already mapping the rest of the battlefield.
Glancing past the edge of his earth wall, he noticed a glaring absence: Sasuke's chakra signature had vanished from the perimeter. Furrowing his brow, Kakashi snapped his gaze toward the wooden post where Sakura had been securely bound.
She was gone. Or, rather, she was going. Two hands, unmistakably belonging to a shadow clone submerged within the dirt, were dragging the unbound and shivering pink-haired Genin beneath the surface of the earth. Kakashi instantly recognized the mechanics of the [Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique].
(Earth Mole Jutsu... He's taking Sasuke and Sakura out of the crossfire, even calculating the wooden post as a secondary shield against his own area-of-effect jutsu to force me to defend,This isn't just raw power; this is battlefield control.)) Kakashi analyzed.
While the original Kakashi was piecing together the blonde's overarching strategy, his own lightning-infused shadow clone was facing a completely different nightmare. It watched as thirteen different Naruto clones simultaneously slammed their palms against the trembling ground.
[Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall] x 13
Massive stone walls abruptly rose, boxing in the battlefield from three directions. But Kakashi's clone had more pressing concerns: the lethal wind storm was still approaching from behind. Using the momentary blind spot created by the original Kakashi's defensive wall, the clone executed a flawless Body Flicker, dodging the brunt of the tempest.
The storm slammed into the earthen barriers, but the walls held firm. Both the original Kakashi and his clone assessed their three-sided prison. Suddenly, the rumble of shifting earth echoed from the only open direction—the path the storm had taken. Naruto's clones raised a final wall, sealing both Kakashis inside a towering stone box.
(A useless tactic against me. A simple hiding mole jutsu will get me out... unless that is a bait and Trap?) Kakashi thought.
His lazy gaze shifted upward. Naruto and a squad of clones appeared at the top edge of the walls, taking deep breaths in unison.
[Water Release: Water Flow River]
A torrential flood of water poured into the stone box. Instead of panicking, Kakashi simply leapt onto the raging surface, his chakra anchoring him effortlessly via water-walking. The Narutos above feigned exaggerated expressions of 'surprise'.
Without missing a beat, five clones dove directly into the rising water. Using the momentum to close the distance, they channeled their chakra.
[Lightning Release: Body Sparks] x 5
Biri-biri-biri-biri!
High-voltage electricity violently discharged through the conductive water. When the blinding flash cleared, the Narutos looked down to see the original Kakashi falling back onto the shoulders of his clone. The five Naruto clones in the water violently dispersed into smoke.
But the assault was far from over. The remaining Narutos atop the walls launched their next volley.
[Water Release: Water Shots Jutsu] x 13
Hundreds of high-velocity water bullets rained down, tearing into Kakashi from every angle. However, as the barrage connected, that "Kakashi" and his clone simply exploded into a splash of liquid and lightning
[Water Clone Jutsu: Substitution]
Hatake Kakashi, the man who had copied a thousand jutsu, had smoothly substituted himself with water at the far edge of the box, leaving only a decoy behind.
The real Kakashi was already sprinting along the top edge of the Earth wall.
(If it wasn't me, any Jonin would be going all out right now... The sheer volume of his chakra is absurd,) Kakashi thought.
Upon reaching the top, Kakashi immediately engaged the waiting clones in close-quarters Taijutsu. As blows were exchanged, Kakashi's seasoned instincts immediately noted a discrepancy.
(Their reaction time, strength, and even agility... they're quite a bit lower than the main body. Even their battle tactics aren't the same. What's going on?)
Kakashi didn't know that the original Naruto was bolstered by System passives and active skills that the clones didn't possess.
Kakashi swiftly dispatched one clone, but quickly realized only two were actually engaging him physically. The others were weaving hand signs, completely disregarding the safety of their engaged copies.
[Earth Release: Earth Flow River]
[Earth Release: Earth Spikes]
[Earth Release: Mud Shots]
The very wall Kakashi was standing on began to deconstruct. The solid Earth beneath his feet turned into a sticky, flowing mudslide. Jagged earth spikes erupted around him, while a volley of mud shots closed in from the front.
(...So troublesome. He's fully utilizing all that chakra,) Kakashi noted, the lazy droop completely vanishing from his eye.
[Wind Release: Great Breakthrough]
Kakashi aimed a powerful thrust of wind directly downward, using the concussive force to launch himself high into the air, escaping the crumbling, boxed cage altogether.
As Kakashi went airborne, he caught sight of the periphery. Naruto's clones were converging on his position from below, launching [Gale Palm] and [Wind Bullet] jutsu to intercept his flight. From a distant wall, Sasuke and Sakura stood watching the spectacle.
Kakashi sighed mid-air. (Now... where is the main body?)
To alter his trajectory, Kakashi threw a kunai attached to ninja wire at a side wall, pulling himself toward safety. But the moment he closed the distance, dense earthen pillars violently jutted out horizontally from the Wall face.
Caught off guard, Kakashi contorted his body—tilting his head, arms, and legs—but one pillar clipped his torso, launching him even higher into the open sky.
Free-falling, Kakashi looked down to see Naruto clones erupting from the ground and scaling the walls. Together, they unleashed a dense, sky-blotting rain of shuriken.
Kakashi's expression hardened. Channeling wind chakra around his body, he began to spin rapidly, transforming into a mid-air cyclone that effortlessly deflected the incoming wave of steel.
Just as his rotation slowed and he stabilized his free-fall, his instincts screamed. Several shuriken were closing in completely silently, their presence only registering when they were inches away.
SPIRAL SHURIKEN
They were spiral shuriken, spinning at terrifying speeds.
Kakashi drew kunai in both hands, contorting his airborne body to deflect the lethal projectiles.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Kakashi grunted. (So heavy!)
Each shuriken carried immense kinetic force. Attempting to parry such heavy, high-speed rotating projectiles without physical footing while airborne was a nightmare. The force threw his arms back, but his impeccable precision allowed him to accomplish his objective.
(...That was close.)
Upside down and plummeting toward the earth, Kakashi's bright, analytical eye scanned the battlefield. He had successfully deflected the dangerous ones.
But then, he noticed a single, stray shuriken shooting past his waist—completely off-target.
Suddenly, Kakashi's senses flared.
Poof!
The stray shuriken vanished in a puff of smoke, and the real Naruto Uzumaki materialized in mid-air right beside him. Kakashi's eye widened in shock as he saw Naruto's hands reaching directly toward his waist.
Time seemed to slow. Sasuke and Sakura watched the impossible Aerial acrobatic maneuver unfold from their vantage point.
Kakashi's ANBU-honed reflexes took over.
( He is gonna get it ....but )
Kakshi predicted Naruto would grab the bells first, so he forced his one free arm upward to intercept the boy's hand afterwards to secure his victory.
Kakashi's hand moved into position to block the bells. But then, something completely irrational happened.
Naruto's hand bypassed the bells entirely. He bypassed Kakashi's blocking hand. In Kakashi's widening eye, Naruto's hand magnified as it curled into a tight, solid fist.
CRUNCH.
Blood violently spurted from Kakashi's nose as Naruto's fist planted itself squarely into the Jonin's face.
The impact sent Kakashi's body rocketing straight down toward the earth. As he plummeted, the Jonin's mind—a brilliant tactical engine forged in war and ANBU black ops that functioned purely for the mission—completely short-circuited in pure puzzlement.
(Huh...?! What...?)
Kakashi's brain simply failed to comprehend it. Why would Naruto go through this much hard work , effort, burn this much chakra, execute a flawless, impossible-to-recreate ambush... and not take the bells?
BOOM!
The impact shook the very foundations of Training Ground 3. A massive plume of dust and pulverized earth erupted into the sky as Kakashi crashed violently into the dirt, leaving a crater in his wake.
A second later, Naruto landed with a heavy thud, his knees bending to absorb the shock. Instantly, his remaining Shadow Clones blurred into motion, forming a tight perimeter around the settling dust cloud where the Jonin had fallen.
The clearing fell eerily silent, save for the rustling of leaves and the settling dirt. Then, the rhythmic crunch of footsteps echoed from within the crater.
Kakashi stepped out of the smoke. His flak jacket was scuffed, his silver hair was wilder than usual, and a slow trickle of blood leaked from his nose, staining his dark mask.
But what stood out most was the sheer, unadulterated bewilderment in his visible eye. The legendary Copy Ninja, veteran of the Third Great Ninja War, looked completely and utterly lost.
He stopped, coming face-to-face with the wall of identical blondes, and asked the one question that his tactical mind simply could not resolve.
"Why?" Kakashi's voice cracked slightly with genuine puzzlement. "Why didn't you take the bells?"
Naruto blinked, genuinely surprised that Kakashi was initiating a Q&A session in the middle of a combat zone. But looking at the Jonin's bleeding nose and baffled expression, Naruto straightened his posture, puffed out his chest, and delivered his reasoning with the absolute conviction of a The Greatest Hokage of all time .
"Because," Naruto inhaled deeply, his voice booming across the training ground,
"I REALLY WANTED TO PUNCH THAT FACE, DATTEBAYO...!!!"
"...."
"...."
"...."
Fwoosh.
A gentle morning breeze swept through the silent clearing, carrying Naruto's unapologetic, petty declaration to every single living soul within a mile radius.
Up on the five-meter earthen wall, Sasuke and Sakura, who had been bracing themselves for a tactical explanation, simultaneously dropped their jaws. Sasuke's cool, stoic facade shattered completely, his eyes wide in sheer disbelief. Sakura nearly toppled off the wall, her hands gripping her hair.
Hidden in the dense canopy above, a squad of elite ANBU operatives collectively choked on their own spit , some nearly fell off the tree.
One veteran operative had to aggressively bite his own tongue to stop from laughing out loud, while another simply shook his head, mourning the loss of Kakashi's dignity.
Far away in the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Tsunade peered into the crystal ball, The Hokage's pipe nearly slipping from his lips before he erupted into a fit of breathless, wheezing laughter with his disciple.
Down in the clearing, the Shadow Clones had completely abandoned their combat formations. They were throwing their arms around each other, openly celebrating the most disrespectful tactical decision in Konoha's history.
"Yatta!"
"We actually did it!"
"Haha, look at his face! It's completely priceless!"
"Awesome! That's our original!"
" haha take that "
" That face is really punchable "
"Haha, that's the future greatest Hokage, dattebayo!"
The clones turned toward the main body of Naruto, who had his fist raised triumphantly toward the heavens. In perfect unison, the clones bowed to him, treating him like a conquering hero.
Kakashi stood perfectly still. He looked at the celebrating clones. He looked at the main body accepting the bows like some King . Kakashi wiped the blood from his nose.
A single, prominent vein throbbed violently beneath his silver bangs. The lazy, bored demeanor that Kakashi had worn all morning evaporated, replaced by a suffocating, icy aura that made the very air feel heavy.
Slowly, deliberately, Kakashi reached up and grabbed the edge of his hitai-ate. He pulled it up, revealing the blood-red iris and three spinning tomoe of the Sharingan.
The oppressive wave of killing intent washed over the clearing. The cheering clones instantly shut up, freezing in place. Up on the wall, Sasuke's breath hitched at the sight of his clan's legendary dojutsu, and Sakura shivered involuntarily.
The training ground was dead silent. Kakashi took a slow, deep breath and raised his hands, weaving a hand seal that Naruto was intimately, terrifyingly familiar with.
[Shadow Clone Jutsu]
Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!
Five identical Kakashis materialized around the original, their Sharingan eyes glowing ominously in the morning light. The original Kakashi spoke in a lazy low tone .
"I also know the Shadow Clone Jutsu, "
"..."
"...*gulp*."
Naruto and his clones took a collective, synchronized step backward.
Kakashi's eye crinkled into a dark, utterly terrifying smile.
"And I also like to punch faces... DATTEBAYO."
Absolute chaos erupted. Naruto and his clones didn't even try to fight; they bolted in every conceivable direction, spamming the Body Flicker technique in a desperate bid for survival.
But the five Kakashis were already hot on their heels, moving with the speed and ruthlessness of apex predators.
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One Hour Later :
A profound sense of déjà vu washed over Naruto. He was tied tightly to the thick wooden training log in the center of the clearing, his arms bound securely behind his back.
He looked absolutely terrible. His face was swollen and comically bruised, sporting three distinct, massive lumps on top of his head. His eyes were reduced to puffy little slits, and his brand new black red Overalls covered in dirt, soot, and mud. He groaned, shifting uncomfortably against the rough bark.
Kakashi stood before them, looking perfectly groomed once more . Sasuke and Sakura sat on the grass at Naruto's feet, their lunch boxes open and the smell of grilled fish and rice wafting upward to Naruto's twitching nose.
"The rules are simple," Kakashi said, his tone back to its usual airy nonchalance. "Sasuke and Sakura, you two passed because you showed a spark of teamwork. Naruto, however, decided that personal vendettas were more important than the Mission objective. Therefore, Naruto stays tied to the log while you eat. If you give him even a single grain of rice, you fail. Period.......The exercise will coninue after 1 hour "
With that, Kakashi vanished in a swirl of leaves.
The clearing was silent, save for the sound of Sakura's chopsticks clicking. Naruto's stomach let out a roar so loud it sounded like a dying animal. He hung his head, looking pathetic and beaten.
Sasuke looked at his bento, then at Naruto's swollen face .
Without a word, Sasuke held up a piece of meat toward Naruto's mouth.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura hissed, her eyes wide. "Sensei said—
"He's not going to be any use to us if he's starving," Sasuke interrupted bluntly, covering his embarraassment , his eyes fixed on Naruto. " Besides, I don't see any sensei around here."
Sakura looked at Sasuke, then at the bruised Naruto. She sighed, her heart softening. She picked up her own chopsticks, scooped up a portion of rice, and held it out.
"Fine. But hurry up and eat before Sensei comes back, Naruto"
Naruto looked at them, his slit-like eyes shimmering with something more than just pain. He leaned forward and took a massive gulp of the food, chewing as fast as his swollen jaw allowed.
Suddenly, the air pressure dropped. The sky above them seemed to darken as a violent gust of wind tore through the clearing. A terrifying, suffocating wave of killing intent slammed into them, paralyzing all three Genin in place.
BOOM!
Kakashi appeared before them in an explosion of smoke and lightning. His hands were locked in a tiger seal, his Sharingan blazing visibly through his headband, and his face was twisted in a mask of pure demonic fury.
"YOU..." Kakashi roared, his voice echoing like thunder. "YOU BROKE THE RULES"
Sakura screamed, dropping her bento box. Sasuke froze, his body screaming at him to run, but his legs refused to move under the sheer weight of the Jonin's aura.
Kakashi stalked toward them, towering over the sitting Genin. "Any last words before I end your shinobi careers?"
Sasuke gritted his teeth, his hands balling into fists. He forced himself to stand up, stepping between Kakashi and the tied-up Naruto. "We're a team," Sasuke ground out, his voice shaking but defiant.
Sakura, tears streaming down her face, scrambled to her feet and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Sasuke. "Th-That's right! .....and di...dn't you say... that you...dislike people that turn their back on their comrades "
"Yeah!" Naruto yelled from the log, struggling against his ropes , still chewing the rice.
Kakashi stared at the three of them. He looked at the fierce determination in Sasuke's eyes, the terrified but unwavering stance of Sakura, and the battered, defiant face of Naruto.
The heavy, suffocating aura vanished in an instant. The dark clouds seemed to part, and the terrifying Jonin suddenly slouched forward, his eye curving into a bright, closed-eye smile.
"You pass."
The clearing went dead silent.
"You... pass?" Sasuke repeated, the adrenaline slowly draining from his system, leaving him feeling utterly bewildered. Sakura stood paralyzed from the shock and Naruto munched on the food .
Kakashi chuckled, reaching up to pull his headband back down over his Sharingan. "You pass. You're the first squad I've ever passed. The others were just blockheads who blindly followed whatever orders they were given. A ninja must see underneath the underneath."
Kakashi turned his gaze to the memorial stone in the distance, his voice softening. "In the ninja world, those who break the rules and regulations are considered scum. But... those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum."
He looked back at the three of them, a genuine warmth radiating from him. "The exercise is over. Everyone passes. Team 7 will begin its first missions starting tomorrow."
Naruto, still tied to the log with a mouth full of rice, let out a muffled, triumphant cheer. He had taken the beating, he had landed the punch, and he had secured the team.
( keikaku doori )
( just as planned )
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Author's notes :
keikaku doori
At first I wanted to hang Sakura but then I thought that the person who gets food has special spot in the team , and well
All actions have consequences
ALL for Today
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