After Kakashi declared that the official test had begun, Sasuke and Sakura immediately moved away from him, each looking for a chance to take the bells later.
Sasuke disappeared into the trees, moving across the branches until his figure was hidden by the thick leaves. Sakura crouched low beneath the bushy undergrowth, trying her best to hide herself.
Kakashi watched them with a satisfied look.
"Ninja lesson one.....hide yourself from your enemies."
Then his eye shifted toward Naruto.
"But you're a bit different from the others."
Naruto was still standing in the open.
Kakashi looked at him with curiosity. "Why aren't you hiding like your teammates?"
Naruto crossed his arms and smirked.
"You're an elite jonin, sensei. You can sense us no matter where we hide when you're near us. If they think they are perfectly hiding from you and are safe, that would be foolish."
From their hiding spots, both Sakura and Sasuke stiffened at his words.
A moment later, they slowly came out from where they were hiding.
Sakura looked irritated, but Naruto's words had struck a nerve.
'He's an elite jonin. How can we possibly win?'
Kakashi's interest grew.
"Well then," he said, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity, "if you're so perceptive, what are you planning to do? A head-on attack?"
Naruto shook his head.
"No, sensei. I'm not a fool to charge directly at you. You're stronger than me. What I want... is a chance to overpower you."
With that, Naruto formed a hand sign.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In an instant, five identical Narutos appeared around him.
"Scatter!"
At his command, the clones and the original moved in different directions, disappearing into the surrounding terrain.
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed slightly.
"Let's see what you've got," he muttered, turning his attention back to Sasuke and Sakura.
Sasuke immediately ran deeper into the forest.
Sakura followed after him, her voice pleading, "Sasuke, let's discuss a plan. Let me help you!"
Before she could catch up, Kakashi appeared in front of her as if he had stepped out of thin air.
Sakura stopped suddenly, her eyes widening.
"You seem to be in a hurry," Kakashi said calmly.
His voice was relaxed, but to Sakura, it felt chilling.
Before she could react, Kakashi weaved a hand sign.
Genjutsu.
Sakura's vision darkened.
The next moment, she saw Sasuke crawling toward her. Several kunai were stabbed into his body, and blood poured from his wounds. His face was pale, as if he was already at death's door.
"Sakura... help me. Please."
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Sakura screamed.
"No! Sasuke...!"
Tears streamed down her face before her body gave out, and she collapsed unconscious on the ground.
Kakashi looked at her for a moment.
'Maybe I overdid it a little.'
Still, he quickly pushed that thought aside. This was a shinobi test. If she could not handle fear and illusion, then she needed to learn that weakness now.
Hearing Sakura's scream, Sasuke turned his head.
He recognized her voice.
"Sakura."
His eyes narrowed. From the sound of it, she had most likely been caught in a genjutsu.
Not far ahead, just near the tree before him, Kakashi leaned casually against the trunk, his nose buried in his orange book.
Sasuke glared at him.
"I'm not like her. I won't be caught by your simple tricks."
Kakashi did not even look up from his book.
"Say that after you've managed to get the bell, my dear Sasuke."
Sasuke's eyes sharpened.
He had already prepared a trap.
Pulling a kunai from his pouch, he threw it toward Kakashi. The kunai cut a thin rope hidden behind him, and in the next instant, several kunai shot toward Kakashi's position.
Kakashi sidestepped them with ease.
But that was exactly what Sasuke wanted.
Using that opening, Sasuke closed the distance and threw a punch straight toward Kakashi's face.
Kakashi caught his fist with one hand.
"Predictable....."
Before he could finish, Sasuke spun his body and used the momentum to send a kick toward Kakashi's head. Kakashi caught the kick with his free hand, but Sasuke grinned. Bending his body slightly, his fingers brushed against Kakashi's waist.
Ring!
The faint sound of a bell echoed.
Sasuke's fingers had grazed one of the bells.
Kakashi's eye widened slightly.
"This kid..." Kakashi said, letting go of him. "You're not that simple. I'll give you that."
The two separated, creating distance between them.
Sasuke understood one thing clearly. He could not defeat Kakashi in close combat.
He jumped back and quickly weaved hand signs.
"Force."
"Tiger."
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A large stream of flames burst from Sasuke's mouth and rushed toward Kakashi.
Kakashi's eye widened.
"What?! A genin shouldn't be able to use a fire jutsu. It takes too much chakra!"
The area where Kakashi had been standing was swallowed by flames. Smoke and heat spread through the clearing.
Sasuke quickly looked to the sides and above, searching for Kakashi's next move.
But the jonin was already gone.
Before Sasuke could react, two hands burst from the ground beneath him and dragged him downward. Sasuke struggled, but it was too late. Kakashi had already trapped him in the dirt, leaving only his head above the ground.
From a distance, one of Naruto's shadow clones watched the whole exchange.
High above, on top of a tall tree, the real Naruto observed everything in silence.
'There's more to this test than just getting the bells. Sensei isn't going all out. He's only using basic tricks. He probably doesn't actually want us to fail... he wants us to find the hidden test. But what could it be?'
Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly.
'There are two possibilities. One, he wants to see how we act as a team when an unfavorable situation happens. Two, he really wants only two people instead of three.'
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
'The chances are fifty-fifty. So what is the real reason?'
His gaze moved toward Sasuke, who was still trapped in the ground.
'Why not use these two as bait? If the first possibility is true, all three of us will pass. If the second is true, I will pass.'
After analyzing the situation, the real Naruto gave a silent command to one of his clones.
Once Kakashi disappeared, the clone Naruto approached Sasuke.
Sasuke glared up at him from his trapped position.
"Took you long enough," Sasuke snapped. "Get me out."
Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the arms and pulled with all his strength.
Sasuke came out of the ground, but not without a few scratches.
"Ahhhhh! That hurts!" Sasuke growled. "Why didn't you use a jutsu to dig me out?"
Naruto shrugged.
"Didn't think that far ahead."
Before Sasuke could argue, Naruto gestured for him to follow.
"Come on. Sakura is nearby. We'll need her too."
They found Sakura still unconscious beneath the bushes, sleeping peacefully as if nothing had happened.
Naruto looked at Sasuke.
"Do you have any water?"
Sasuke shook his head.
"No."
Naruto bent down and gently tapped Sakura's cheek.
"Hey, wake up."
There was no response.
He sighed.
Then he slapped her cheek with enough force to wake her.
Sakura jolted awake in surprise.
"Ow! Who hit me?"
Sasuke silently raised his hand and pointed at Naruto.
Sakura's face immediately twisted with anger. She clenched her fists.
"Naruto! You...."
"Cool down," Naruto interrupted. "I tried being gentle with you at first, but you didn't wake up. So I had to do it since I need your help. Sorry for that."
Sasuke gave a small nod, silently confirming it.
Sakura looked at Sasuke, then turned back to Naruto. She was still annoyed, but his tone surprised her. This was not the same Naruto who used to accept her punches and insults without question.
After a moment, she huffed.
"Okay. I'll forgive you this once."
Naruto did not waste time.
"Now listen," he said firmly. "I think there is a hidden agenda in this test. Sensei wants to see how we act as a team when an unfavorable situation occurs. He wants to know if we can work together when it looks like only two of us can pass."
Sasuke and Sakura stared at him, stunned.
"What? Are you sure?" they both exclaimed.
Sakura thought about it for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"I think what Naruto said makes sense."
Sasuke, however, still looked unconvinced.
Seeing one agreeing and the other doubting, Naruto decided to settle the tension quickly.
"Here's the deal. You will follow my lead. After we get the bells, I will give those two bells to you two. How about that?"
Sasuke and Sakura looked at him in surprise.
After a brief silence, both of them agreed.
Naruto's smirk returned.
"Now, the plan is..."
(To Be Continued...)
A/N:
Clarity: All the Narutos on the ground are shadow clones. The only real Naruto is the one standing above the tall tree.
Hello guys, Author here. Thank you for reading my content and for your engagement.
I came from the hospital to home.. I will try to write everyday one chapter.
If you want to support me, you can join my patreon. 😊