Chapter 12: The Bells Are Taken
Kakashi watched Sasuke tumble several meters across the dirt and felt a twinge of concern. He hadn't meant to hit the boy that hard—his body was still calibrated to the pace of his earlier exchange with Naruto.
"Are you alright?" Kakashi asked, his tone genuinely worried.
But his concern landed like an insult in Sasuke's ears. The young Uchiha's face flushed crimson with shame and fury. Why? Why can he fight Kakashi evenly, but I can't even take one hit?
"Damn it!" Sasuke roared, pushing himself up and charging again, reckless and desperate.
This time, Kakashi adjusted his strength downward, handling Sasuke's attacks with casual ease. The difference was stark—fighting Sasuke looked effortless compared to the intense exchange with Naruto moments ago.
"Sasuke…"
Sakura, seeing her teammate commit to the attack, couldn't stay hidden any longer. She emerged from the forest, her eyes flicking briefly toward Naruto with a strange, bright look before settling on the fight. She was watching, waiting for her chance.
Naruto remained still, observing from the sidelines. He paid no attention to Sasuke's impulsive outburst. He was waiting for something else.
Sasuke, desperate to create an opening, formed a quick series of hand seals. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!" A massive orb of flame roared toward Kakashi, forcing the Jōnin to leap backward to avoid being engulfed.
Kakashi landed lightly, his eye tracking the dissipating flames. In that split second of distraction—
Sakura moved.
She darted behind Kakashi, her small hand reaching for the bells at his waist. Her timing was perfect, or so she thought.
But Kakashi's visible eye crinkled with a knowing smile. Without even turning around, he reached back and caught her wrist. In one smooth motion, he spun and pinned her to the ground, both hands holding her arms in place. She was trapped, unable to move.
"That was naive, Sakura," Kakashi said, his tone almost pitying.
Seizing the opening, Sasuke rushed forward again, his hand outstretched toward the bells—
Kakashi's leg came up in a blur. Thwack. Sasuke was sent flying once more, tumbling across the grass before coming to a painful stop.
Kakashi looked down at his two pinned or prone students with the air of a satisfied teacher. "Not bad," he said, genuinely praising them. "One distracts me while the other goes for the bells. That's a classic ninja tactic—catching the enemy off guard. The idea was solid. Unfortunately, your execution was too simple, too full of holes. Jōnin aren't so easy to fool…"
He was mid-lecture, enjoying his role as the wise instructor, when a chill ran down his spine.
His body went rigid. His visible eye widened.
Wait.
There weren't just two students.
There were three.
Kakashi spun around.
Naruto was standing directly behind him, close enough to touch. His expression was calm, his smile serene, as if he had been there the entire time. And perhaps he had.
Before Kakashi could react, Naruto's hand moved—quick, precise, unhurried. His fingers closed around the two bells and tugged.
Ching.
The bells came free.
The survival exercise was over.
Naruto held up the bells, letting them dangle from his fingers and catch the light. He looked at Kakashi's stunned face and smiled.
"You're right, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said pleasantly. "A ninja is supposed to catch people by surprise."
Kakashi's face went blank as the words he had just spoken to Sasuke and Sakura were thrown back at him. Dark lines of exasperation creased his forehead.
He played me, Kakashi realized. He waited until I was distracted with the other two, then slipped in while my guard was down.
He hadn't even sensed Naruto approaching. The boy's stealth was extraordinary. If Kakashi hadn't noticed until Naruto was already in striking distance… he had to admit, he'd been thoroughly outmaneuvered.
Sakura and Sasuke picked themselves up off the ground, staring in disbelief at the bells in Naruto's hand. Their desperate, clumsy attempts had only served to set the stage for Naruto's quiet victory. They had done all the work of distracting Kakashi, and Naruto had simply walked in and claimed the prize.
Kakashi shook his head, a wry, helpless smile crossing his face. He looked at Naruto with new eyes—measuring, reassessing.
The dead-last of the Ninja Academy? he thought. If this is the dead-last, then what does that make the 'genius' Uchiha who can't even touch me?
He exhaled slowly, letting his posture relax. The smile returned to his face—genuine this time.
"Congratulations," Kakashi announced, looking at all three of them. "You pass."
Sakura, who had been bracing herself for failure, froze. Her head snapped up. "W-what? Mr. Kakashi, what do you mean? All of us?"
Kakashi nodded, his eye crinkling warmly. "That's right. All three of you are now qualified ninjas."
Sakura's face broke into a brilliant, relieved smile. She clapped her hands together and let out a small cheer. Passed! She had passed!
Sasuke, however, was not so easily satisfied. His brow furrowed deeply, suspicion and pride warring on his face. "Why?" he demanded. "Explain."
Kakashi's expression softened into something more serious. He explained patiently—the true purpose of the survival exercise wasn't simply to grab the bells. It was to test their ability to work as a team. To see if they could set aside their individual egos and cooperate toward a common goal.
And in the final moment, that was exactly what had happened. Sasuke and Sakura had attacked together, and Naruto had capitalized on their efforts. None of them could have succeeded alone. Together, they had won.
"That's why you all pass," Kakashi finished. "Because you proved that you understand, even if unconsciously, the importance of teamwork."
Sasuke and Sakura listened, but their expressions were skeptical. It sounded like teamwork, but both of them felt more like they had been used as unwitting pawns in Naruto's scheme. They hadn't planned to help him. They had just… been there. And Naruto had taken advantage.
Still, neither argued. A pass was a pass.
Beyond testing teamwork, Kakashi had another reason for the exercise: to evaluate each of his new students' abilities up close. He needed to see their strengths, their weaknesses, and how they handled pressure.
All three had performed well. Sakura had shown tactical thinking, even if her execution was flawed. Sasuke had displayed powerful ninjutsu and relentless determination. And Naruto…
Naruto had exceeded every possible expectation. His strategy was brilliant. His taijutsu was top-tier. His ability to read the flow of battle and slip in unnoticed was extraordinary.
Kakashi found himself looking at the blond boy again, his gaze thoughtful and curious.
Who are you really, Naruto Uzumaki?