They were tied to logs.
The sun was beating down on them, warm and relentless, a stark contrast to the rumbling in their stomachs. Hunger gnawed at their insides, a constant reminder of their failure. Across from them, Kakashi sat on a wooden crate, casually picking at his bento with a pair of chopsticks, his mask still perfectly in place. He ate slowly, deliberately, making a show of every bite.
Naruto's stomach grumbled. Loudly.
Then Sakura's.
Then Sasuke's.
It was like a chain reaction, one after another, a cruel symphony of emptiness.
Sakura blushed, mortified. Sasuke stiffened, clearly trying to pretend his body hadn't just betrayed him.
Naruto just blinked. "Our stomachs made noise. Dattebane."
"Shut up, Naruto," Sakura hissed.
Kakashi chuckled, still chewing. "You know," he said after swallowing, "I'm not sending any of you back to the Ninja Academy."
Really?
That sounded too good to be true.
But then, before they could feel any relief, he continued, "Because I'm not sending you back to the Academy. I'm sending you home. Expelling you all from the shinobi program."
A moment of silence.
Then—
"What?"
Kakashi hummed, tilting his head. "However…" He tapped his chopsticks against the bento box. "If at least one of you is voted twice by the rest of the team, I'll pass the remaining two and make them officially genin. I'm giving you one minute to decide."
Sakura's breath hitched. Sasuke's eyes darkened.
Naruto… just stared.
A chance to drop out? Just like that?
His fingers curled against the rough bark of the log.
Being a shinobi wasn't his choice. It never was. The Academy, the training, the tests—it was all expected of him. A duty. A forced path. The world of shinobi was cruel, filled with killers, filled with people like them. He had been hunted by shinobi so many times in his past lives—stabbed, cut, burned, crushed, trapped, dissected. It was endless. They had always been his predators, no matter what he was.
And now, he could just leave.
He exhaled slowly.
"I'll drop," he said simply. "Sakura and Sasuke can proceed."
Both of them turned to look at him, surprised.
Sakura's lips parted slightly before she furrowed her brows. Her fingers clenched in her lap. Then, to his complete surprise, she shook her head.
"I should be the one to drop out," she muttered. "I'm the weakest one here."
Sasuke scoffed quietly, barely a sound, but his expression was serious. "I can pursue my dream without being a shinobi."
Naruto stared.
Sakura had every reason to stay—she wanted this. She trained for this. She studied for this. But she was willing to give it up for them?
And Sasuke.
Sasuke Uchiha.
Who had been bred for this, who had talent oozing from every cell in his body, who was born into a clan of warriors, who had every reason to carve his path through the blood of his enemies.
And yet, he was willing to leave it all behind?
For them?
One by one, they voted for themselves.
No hesitation. No second thoughts.
Kakashi's chopsticks froze mid-air.
Then, slowly, he smiled beneath his mask.
"You all pass."
"Huh?"
Naruto blinked, Sakura gawked, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"In the shinobi world," Kakashi said, standing up and dusting off his hands, "those who abandon their missions are trash. But those who abandon their comrades… are worse than trash."
Naruto exhaled through his nose, shoulders sagging slightly.
Humans were so complicated.
At least Kakashi treated them to food.
They sat at a quiet little restaurant near the village outskirts, nothing fancy, but decent enough. The place smelled like grilled meat and soy sauce, and Naruto's stomach practically did a backflip when the first plate hit the table.
"Eat up," Kakashi said, waving lazily at the spread of food. "Consider it a reward for not being complete failures."
Naruto didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed a skewer of grilled chicken and sank his teeth into it, savoring the smoky flavor. After a day of nothing but his own saliva, this was heaven.
Sakura hesitated at first, sitting properly with her hands in her lap, but after glancing at Naruto stuffing his face, she gave in and started picking at a bowl of rice. Sasuke, of course, acted like he didn't care, but he still grabbed some food in that too-casual way that meant he was definitely starving.
Kakashi ate slowly, eyes on his little orange book, turning the pages as if they were the most fascinating thing in the world. Naruto squinted at the cover. Icha Icha Tactics.
"What's that about?" he asked, pointing at the book with a skewer.
Kakashi barely glanced up. "Tactics."
Naruto wasn't buying it. "Tactics for what?"
Kakashi flipped another page. "Adult things."
Sakura immediately turned red.
Sasuke made a face like he just bit into a lemon.
Naruto shrugged and took another bite. "Whatever. As long as you're paying, you can read whatever weird stuff you want, Inu."
Kakashi sighed. "It's Kakashi-sensei."
"Sure thing, Inu."
Kakashi just hummed in amusement.
The food disappeared fast. Naruto probably ate the most, but Sasuke wasn't far behind, and even Sakura surprised herself by finishing everything on her plate. The restaurant owner, a grumpy old man with a towel over his shoulder, watched them from behind the counter, shaking his head.
"They're like wild animals," he muttered.
Kakashi smiled. "They're growing shinobi."
Naruto leaned back in his seat, hands behind his head, stomach finally full. "So, what now, sensei?"
Kakashi set his book down. "Now? Now the real work begins."
Sakura frowned. "What do you mean?"
Kakashi stretched, looking at them like a lazy cat sizing up its kittens. "Today was just the first step. You're officially genin now, which means we start missions tomorrow."
Naruto perked up. "Like real missions?"
"Real missions," Kakashi confirmed.
Sasuke's fingers twitched. "What kind of missions?"
Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. "Oh, you know, the usual—chasing lost pets, pulling weeds, cleaning gutters—"
Sakura nearly fell out of her seat. "That's not ninja stuff."
"Ah, but it is," Kakashi said cheerfully. "Every great shinobi starts with the basics. And besides…" His single eye curved into a smile. "You'll get plenty of real action soon enough."
That was both reassuring and mildly terrifying.
Sasuke just scoffed, arms crossed. Sakura looked thoughtful. Naruto groaned dramatically but didn't argue.
The meal ended with Kakashi paying the bill, as promised. They stepped out into the evening air, the streets still busy with villagers going about their business. The sky was turning deep orange, the last traces of sunlight fading behind the rooftops.
"Meet me at Training Ground 7 tomorrow at sunrise," Kakashi said. "Don't be late."
Naruto gave him a deadpan look. "You're telling us not to be late?"
Kakashi just gave an eye smile. "See you tomorrow." And just like that, he was gone, vanishing in a swirl of leaves.
Sakura sighed. "He's so weird."
Sasuke grunted in agreement.
Naruto just stretched. "Well, see you guys tomorrow. Dattebane."
They parted ways, each heading home, full but exhausted.
Naruto, for once, didn't mind the quiet walk back.