Naruto arrived at Training Ground 3 and immediately spotted his two teammates waiting near the wooden posts.
He waved casually as he walked toward them.
"Yo Teme, Sakura-chan."
Sasuke's dark eyes turned toward him immediately.
"You are late."
Naruto simply grinned.
"Is Kakashi-sensei here?"
Sasuke frowned slightly.
Naruto shrugged.
"Come on, Teme… did you stop using your brain after graduating?"
Sasuke's mouth twitched in annoyance.
Naruto continued casually.
"As a ninja, you should gather information about your sensei."
He pointed upward dramatically.
"Our famous Kakashi Hatake."
Sakura blinked.
Naruto smirked.
"A genius ninja… who reads porn in public and arrives everywhere late."
Sakura's face turned red instantly.
Sasuke looked slightly embarrassed as well.
Naruto grinned and pulled out two lunch boxes.
"Here."
He tossed one to Sasuke and one to Sakura.
"Our sensei won't be here for at least half an hour."
Sakura blinked in surprise.
"You brought food?"
Naruto sighed dramatically.
"Seriously, he told you to come hungry and you actually listened?"
Sasuke opened the box silently.
Sakura began eating as well.
"You are the best, Naruto."
Naruto leaned against a tree casually.
"Obviously."
After a moment, Naruto's expression turned serious.
"Alright, listen carefully."
Sasuke and Sakura looked at him.
"When sensei starts the test, I'll attack him directly."
He pointed toward Sakura.
"Sakura will provide support with shuriken."
Then he pointed at Sasuke.
"Sasuke will coordinate with me during close combat."
Naruto explained the rest of his strategy in detail.
Sasuke listened carefully and nodded slowly.
"That makes sense."
Sakura looked surprised.
Naruto hadn't excluded her.
Instead, he had given her an important role.
But that only made her inner conflict worse.
She liked Sasuke.
But Sasuke always ignored her.
Naruto, on the other hand, treated her kindly.
He helped her with notes.
He respected her intelligence.
And he had even suggested something important.
Naruto once told her she should become a medical ninja.
He had explained why her chakra control was perfect for it.
But Sakura was conflicted.
Ino and Hinata both liked Naruto.
She didn't want to damage her friendship with them.
And she didn't even fully understand her own feelings.
She shook the thoughts away.
"Naruto… you can count on me."
Her voice became determined.
"I'll do my absolute best not to be a burden."
Naruto grinned immediately.
"You never were one."
Sakura blinked.
Naruto continued.
"Sakura, once you start training as a medical ninja…"
He smiled confidently.
"I know you'll become an outstanding one."
Sakura's eyes became watery.
Sasuke watched silently.
Naruto nodded again.
"Don't worry."
He glanced at Sasuke.
"We'll ask Kakashi-sensei to arrange hospital training for you."
Naruto elbowed Sasuke.
"Right, Teme?"
Sasuke clicked his tongue.
"Tsk… fine."
He crossed his arms.
"It's not a big deal."
Sakura smiled gratefully.
"Thank you, Naruto… Sasuke."
A few minutes later—
A lazy voice echoed across the field.
"Ah… sorry about that."
Team 7 looked up.
Standing there was Kakashi Hatake, holding a small orange book.
"I got lost on the path of life."
Sasuke stared at him blankly.
"Should we start?"
Kakashi raised a single eyebrow.
"Straight to the point, huh?"
He pulled out two small bells and tied them to his waist.
"Your test is simple."
He held up the bells.
"Take these from me."
Then he calmly opened Icha Icha Paradise and started reading.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura exchanged a glance.
Then—
BOOM
A smoke bomb exploded.
Kakashi's eye lifted slightly.
"Oh?"
Naruto rushed forward immediately.
Kakashi frowned slightly.
According to his information, Naruto shouldn't fight like this.
Naruto attacked aggressively with taijutsu.
Kakashi blocked casually with one hand.
Just then—
Sasuke appeared from the side.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
He dodged smoothly and closed his book.
Now he was paying attention.
Suddenly his head snapped to the right.
Shuriken were flying toward him.
"Sakura."
Kakashi realized.
Naruto and Sasuke attacked again at the same time.
Kakashi used Wind Style: Wind Palm to deflect the shuriken.
Then he blocked Naruto and Sasuke's attacks.
But suddenly—
Poof
They turned into smoke.
Shadow clones.
The real Naruto and Sasuke launched more shuriken before rushing in with taijutsu.
Kakashi dodged the weapons easily.
He engaged both boys in close combat.
Meanwhile, Sakura threw another set of shuriken.
But she slipped slightly.
Kakashi sighed internally.
He didn't even bother dodging.
According to his calculations, the shuriken would miss him.
So he focused entirely on Naruto and Sasuke.
Just then—
Naruto and Sasuke suddenly smiled.
Kakashi narrowed his eye.
"Oh no."
The shuriken Sakura threw suddenly transformed.
Into Naruto and Sasuke.
The clones attacked instantly.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Sasuke's massive fireball shot directly toward Kakashi's face.
Kakashi used Body Flicker and disappeared.
The fireball exploded against the ground.
When the smoke cleared—
Sakura was standing beside Naruto.
They fist-bumped proudly.
Kakashi looked at them carefully.
"Looks like I have to get serio—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Naruto was standing there.
Holding the bells.
Kakashi blinked.
"...How?"
He hadn't even heard the bells move.
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke grinned together.
"That's a secret."
Kakashi sighed.
"Fine."
He raised his hands slightly.
"You win. Congratulations."
Then his voice turned serious.
"But there are only two bells—"
Naruto smirked.
"Then I'll go back to the academy."
Kakashi blinked.
"What?"
Naruto shrugged.
"Sakura and Sasuke can pass."
He pointed toward the village.
"I'll just go meet the old man Hokage."
Naruto smiled innocently.
"I'll tell him either he makes me a genin… or I refuse to become a ninja."
Kakashi sweatdropped.
He looked at Sakura and Sasuke.
Sakura stuck her tongue out.
"We trust Naruto."
Her voice had zero hesitation.
"If he says he'll do it, he will."
Sasuke looked at Kakashi with mild disdain.
"That's a cheap trick."
His voice was cold.
"If you wanted us to fight each other."
Kakashi was completely speechless.
He stared at the sky helplessly.
"Why did I agree to become their teacher…?"
But behind his mask—
He was smiling.
"Fine."
He looked at them again.
"You all pass."
Then Naruto suddenly raised his hand.
"But you don't, Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi blinked again.
Naruto pointed at him.
"You came late."
He crossed his arms.
"As a ninja, you should value time."
Sakura nodded seriously.
"Exactly."
Sasuke smirked slightly.
Naruto grinned.
"So you better treat us to BBQ."
He pointed dramatically.
"Or we aren't doing any missions."
Kakashi almost wanted to resign on the spot.
What kind of students had he been given?
Inside his mind, he sighed deeply.
"Sensei… your brat isn't like you at all."
Kakashi rubbed his forehead.
"He's completely like Kushina-senpai."
And somehow…
That thought made him smile.
---