Chapter Text
"Naruto Uzumaki."
The name echoed through the quiet classroom, spoken by Iruka Umino. The instructor stood at the front, his features defined by the jagged scar across the bridge of his nose and his hair pulled back into its signature high ponytail.
From the back row, a blonde boy stirred.
He sat up straight, his sharp blue eyes cutting through the dim light of the academy room. Three distinct whisker marks etched into each of his cheeks gave him a feral edge, though his movements were nothing but disciplined as he stood and walked toward the front.
He stopped before Iruka, waiting in a silence that felt heavier than a typical student's nerves.
"Start with the Clone Jutsu," Iruka commanded.
His hands blurred—a flickering sequence of seals performed with practiced speed..
A violent poof of white smoke erupted, flooding the front of the room. As the haze cleared, nine identical copies of Naruto stood in perfect formation, their forms solid and their gazes steady.
Iruka’s breath hitched, his eyes widening as he scanned the line. "Nine? I’m impressed, Naruto. To manifest that many with such stability... your chakra control has reached a new level."
Naruto offered a sharp nod. "May I continue?"
"Y-yes," Iruka stammered slightly, adjusting his clipboard. "Perform the Substitution Jutsu."
The words had barely left Iruka’s lips when Naruto vanished. In his place sat a heavy practice log, hitting the floor with a dull thud. A heartbeat later, the boy stepped out from the shadows on the far side of the classroom.
"Now, the Transformation," Iruka said, a small, proud smile finally breaking through his professional mask.
Another burst of smoke enveloped the boy. When it dissipated, a second Iruka Umino stood there. It wasn't just a likeness, the height, the placement of the scar, and even the slight fraying on the vest were mirrored perfectly.
Iruka inspected the replica for a long moment before nodding. "Perfect scores across the board, Naruto. You’ve earned this. Go ahead and take a hitai-ate."
Naruto crossed to the table where the metal forehead protectors caught the light.
As his fingers brushed the cool black fabric of his new headband, his gaze drifted to the second proctor, Mizuki.
The man was smiling, but Naruto felt a cold prickle on his skin—the unmistakable tang of disdain and simmering rage radiating from the man.
Naruto’s lips pulled back into a thin, knowing grin. He caught the subtle twitch in Mizuki’s eyelid, a fracture in the man's mask.
Without a word, Naruto returned to his desk and sat in stony silence.
Ten minutes later, the ceremony concluded. The room felt emptier now, out of twenty hopefuls, only nine remained. Most were the heirs of the Great Clans—with the notable exceptions of Sakura Haruno and Naruto himself.
Technically an heir, Naruto thought bitterly.
But he knew the reality. The Council would sooner see the village burn than grant him the titles and the scrolls of his lineage.
It was a cruel irony, the Leaf’s very foundations of Fuinjutsu were built on Uzumaki sealing techniques, yet they treated the last of that bloodline like a demon.
"Come back tomorrow at noon for your team placements," Iruka announced, his voice echoing in the thinned-out room. "Dismissed."
Naruto stepped out of the Academy doors, the afternoon sun glinting off the polished metal of his hitai-ate.
For now, he wore it loosely around his neck. As he descended the stone steps, he waded into a sea of parents—a bustling crowd of adults waiting to celebrate their children’s success.
The moment he entered, the air seemed to sour. He felt the weight of a hundred gazes, none of them kind.
"They actually allowed him to graduate?" a woman whispered, leaning toward her companion. Her voice was thin, sharp with disbelief.
The other scoffed, her eyes darting to the fox-whisker marks on Naruto's cheeks. "I hope it dies on a mission. It would save everyone the trouble."
"Honestly... did you hear? He attacked my sister’s son a few years back," the first woman hissed, her hand trembling as she clutched her purse. "Put the poor boy in the hospital. He’s a monster, through and through."
Naruto heard it all.
Every syllable of their venom reached his ears.
Instead of flinching, a slow, dark smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. He cleared the thickest part of the crowd, reaching a small patch of open ground.
With a fluid, casual flick of his left arm, the air itself seemed to ripple. In a blur of movement, a katana manifested in his grip, its steel humming with a faint, strange energy.
"Ah... much better," he murmured to himself.
Iruka had been adamant about his "no weapons in the testing room" policy, forcing Naruto to remain unarmed for the duration of the exam.
Fortunately, this blade was more than just steel, it was bound to his very soul—a tethered power not unlike the thing sealed deep within his gut.
"Do you see that?" one of the women gasped, her face draining of color. "He just... he pulled that sword out of thin air!"
"It must be the fox’s power," her friend replied, her voice rising in a mix of fear and indignation. "Why is the Hokage letting it walk free? Why hasn't he gotten rid of it yet?"
The word 'it' hung in the air like a foul scent.
Naruto’s head snapped toward them. His gaze, sharp as the edge of his new blade, locked onto their eyes with focus. The transition was so sudden that both women flinched as if they had been struck.
"W-what do you want?!" the woman stammered, trying to mask her terror with a hollow glare.
Naruto didn’t answer. He simply stared, his blue eyes cold and unblinking, letting the silence stretch until the woman began to tremble. Finally, he let out a loud, mocking scoff and shook his head.
Without a word, he turned his back on them and walked away, the gold tsuba of his katana occasionally catching the light.
Naruto navigated the trek to his apartment through a gauntlet of vitriol. Civilians and shinobi alike tracked his movement, their gazes heavy with a mixture of hatred and resentment.
The sight of the hitai-ate of the village they loved—resting against the skin of the boy they loathed was an insult they couldn't swallow.
He didn't give them the satisfaction of a glance.
The moment he stepped inside his apartment, the heavy click of the door lock offered a brief sanctuary. He let out a long, measured breath, the tension in his shoulders uncoiling.
"All right," he muttered into the quiet of the room. "Time to prepare."
Entering his bedroom, he placed the katana onto the center of the bed. From his closet, he pulled out a fresh set of clothes, followed by a weathered box containing the sealing scrolls and equipment essential for a shinobi.
Naruto worked to re-seal his stock of kunai and shuriken into the fresh seals he had prepared. Once his gear was secured, he donned his new attire.
He pulled on simple black trousers, followed by dark, reinforced boots. A stark white shirt sat beneath a knee-length coat of deep navy blue.
The coat featured a high, imposing collar and a dark brown lining, to the untrained eye, the interior was simply patterned with decorative stitching, but Naruto knew them for what they were, hidden equipment seals. His hitai-ate was stitched into his left sleeve, above his bicep.
He folded the sleeves back above the elbows, revealing reinforced mid-bicep gloves. The knuckles were plated for impact, while the palms were finished in black leather, hiding specialized seals between the fingers for a lightning-fast draw of his shuriken.
Standing before the mirror, he picked up the sword. With a sharp flick of his wrist, four shuriken instantly appeared between his fingers—the seals were perfect.
Finally, he turned his attention to the blade itself. An masterpiece of impossible craftsmanship.
The hilt was a study in elegance, pristine white silk wrapped over dark, pebbled ray-skin. The handguard was an octagonal marvel of deep navy and gold, etched with intricate trapezoidal motifs and clusters of three circles arranged in triangular patterns.
Even the gold habaki bore an embossed texture of the same design.
The blade’s edge displayed a kawazuko chōji—a wave-crest temper line that shimmered like moonlight on water. It rested in a scabbard of traditional black lacquered wood, accented by metallic ornaments and a blue sageo cord flecked with gold.
It was a weapon of immense detail, a relic of immense legend. This was the Yamato itself.
The sudden intrusion broke the quiet of the room. Naruto simply looked toward the door with a weary patience.
When he pulled it open, the masked figure of an ANBU operative stood framed in the hallway, the porcelain face of a cat staring back at him.
"Yes?" Naruto’s voice was flat, devoid of the nervous energy most Genin displayed when confronted by the Hokage's personal guards.
"Lord Hokage requested your presence," the operative stated, her voice muffled and devoid of emotion.
Naruto let out a slow, deliberate sigh, his hand still resting on the edge of the door. "Anything else?"
"No," the ANBU replied, her posture stiffening at Naruto’s lack of urgency. "Do not keep the Hokage waiting."
Naruto’s gaze didn't waver. He looked the elite warrior up and down, his sharp blue eyes lingering on the sword strapped to the operative's back before returning to the mask.
"I will see to what the Hokage wants of me," Naruto spoke, his tone shifting into something more commanding. "I will leave in a moment. Leave."
The ANBU hesitated for a fraction of a second before vanishing in a swirl of leaves. Naruto watched the empty hallway for a moment longer, then stepped back inside to grab the Yamato.
The walk to the Hokage Tower was slow, Naruto didn't hurry. The Yamato continued to draw stares from the village elite as he passed as it always had.
Few people knew what it was, but most could figure out it was important.
When he reached the administrative floor, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of old paper and incense. The secretary sat behind a large mahogany desk, her head buried in a mountain of paperwork.
"Do you have an appointment?" she asked, her voice flat and bored, not even bothering to glance at the visitor.
"I was called," Naruto responded. He didn't stop to wait for her permission, his boots thudding softly against the floor as he headed directly for the stairs leading to the Hokage’s inner sanctum.
The sound of his voice made her head snap up as she recognised him. Her eyes bulged as they landed on the boy, then dropped to the ornate weapon in his grip.
"H-Hey! You can't go inside with a sword!" she shrieked, her face twisting into a mask of venomous disdain. She stood up, slamming her hands on the desk. "Leave that thing here, or get out!"
Naruto stopped. He turned his head just enough to catch her in a cold, sidelong gaze. The air in the hallway seemed to drop a few degrees.
"...I am going to meet the Hokage," he said, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous growl, "The arguably most powerful and skilled shinobi in this village, who is currently surrounded by ANBU, all of whom are armed to the teeth. Do not blabber your nonsense to me, woman."
He took a half-step toward her.
"The Hokage never has his shinobi leave their weapons at the door. To ask me to do so is to suggest he is weak, or that I am not a shinobi of this village." He let out a sharp, mocking huff. "Which is it?"
The secretary’s indignation was left rotting in the stairwell. Naruto didn't bother to knock, he pushed the heavy oak doors open and stepped into the circular office.
The Third Hokage sat behind a desk cluttered with scrolls and reports.
He looked up, a warm smile spreading beneath his pointed hat.
"Naruto. Good to see you, boy," Hiruzen said, his voice a gravelly comfort. He leaned back in his chair, puffing on his pipe as he took in Naruto’s silhouette. "I see you’ve put together a new outfit. It suits you, even if it is a bit... unconventional for a fresh Genin."
Naruto crossed the room with effortless grace and took the seat opposite the leader of the Leaf. He leaned back, the Yamato resting across his lap, "It is just as efficient as the standard gear," Naruto replied calmly. "And much more... stylish."
Hiruzen’s chest rumbled with a hearty laugh. "HA HA! I suppose it is. A little flair never hurt a shinobi’s reputation." His laughter trailed off into a pensive silence as he studied the boy. "I watched your graduation exam today, Naruto."
"I did fine," Naruto said, his tone clipped.
"You could have done more," Hiruzen countered, his gaze sharpening through the haze of smoke. "You held back. I saw the way you moved—or rather, the way you chose not to move."
The silence that followed was heavy, a standoff between the old man and the fresh genin. Neither blinked. Hiruzen finally broke the tension by exhaling a long, grey plume of smoke from his pipe.
"It does not matter in the long run, I suppose," the Hokage sighed. "Though I admit, I hoped you would have given us a bit more of a show."
"You wished for me to use the Yamato?" Naruto’s voice carried an edge of irony. "Against training dummies and Academy students? That seems like an insult to the blade."
Hiruzen waved a hand dismissively, though his eyes lingered on the hilt of the sword. "I merely wanted to see your hundred percent. But," he added with a small, knowing smirk, "I suppose revealing that much power this early simply wasn't worth the... paperwork."
"Is there a reason I have been called here?" Naruto asked, his voice cutting through the smoke of the office.
Hiruzen studied him in silence for a long moment, the embers in his pipe glowing a dull orange. "I wanted to congratulate you personally," the Hokage said at last. "In a few days, you will begin your life as a shinobi in the field. That means you and I will be seeing each other much more frequently than we have in the past."
"Depending on my team... I suppose so," Naruto replied, his fingers tapping a rhythmic, thoughtful beat against the scabbard of the Yamato. "Speaking of which, what is my placement? I could work with Shikamaru Nara… Or perhaps with Hinata. I suppose I could even... tolerate the Yamanaka girl."
Hiruzen’s expression didn't flicker. "You will see your team when it is formed tomorrow, at the same time as everyone else," he rescinded, his tone final.
A low growl of annoyance vibrated in Naruto’s throat, barely audible but laden with frustration.
"If I am placed with that Inuzuka brat," Naruto muttered, his eyes narrowing, "he might suffer a sudden 'accident' and find his way home in a body bag."
Hiruzen didn’t look shocked, he let out a dry, knowing chuckle. "All I can tell you is that we do take chemistry into account when forming these squads. Which," he paused, pointedly looking over his spectacles at the boy, "I must point out, is something you have very little of with anyone."
Naruto’s jaw tightened. "It is not my fault that so many of my peers are... intolerable."
"A lot of people say the very same thing about you, Naruto." Hiruzen countered smoothly.
The silence that followed was deafening. Naruto stared back, his retort dying in his throat as the old man’s words landed with the weight of an iron seal.
And then the heavy office doors creaked open once more, and a shrill, high-pitched voice shattered the remaining silence.
"On guard, old man!"
A small child charged into the room with more enthusiasm than coordination, only to trip over his own scarf and face-plant onto the floor. Hiruzen let out a weary, soul-deep sigh. "It’s always something..."
"What has he gotten into this time?" a frantic voice called from the hallway.
The child, Konohamaru, scrambled to his knees, his eyes wide as he looked around the room. "I get it! It’s a trap! Right? You set a trap for me!"
A Jōnin wearing dark sunglasses and a standard flak jacket burst into the office, his breathing ragged.
"A-Are you all right, Honored Grandson?! And for the record, there are no traps in here!" Ebisu, the boy’s private tutor, adjusted his glasses.
"...Who’s the brat?"
Naruto’s voice cut through the chaos like a winter chill. Ebisu stiffened, finally noticing the blonde boy sitting in the visitor’s chair. His expression curdled instantly from concern to sheer loathing.
“Our village disgrace,” Ebisu thought, his pulse quickening with a mix of fear and disgust. “The so-called human form of the Nine-Tails.” His gaze dropped to the Yamato resting in Naruto’s lap. “And that blade... how does he have something so magnificent? Why hasn't Lord Hokage stripped it from his hands?”
Naruto’s fingers grazed the hilt of the Yamato, his eyes locking onto Ebisu’s "Is there something you wish to say? ... 'Special' Jōnin?"
Before Ebisu could find his tongue, Konohamaru pointed a finger at Naruto. "Aha! You tripped me! It was you, wasn't it?!"
"You fell over your own scarf, brat," Naruto responded, his expression entirely deadpan.
"Who are you calling a brat?!" Konohamaru shrieked, launching himself at Naruto in a reckless tackle.
Without even standing up, Naruto reached out and caught the boy by the back of his scarf and collar, holding him at arm's length. Konohamaru’s legs kicked uselessly in the air.
"Careful, little one," Naruto murmured, his voice low and dangerous. "You might get cut."
"Unhand him, Naruto!" Ebisu shouted, "That boy is the grandson of our revered Lord Hokage!"
Naruto shifted his gaze back to the dangling child.
"So? Take your best shot! I dare you!" Konohamaru sneered, emboldened by the mention of his grandfather. "What, are you afraid of me? Everyone else is! Just like Master Four-Eyes over there... no one dares touch me! Hah!"
Naruto let out a short, dry scoff. He let go of the collar, and as Konohamaru began to drop, Naruto delivered a sharp, stinging smack to the top of the boy’s head.
The sound of the impact echoed in the quiet office.
Naruto looked at Ebisu, "I do not think the Old Man has any more promotions to give you for all that boot-licking," Naruto said, his cold blue eyes moving from the stunned child to the fuming Ebisu. "You’re wasting your breath."
Ebisu’s face turned a violent shade of purple, his mouth opening and closing like a landed fish, a heavy silence descended over the room.
Konohamaru sat on the floor, clutching his head, his eyes wide with a shock that hadn't yet turned into tears.
Ebisu finally found his voice, his finger shaking as he pointed at Naruto. "Lord Hokage! Did you see? This—this genin just laid hands on your blood! I demand he be disciplined! His license should be revoked before he even leaves this—"
"Quiet, Ebisu."
The Hokage’s voice wasn't loud, but it carried the weight of a mountain. The tutor froze mid-sentence, the air leaving his lungs in a sharp hiss.
Naruto didn't look at the Jōnin. He kept his gaze fixed on Konohamaru, who was staring back at him with a strange, burgeoning intensity. Then, Naruto’s eyes shifted toward the desk.
Hiruzen sat there, his chin resting on his interlaced fingers. The smoke from his pipe drifted lazily toward the ceiling.
He didn't look angry.
In fact, for the first time in the entire meeting, the weary tension around his eyes had smoothed out. There was a faint, almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of his mouth, the beginning of a satisfied smile.
"He is right, Ebisu," Hiruzen said calmly. "Konohamaru fell because he was careless, and he was struck because he was arrogant. Naruto treated him as a shinobi treats a nuisance, not as a citizen treats a prince."
Hiruzen looked at Naruto, a silent spark of gratitude passing between them.
He had spent years watching his grandson grow spoiled and isolated by the village's ‘special’ treatment. In one sharp smack, Naruto had done more for the boy’s character than Ebisu had done in a year of tutoring.
"You are dismissed, Naruto," Hiruzen said, his voice regaining its professional edge. "Go. Prepare for tomorrow. And take that... stylish coat with you."
Naruto stood up, the Yamato’s scabbard clicking softly against his leg. He didn't offer a bow. He simply turned and walked toward the door, passing a stunned Ebisu without so much as a glance.
"Wait!" Konohamaru scrambled to his feet, ignoring the throb in his head. "Hey, you! Whiskers! What's your name?"
Naruto paused at the threshold, looking back over his shoulder.
"Uzumaki Naruto," he said, "Try to watch your step, child. The world is a lot sharper than this floor."
With that, he stepped out, the door swinging shut behind him.
–Next Day at the Academy–
The following morning, the Academy felt different. The air was thick with the nervous energy of newly minted Genin, but for Naruto, it was just another gauntlet to walk.
He entered the building with a measured stride, the hem of his navy coat brushing against his boots and the Yamato held firmly in his grip.
As always, the glares followed him—sharp, jagged looks of resentment aimed at both the boy and the legendary blade he carried.
He reached the designated classroom where the graduates from all classes had gathered. Pushing the door open, he stepped inside with a heavy, deliberate footfall that seemed to quiet the room for a heartbeat.
He scanned the rows of desks.
Several students met his gaze with sneers or whispered insults, but Naruto didn't flinch. He threw back glares of his own that sent a visible shiver through the crowd, causing more than a few to look away in sudden interest in their fingernails.
Finally, he spotted an opening. He moved toward an empty seat situated near a familiar corner of the room.
"Hey, Naruto!"
The voice belonged to Choji Akimichi. The boy was already working his way through a bag of chips, but his eyes lit up as Naruto approached. "Wow... that’s one cool looking outfit, man."
Naruto took his seat, the Yamato leaning securely against his chair.
Beside Choji, Shikamaru Nara slowly cracked one eye open. He adjusted his posture, his pineapple-style ponytail bobbing as he raised an eyebrow. A rare, genuine smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Yo... Choji’s right. That coat is badass," Shikamaru admitted, "I can’t even call it troublesome. Where’d you even find something like that?"
"Custom made." Naruto replied, his voice level. "I modified it myself."
Shikamaru whistled softly, his keen eyes tracing the hidden seal patterns along the coat’s lining. "Damn... must have taken a lot of time?"
"A few weeks," Naruto responded.
A comfortable silence settled over the trio—a stark contrast to the buzzing anxiety of the rest of the class.
"Chips?" Choji asked, extending the crinkling bag toward Naruto.
Shikamaru reached in and grabbed a handful without even looking. Naruto hesitated for a split second, his eyes drifting to the bag, before he reached in and took one. He offered a small, nearly imperceptible nod of thanks.
The classroom door slid open again, and a collective hush—followed by a wave of high-pitched whispers—swept through the room.
Sasuke Uchiha stepped inside. He offered a low, irritated growl at the girls fawning over him, his face a mask of cold indifference as he ascended the stairs toward the back.
As he passed Naruto’s row, his dark, piercing gaze collided with Naruto’s sharp blue eyes. Sasuke was the first to break the glare, taking a seat a few chairs away, though his focus remained taut and alert.
The peace didn't last.
"Why are you even here, demon?!"
The shout was accompanied by a violent slam as a Genin boy hammered his fists onto Naruto’s table.
Naruto didn't flinch.
He didn't even look up at first. He slowly and lazily shifted his attention from his own hands to the boy looming over him.
Naruto’s eyes snapped to the boy’s, "Because I am a Genin of the Leaf," Naruto replied, his voice a low, dangerous silk. "You might have noticed that if you weren't so pathologically incompetent and blind."
Naruto tapped the metal of his hitai-ate with a deliberate finger. "Is this clear enough for you, or do you need someone to draw a diagram so your tiny mind can process it?"
"Why did they even let you graduate?!" the boy shrieked, his face turning a blotchy red. "You must have cheated! There's no way a thing like you—"
"Cut it out!" Choji interrupted, his voice uncharacteristically firm as he stopped mid-chip. "Naruto graduated fair and square. Leave him alone."
"You’re taking his side?" the boy gasped, looking at Choji as if he’d sprouted a second head. "Are you mad?!"
Shikamaru let out a long, weary sigh, resting his head in his hand. "Look, whatever-your-name-is... just apologize and go back to your seat. You’re bothering Naruto, and frankly, you’re making way too much noise. It’s a drag."
"I will not! Someone needs to stand up against this... this thing!"
Shikamaru and Choji exchanged a knowing look. Simultaneously, they pulled their feet back from under the table.
"I will not—!" the Genin started again, leaning in until he was inches from Naruto’s face.
He never finished the sentence.
Naruto’s palm slammed into the boy’s face, gripping his jaw and forehead with iron strength. With a singular motion, Naruto drove the boy’s head downward.
The sound of the impact was like a thunderclap. The heavy wood of the Academy table shattered into jagged splinters.
"I warned you," Shikamaru muttered to the heap of a boy whose head was now spinning in the wreckage of the desk. "Idiot."
Naruto stood up slightly, his gaze sweeping across the rest of the classroom. The silence was absolute. Even the girls who had been cheering for Sasuke were frozen in shock.
"If anyone else wants to bark at me," Naruto said, his voice carrying to every corner of the room, "at least have the decency not to be a weakling and an imbecile at the same time."
He sat back down, the Yamato leaning against his shoulder, and reached into Choji’s bag for another chip.
The classroom remained in a state of stunned paralysis. The only sound was the faint crunch of Naruto eating the chip he’d taken from Choji. The broken wood of the desk lay scattered like a warning.
From a few rows down, a pair of pale, lavender eyes watched the scene with a mixture of awe and deep-seated concern.
Hinata Hyuga’s hands were clasped tightly in her lap, her fingers twisting together until the knuckles turned white.
"N-Naruto..." she whispered under her breath, her voice lost in the murmurs that were finally starting to bubble back up among the students.
"Man, you really don't do things by halves, do you?" Shikamaru muttered, leaning back and resting his head on his hands. "The instructors are going to have a field day with that desk. I hope you've got a good excuse ready."
"The excuse is on the floor," Naruto replied coldly, not even looking at the groaning boy at his feet.
"Still," Choji added, "He was being a jerk. My dad always says you shouldn't let people talk down to the clan... and you're an Uzumaki, right?"
"In name," Naruto said, his gaze drifting to the window. "Though this village has a very short memory when it comes to what that name actually means."
Before the conversation could continue, a soft shadow fell over their table.
Hinata stood a few feet away, her posture hunched as if she were trying to occupy as little space as possible. "N-Naruto?"
Naruto turned his head. His sharp blue eyes met her pale ones, "Hyuga."
"I... I wanted to say..." She swallowed hard, her face blooming into a deep crimson. "I'm g-glad you graduated. And... your coat... it’s very nice. It looks... strong."
Shikamaru suppressed a smirk, glancing between the two. "See? Even Hinata thinks you look like a walking fortress."
Naruto looked back at Hinata. He noticed the way her gaze darted to the Yamato and then back to him, full of a strange, quiet recognition that didn't hold the fear the others showed. "Thank you, Hinata. At least someone in this room has eyes for style."
Hinata’s blush deepened to a point that seemed physically impossible. "I-I hope... I hope we’re on the same team," she managed to squeak out, before quickly bowing and scurrying back to her seat.
"Well," Shikamaru drawled, "that was probably the most words she’s said to anyone all year."
The door slid open, and Iruka Umino stepped into the room, his presence immediately dampening the chaotic energy of the class.
His gaze swept over the students, pausing for a long, heavy beat on the groaning boy who was only just managing to pull himself out of the wreckage of Naruto's table.
"Everyone take a seat. Now." Iruka commanded. His voice was calm, but the glare he leveled at the injured Genin was enough to swallow any complaint the boy might have had.
Once the room was silent, Iruka adjusted the clipboard in his hands. "The next step of your career as shinobi is to learn your three-man cell assignments. Each team will be mentored by a Jōnin-sensei who will be responsible for your growth and your lives in the field."
He began reading through the roster, the tension in the room ratcheting up with every name called. Finally, Iruka reached a name that made him pause for a fraction of a second.
"Team Seven... Naruto Uzumaki."
Naruto shifted in his seat, his hand tightening slightly around the scabbard of the Yamato.
"Hinata Hyuga."
A small, high-pitched yelp escaped Hinata’s lips as she turned a shade of red that rivaled a sunset. “ I’m... I’m actually on a team with Naruto?” she thought, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
Naruto offered a solitary, satisfied nod. He leaned back and let his eyes close lazily, content with the prospect of a teammate who was at least quiet and observant.
"Sasuke Uchiha."
Sasuke’s eyes sharpened, his dark pupils narrowing as he processed the information. “A team with the Hyuga heiress and Naruto…” He glanced toward the blonde boy and the legendary sword.
Naruto’s eye twitched beneath his closed lid. "This is going to be such a drag..." he muttered under his breath.
"Hey, that’s my line," Shikamaru whispered from the side, a lazy smirk on his face.
"Your Sensei will be Kakashi Hatake," Iruka finished, before moving on to the next list.
"Team Eight... Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Sakura Haruno. Your Sensei is Kurenai Yuhi."
"Oh, come on!" Sakura muttered, her shoulders slouching in defeat. "I get stuck with Dog Boy and the Insect Freak while Hinata gets Sasuke?" She shot a venomous glare toward Hinata, but the Hyuga girl didn't even notice, her eyes were fixed entirely on Naruto.
"Team Nine is still in active duty from last year," Iruka continued, ignoring the grumbling. "So, Team Ten…Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka. Your Sensei is Asuma Sarutobi."
–Change Of View–
"This is Naruto’s home, isn’t it?"
The question came from a man leaning against the doorframe, his gravity-defying silver hair catching the light. A mask obscured the lower half of his face, and his forehead protector was tilted at an angle to cover his left eye.
Kakashi Hatake looked like a man perpetually bored, but his one visible eye was currently sharp, scanning the room with clinical precision.
"It is," Hiruzen Sarutobi responded, standing in the center of the spartan living space.
Kakashi’s gaze swept the table, the bed, and the corners of the room. "I take it he has the sword with him."
"He never leaves without it," the Hokage confirmed. "My ANBU report that when it isn't in his hand, it seems to vanish into thin air."
"Sealing scrolls?" Kakashi asked, his voice muffled by his mask.
"None were observed. Shinki-grade weapons are notorious for their unique storage methods. They exist on a symbiotic level with their wielder," Hiruzen explained. "In a way, it is a blessing. It means the Yamato cannot be stolen or stripped from him. "
"But how did he acquire it?" Kakashi’s tone shifted, losing its casual edge.
Hiruzen let out a long, pensive puff of smoke, the grey clouds swirling in the small room. "As a Shinki grade, its origin is... unique. These blades appear as they please. Some manifest like a Kekkei Genkai, some possess a sentient will that chooses a master, others are bestowed by mystical beings.”
“Naruto began carrying it shortly before I enrolled him in the Academy. At first, I dismissed it. I thought he had simply found a discarded katana in the woods and polished it. I only pressed him for answers once I realized his training involved... unusual abilities."
"And he told you?"
"He gave me the name," Hiruzen said. "Nothing more. But the name was enough for me to find the truth in the archives."
Kakashi shifted his weight, his curiosity piqued. "On the grading system... where does the blade actually stand?"
Hiruzen turned to look out the window, his expression grim. "There are multiple classifications. My personal summon, Enma, in his Adamantium Staff form, is a Reikon-ki grade—a Tier-2 weapon. Formidable, nearly indestructible, and rare."
He let the silence stretch, the weight of his next words darkening the room.
"The Yamato is a Shinki grade. Some call it Tier-0, others the Dragon-Tier. There are scholars who simply call it God-Tier. It is the highest classification of weaponry we have.."
Kakashi’s eye widened. "Higher than the Sage's tools?"
"The Relics of the Sage of Six Paths are Tier-1," Hiruzen whispered, his voice barely audible over the crackle of his pipe. "Special Grade. They are powerful, legendary... but they sit beneath the Shinki. We know of very few Shinki grade weapons in all of history. All of them are myths made manifest."
Kakashi let out a slow breath, followed by a dry, dark chuckle. "I imagine Kushina would have the time of her life knowing her son is causing this many headaches for the village elders."
"Oh, I am sure of it," Hiruzen said, a wistful look crossing his weathered features. "The boy is... akin to her when his temper is flared. Though there is less shouting and more... blood. He possesses the sharp mind Minato had, certainly. But..."
The Hokage’s voice trailed off as he stared at the sparse decorations of the room. "He lacks the Will of Fire. He lacks the bone-deep love for this village that Minato carried until his final breath. I fear that may be my fault—a failure of leadership I may never be able to undo."
"He is a difficult kid," Kakashi noted, his lone eye turning back to the window.
"In many ways, yes," Hiruzen agreed. "But he is manageable, so long as he is shown respect. I believe that is what he desires most—to be seen with respect that isn't poisoned by fear."
Kakashi nodded slowly, processing the weight of the task ahead of him. "And what of the Yamato's abilities? What can it actually do?"
Hiruzen let out a short, mirthless chuckle. He gestured toward the small wooden chair by the kitchen table. "Well, Kakashi... you might love this, or you might absolutely hate it. Take a seat."
Kakashi glanced at the clock on the wall, then back to the Hokage. "...I really should be heading to the Academy by now. The students are waiting."
"They already expect you to be late," Hiruzen countered, his eyes twinkling with a bit of his old mischief. "A few more minutes won't tarnish your reputation for tardiness."
Kakashi slumped his shoulders in a theatrical display of defeat. "I’m blaming you for this one, Lord Hokage."
–Academy–
"..."
"..."
The silence in the Academy classroom had turned from expectant to oppressive. One by one, the other teams had been collected by their respective Jōnin, leaving the room feeling cavernous and hollow.
Now, only three students remained, the shy lavender-eyed heiress, and two brooding teenagers.
"It has been over three hours," Naruto growled.
He shifted in his seat, "We are the only team whose sensei hasn't shown up yet. Three hours of doing nothing..."
Sasuke didn't respond, but the way his arms were crossed tightly over his chest and the rhythmic tapping of his foot betrayed his own impatience.
He looked everywhere but at Naruto, his dark eyes fixed on the door as if he could force their teacher to appear through sheer willpower.
"Uhm... I-I'm sure o-our teacher had... important business," Hinata offered softly. She was sitting on the edge of her seat, her fingers intertwined so tightly they were beginning to lose color.
She looked at Naruto, "Maybe an... emergency mission?"
Naruto’s eyes snapped toward her, though he softened his gaze just enough to keep from frightening her. "In the middle of the village on graduation day? Unlikely, Hinata. This isn't business. This is a lack of respect."
He stood up abruptly, the navy blue of his coat flaring behind him. He walked toward the window, looking out over the village he felt so little connection to.
"If this 'Hatake' thinks he can treat us like children waiting for a bedtime story, he’s in for a very sharp awakening," Naruto muttered, his hand resting almost subconsciously on the hilt of the Yamato.
The tension in the room finally snapped as the door creaked open.
Kakashi stepped inside with an almost offensive amount of nonchalance, his hands shoved into his pockets and his visible eye curved into a lazy, closed-lid smile.
"Hello there," he started, his voice a calm drawl that seemed to completely ignore the fact that he was hours late. "I’m Kakashi Hatake, the Jōnin-Sensei of Team Seven..."
"And WHY," Naruto barked, pivoting away from the window with a sudden, violent grace, "were you three hours late?"
Kakashi didn't flinch. He didn't even stop his slow walk toward the front of the room. He let his gaze drift over Hinata’s red face and Sasuke’s stony silence before landing back on the blonde boy with the legendary blade.
"You see," Kakashi said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I was busy having a conversation with the Hokage in the apartment of some Naruto Uzumaki kid..."
"At least put some effort into your lies," Naruto spat, his voice dropping into that dangerous, low register. "The Hokage doesn't waste hours in the apartments of Genin."
"It’s true... honestly," Kakashi replied, his tone remaining infuriatingly light even as he felt the heavy pressure of Naruto’s killing intent.
Kakashi leaned against the dusty chalkboard, looking every bit the nonchalant slacker. "He had quite a lot to say," he continued, his voice airy. "Mostly about decor... and how your apartment could use a bit more of a 'homely' touch."
Naruto leveled a chilling glare at the Jōnin.
Kakashi simply offered an eye-smile in return—a crinkle of his lid that suggested he was enjoying the irritation he was causing. "Meet me on the rooftop in two minutes," he commanded.
Before Naruto could snap back a retort, the Jōnin vanished in a violent poof of white smoke.
"A shadow clone..." Sasuke muttered, his eyes narrowing at the empty space where their teacher had stood. He stood up abruptly, his chair scraping harshly against the floor.
Naruto shook his head, his hand tightening on the Yamato before he followed.
Hinata trailed behind them, her footsteps light and hesitant, as they made their way through the quiet halls of the Academy and up to the roof.
They found the real Kakashi leaning against the rusted metal railing, his nose buried in a small, luridly orange book.
He didn't look up as they approached. "All right," he said, finally pocketing the book with a flick of his wrist. "Sit down. Let’s get to know each other."
Both Naruto and Sasuke let out an audible, synchronized growl of frustration.
"C’mon... I didn't mean to be that late," Kakashi said, waving a hand dismissively. "The Hokage really did keep me, I promise. Forgive and forget... right?"
The three Genin sat on the stone steps, though the air between them and their sensei remained thick with skepticism.
"Umm... y-you said... to get to know each other?" Hinata asked softly, her voice trembling as she tried to bridge the gap. "Like... what exactly?"
"You know. The usual," Kakashi said, gesturing vaguely at the sky. "Tell me your favorite things, what you hate the most, your dreams, your ambitions, hobbies. Things like that."
"Help us out with an example, Kakashi-Sensei," Naruto said, his voice laced with lingering annoyance. He leaned back, the Yamato resting across his lap.
"Oh, me?" Kakashi pointed to himself. "Well, my name is Kakashi Hatake. I’m the kind of person who doesn't really feel like talking about my likes and dislikes. I have quite a few hobbies, and my dream for the future is... well, nonya."
"..."
"..."
Kakashi looked at the three of them, his eye searching for even a glimmer of amusement. Hinata looked like she wanted to say something just to be polite, but the intensity radiating from Naruto and Sasuke made her reconsider.
"No one’s gonna take the bait?" Kakashi asked, sounding genuinely disappointed. "You guys really need to develop a sense of humor."
"All we actually learned was his name," Hinata whispered to the boys.
"Well, now it's your turn," Kakashi said, ignoring her comment and pointing a finger. "You start, Shy Girl."
Hinata flinched, her shoulders jumping at the sudden focus.
"U-um... my name is Hinata Hyuga," she began, her voice so small it was nearly carried away by the wind whistling across the roof.
"My favorite thing is... pressing flowers," she murmured, a tiny, genuine smile touching her lips, "And I like cinnamon rolls. I... I hate the way people treat those who are different. Or... or when someone is lonely and nobody reaches out.. My hobby is... I enjoy gardening. It's quiet."
"My dream... no, my ambition," she corrected herself, her voice gaining a sudden, surprising clarity. "Is to prove that I am not a failure. I want to change the way people look at those who are... different. I want to become a shinobi who can stand beside the person I admire and not be a burden."
She finished with a quick, shallow bow, her face flushed a vibrant pink, and practically collapsed back into a seated position.
Kakashi hummed, a low sound of genuine interest. He looked at the girl who was usually dismissed as ‘too soft’ for the ninja life.
“Interesting. Ambition is a heavy word for a hobbyist gardener. Good.”
He shifted his gaze, the single eye now landing on the dark-haired boy who looked as though he were carved from granite. "All right, Mr. Broody. You’re up."
Sasuke didn't move a muscle.
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha," he began, his voice flat and devoid of warmth. "There are plenty of things I dislike, but I don't see how it matters, considering there is almost nothing I do like. It seems pointless to talk about ‘dreams’—that’s just a word people use to feel better about things they'll never achieve."
He shifted his gaze, "What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I am going to restore my clan... and kill a certain person."
Kakashi let out a slow, disappointed breath that seemed to deflate his entire posture.
He didn't even bother to comment on the Uchiha's dark path, instead turning his tired, lone eye toward the blonde boy.
"Your turn..."
Naruto straightened his back, his shoulders squaring under the navy blue fabric of his coat. He puffed his chest out slightly, his hand resting casually on the hilt of his sword.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki," he declared, his voice ringing with a conviction that was almost arrogant. "I like power and training. My dream …is to gain more power."
The silence that followed was interrupted by the sharp, wet smack of Kakashi’s palm hitting his own face.
"No," Kakashi groaned, his voice muffled behind his hand. "No, no, no... just no."
He dragged his hand down his face, looking at the two boys with a mixture of exhaustion and disbelief.
"Do it again. Both of you. Your teammate," he gestured toward a still-blushing Hinata, "actually put in the effort to mention likes, dislikes, and a hobby. You two aren't getting off that easily with your 'vague threats' and 'thirst for power.' Try again. Be human for five seconds."
Sasuke’s voice dropped into a defensive, low growl. "My personal preferences are irrelevant to you. I’m here to become a shinobi, not to trade stories like children at a playground."
Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, "Exactly. Why does it matter if I like gardening or cinnamon rolls? Power is the only currency that matters in this world. If I cannot protect my vision with strength, then my 'likes' are just weaknesses waiting to be exploited."
Kakashi didn't look impressed. If anything, he looked bored.
He leaned back against the rusted metal railing, picking up his orange book and flipping to a random page with practiced ease.
“Spoken like two people who have spent way too much time brooding in the dark,” he remarked, his voice muffled by his mask.
“If you can’t understand your own humanity, you’ll never be more than a blunt instrument. And blunt instruments break when they hit something harder than themselves.”
He looked over the top of his book, his single eye sharpening until it held a weight that made the air feel heavy. "I’m not moving until I hear something that isn't a recruitment poster for a revenge cult or a power trip. Try again. Naruto, you first."
Naruto stared at his sensei, his blue eyes searching for a crack in Kakashi’s resolve, some hint that this was all a game.
Finding none, he let out a sharp, frustrated breath and looked away, his gaze drifting toward the stone faces of the Hokage carved into the mountainside—monuments to a system he barely respected.
“Fine,” Naruto spat.
He let a moment of silence hang in the air, the wind tugging at the high collar of his navy coat. “I like music. Specifically metalcore or electric rock. I find the rhythm... vigorous."
Kakashi tilted his head, a glimmer of surprise in his eye. It was a far cry from the traditional folk songs or silent meditation he expected from a swordsman.
“I like nights with a clear sky,” Naruto continued, “The kind where you can see the moon and the stars without the village’s lights drowning them out. I dislike music where the lyrics are nothing but a so-called artist desperately trying to sound dangerous. It’s pathetic.”
He turned his head back toward Kakashi, his expression hardening.
“And my dream... is to stand above the petty weaklings who wish to control me. I want to be the one who decides the outcome of my life, not some council or some 'fate' that people with no power of their own try to force upon me.”
Kakashi closed his book with a soft, final thud. “Electric rock and astronomy,” he mused, the corner of his eye crinkling. “Well, it’s certainly more descriptive than ‘I want power.’ It’s a start.”
He turned his gaze toward Sasuke. The Uchiha had been watching Naruto, his brow furrowed as if re-evaluating the boy standing next to him. “Your turn, Sasuke,” Kakashi prompted. “Try to top the metalhead.”
Sasuke remained silent for a beat, the wind tugging at his high collar. When he spoke, his voice was lower, stripped of its earlier theatrical coldness.
“I like tomatoes,” he began, the mundane detail sounding strange coming from him. “And the sound of rain. I... I also like electric rock. I dislike fangirls and shrieking. It’s a waste of breath.”
His expression darkened, "I despise people who speak of 'peace' while standing on the graves of those who actually paid for it. I hate weakness that masquerades as morality. My hobby... is training until my body breaks, and then training more. If I’m not bleeding, I’m not working.”
He looked Kakashi dead in the eye, his gaze unflinching and absolute.
"And my ambition remains the same. I will stand in the wreckage of my past, and I will be the one who walks away. I don't need 'power' just to have it, I need it to be the judge, jury, and executioner for the one who took everything from me."
Kakashi let out a long, slow whistle. “Well. A gardener who wants to change the world, a metalhead who wants to be a god, and a judge-jury-executioner who likes tomatoes. You three certainly aren't a boring set.”
He stood up straight, his hands disappearing into his pockets. The playful air vanished, replaced by the cool, sharp presence of a Jōnin commander.
“I believe this is enough for now," Kakashi stated, his voice now a steady, professional baritone. "Formal training begins tomorrow... that is, if you pass the final Genin test.”
Naruto’s head tilted slightly, his blue eyes narrowing. “Final test? So the Academy wasn't the end of it...”
“The Academy graduation is designed to eliminate the hopeless cases from your ranks and root out those with real potential,” Kakashi explained, his single eye scanning the three of them with a calculating coldness.
“It’s a filter, nothing more. So, basically... you aren't real Genin until you pass my test. And the failure rate is over sixty percent.”
Hinata paled, her breath hitching, while Sasuke’s jaw tightened. Naruto simply adjusted his grip on the Yamato, his expression unreadable but focused.
Kakashi offered one last eye-smile—a look that held more warning than warmth. “We’ll meet tomorrow morning at Training Ground Seven at 5 AM. Bring every piece of equipment you own... and don’t bother having breakfast beforehand. Unless, of course, you enjoy throwing it up.”
Without another word, he vanished in a swirl of leaves, leaving the three teammates alone on the rooftop with the rising wind and the daunting reality of the morning to come.
–Training Ground Seven, 7 AM–
"Good morning, class!"
Kakashi offered a casual wave, looking as refreshed as if he had just woken from a long nap rather than keeping three elite Genin waiting in the damp cold for two hours.
"YOU’RE LATE!"
Naruto and Sasuke’s voices collided in a roar of genuine fury, their patience having long since evaporated.
But the true shock came from the third voice—smaller, but no less sharp. Hinata had joined the shout, her frustration momentarily eclipsing her shyness.
The moment the words left her lips, she froze. Her face turned a shade of red that seemed to glow against the morning mist.
"I-I’m sorry!" she squeaked, quickly ducking her head and trying to hide behind her high collar, though her pale eyes remained fixed on their tardy sensei.
Kakashi blinked, his single eye widening slightly as he looked at the girl. "My, my... even the quiet ones are biting today."
He rubbed the back of his head, looking entirely unrepentant. "A black cat crossed my path, you see, and I had to take the long way around..."
"Liar," Naruto muttered, his hand resting on the pommel of the Yamato.
"Enough with the excuses," Sasuke added, "The sun is up. The test was supposed to start hours ago. Let's get on with it."
Kakashi reached into his pouch and pulled out an alarm clock, setting it on the center stump. "Right, right. You're set for noon."
He then reached back in and produced two small silver bells, which jingled with a sharp, clear ring that seemed to cut through the tension of the clearing.
"Your task is simple," Kakashi said, his voice dropping into that professional, lethal register they had heard on the roof. "Take these bells from me before the timer goes off. If you don't have a bell by noon, you go back to the Academy. No lunch, and you'll be tied to those stumps while I eat mine in front of you."
Naruto’s gaze locked onto the bells. “Two bells. Three students.”
"There are only two bells," Hinata whispered, her Byakugan-ready eyes narrowing as she realized the cruel meaning of the test.
"Precisely," Kakashi chirped. "That means, at the very least, one of you is going back to the classroom. Of course, since you're all so... ambitious, you might all end up failing."
He pulled out his orange book, flipping it open with a flourish. "Come at me with the intent to kill. Otherwise, you won't stand a chance."
Kakashi peered over the edge of his book, his eye tracking the faint disturbances in the brush. "...and now... ready..."
Hinata and Sasuke tensed, their muscles coiling like springs.
"...steady..."
With a blur of motion, the Genin vanished, dashing into the dense treeline.
"GO!"
Kakashi returned his focus to the page, the bells at his waist jingling softly as he shifted his weight. "The basis of all Shinobi Arts is to become invisible... to eradicate your own presence," he mused to the empty air. He let his senses expand, feeling the subtle vibrations of the forest.
“All three of them are well hidden”, he thought, a hint of genuine approval flickering in his gaze. “Sasuke and Hinata have suppressed their chakra perfectly.”
High in the canopy, perched on a thick oak branch, Naruto looked down at the silver-haired Jōnin. He could sense Kakashi’s movements—or rather, the lack of them.
"...He’s not moving," Naruto muttered, his blue eyes tracking the casual flip of a page in that orange book. "He isn't hunting us. He’s waiting for us to tire ourselves out in the dark."
Naruto scoffed, a sharp sound of disdain. "Waste of my time..."
Without a sound, Naruto dropped from the tree, landing in the center of the clearing directly in front of Kakashi. The Yamato was held firmly in his left hand, the silk of the hilt stark against the navy blue of his coat.
"Hm? You aren't hiding?" Kakashi asked, his eye remaining on his book, though his posture tightened almost imperceptibly.
"Does it look like it?" Naruto countered.
"Are you sure this is the best move you can make?" Kakashi asked, finally looking up. "Stealth is a shinobi’s greatest weapon, Naruto."
"You aren't hunting us either," Naruto said, taking a deliberate step forward. "Waiting in the shadows while you read would be a waste of energy. You’re testing our stealth... a concept I find fundamentally tedious."
Naruto didn't run.
He didn't dash.
He walked.
He moved with a slow, measured gait, each footfall heavy with the promise of violence. His gaze was locked onto Kakashi’s, unblinking and cold.
"Oh?" Kakashi tilted his head, a spark of genuine amusement dancing in his eye.
"You’re approaching me?"
"I can’t kick your ass unless I do.”
"Oh, really..." Kakashi pocketed his book, his posture shifting into a loose, reactive stance. "Then by all means... approach as you like."
The moment Naruto stepped into Kakashi's reach he vanished in a violent burst of speed, reappearing instantly within Kakashi’s guard.
"Fast! His base speed is hovering at the edge of High-Chūnin level."
Naruto’s fist whistled through the air, aimed squarely at Kakashi’s chest. The Jōnin brought up his forearm to block the strike, the impact echoing with a heavy thud. Naruto didn't overextend, he immediately pivoted, swinging the scabbard of the Yamato toward Kakashi’s ribs.
“Scabbard Flourish.”
Kakashi was forced to twist his body mid-air to dodge the blunt-force strike. As Naruto pulled his hand back, the scabbard whistled past Kakashi’s nose, missing by mere millimeters. In the same fluid motion, Naruto’s hand found the hilt, his body coiling into a perfect Iaijutsu stance.
Naruto executed a quick-draw, the Yamato leaving its sheath in a brilliant arc.
It was an upward slash delivered with more raw velocity than Kakashi had anticipated. The Jōnin’s head snapped back, the tip of the blade grazing the fabric of his mask—missing skin by a hair’s breadth.
Naruto didn't pause to admire the near-miss. He transitioned instantly, flipping the Yamato into a reverse grip. He wove around a lazily thrown kunai Kakashi had flicked to create distance, his movements like water flowing around a stone. He stepped into Kakashi’s personal space again, the Yamato singing through the air in a devastating downward side-slash.
The blade didn't even need to make physical contact. The sheer force of the swing unleashed a concentrated shockwave of compressed air. The blast hit Kakashi like a physical wall, throwing the elite ninja backward through the air.
CLICK.
The sound of the Yamato sitting back into its scabbard rang out before Kakashi’s feet had even touched the ground.
"Not bad," Kakashi said, his voice regaining its casual lilt. "Your Iaijutsu is impressive, Naruto. But a shinobi needs to be more than just a fast draw."
Naruto didn't wait for the lecture.
He blurred forward again, keeping the Yamato sheathed and using the scabbard as a secondary weapon. He unleashed a flurry of strikes—a high kick aimed at Kakashi’s head, followed by a sweeping strike with the scabbard toward the Jōnin's legs.
Kakashi moved through the gaps in Naruto’s assault. He blocked a palm strike with his forearm and parried a thrust with a kunai, the metal clashing against the Yamato’s reinforced wood.
Naruto pivoted, feinting a draw of the sword to force Kakashi to jump. As the Jōnin took the bait and leaped into the air, Naruto drew the sword for real. This time, however, the blade glowed with energy.
“Void Slash!”
Naruto slashed at the air, sending a visible energy slash toward Kakashi, whose eyes widened in surprise.
“He can use aerial slashes?!”
Kakashi twisted his body mid-air, barely managing to avoid the glowing projectile. The energy slash sailed past him.
Naruto didn't pause. He watched Kakashi begin his descent, already planning his next move.
"He's off balance. Now's the time."
Naruto ignited a Body Flicker, appearing instantly in front of the Jōnin. The scabbard blurred, delivering two heavy strikes. Before Kakashi could recover, Naruto drew the Yamato, delivering two razor-sharp slashes before snapping the blade back into its sheath and dropping into a low, coiled Iaijutsu stance.
“Chain Slash.”
He drew the blade with incredible speed. To Kakashi’s shock, the steel was back in its scabbard in a fraction of a second, only to be drawn again even faster. The cycle repeated in a blur of silver. Naruto unleashed a barrage of slashes so rapid that Kakashi lost count, forced to focus entirely on reinforcing his body and clothing with chakra to avoid being ripped to shreds.
Naruto gritted his teeth, the strain visible on his face. He held a longer, tense pause before delivering one final, devastatingly powerful slash. Kakashi barely managed to twist away, the blade whistling past him.
Kakashi landed and stared at Naruto with narrowed eyes, his own arms and muscles twitching from the residual impact of the assault.
"I see! His style is based on bursts of speed! He is amping his speed for fractions of a second when casting specific attacks. The moment his blade is back in its scabbard, his chakra begins to recover at an astonishing rate."
Kakashi jumped back, creating distance as he analyzed the boy.
"That attack used up about half the total chakra of an average Genin. But his reserves were restored in seconds. It’s not just his giant pool of chakra, it’s his recovery speed."
Naruto stood his ground, the Yamato held at his side, his breathing already leveling out as his energy surged back into place.
He flicked his wrist, shuriken appearing on his free arm instantly before he threw them at Kakashi. But as they hit him, a log fell to the ground.
"Substitution Jutsu..." Naruto whispered.
He heard a faint rustle to his right and threw two more shuriken immediately.
“I am very impressed, Naruto,” Kakashi said, appearing from the brush and effortlessly catching the shuriken by their finger holes.
Naruto’s eye twitched. "Caught them, did you? Well, catch this!"
He made a half-tiger sign. Six sparks of chakra appeared to Naruto's left and right, forming into blue energy blades that hovered in the air.
“Spectral Blade Shot.”
The six blades immediately shot forward at great velocity. Kakashi’s eyes widened once again as he reacted. He ducked under the projectiles, which whistled over his head and stabbed deep into the tree behind him.
"Chakra constructs? He’s manifesting physical shapes without complex hand signs. This boy's arsenal is completely unconventional."
Kakashi stayed low, looking at the energy blades protruding from the wood. They didn't dissipate immediately, they hummed with a steady, blue light.
Naruto didn't give him a moment to breathe. He was already reaching for the hilt of the Yamato again.
Suddenly, a blur shot from the opposite trees. Shuriken and kunai stabbed into ‘Kakashi’—followed by a puff of smoke as a log fell to the ground.
“Rockerboy… tired of seeing the metalhead hog the spotlight?” Kakashi asked Sasuke from directly behind him.
Sasuke turned around, hands already on his weapon holster as he threw another pair of kunai and shuriken. Kakashi jumped back and was about to speak when he saw one of the kunai cut a hidden rope.
"A trap?"
Dozens of small knives nearly impaled him, but he leaped away again. His eye caught Sasuke’s movement, the Uchiha was already behind him, mid-spin kick. Kakashi blocked the strike and grabbed Sasuke's foot. Sasuke immediately countered with a fist aimed at his head, but Kakashi blocked it with his other hand.
Refusing to let up, Sasuke used his free leg to kick while being spun toward the ground. His fingers brushed against the bells.
Nearly.
Kakashi threw him away and jumped back.
"I see… this one’s fast too. Not as fast as Naruto, but still… maybe more skilled at Taijutsu, though Naruto has been focusing entirely on his Kenjutsu."
“All right, I admit—”
Kakashi did not get to finish his sentence. A third blur came at him. Hinata was within mere feet of him, her Byakugan activated and her palms glowing with chakra.
“I—I will fight too!” she cried out.
Kakashi’s eye narrowed. "The third one. She timed her entry perfectly while I was focused on the other two."
Kakashi felt the shift in the air before the first strike landed. Hinata’s movements were fluid, her palms striking out with the precision of a master.
"Her stance... it’s textbook. But there’s a flicker of doubt in her eyes every time she closes the distance."
Hinata lunged, her glowing palms aiming for Kakashi’s shoulder. At the last second, she pulled back slightly, a moment of hesitation that allowed Kakashi to sidestep. However, she immediately recovered, spinning on her heel to deliver a rapid-fire succession of strikes aimed at his torso.
Kakashi parried, but the force behind the palm strikes made his arms go numb.
"I see. In those small moments where she doesn't hesitate, her Taijutsu is actually superior to both Naruto and Sasuke. Her Gentle Fist is nearly as devastating as Naruto's kenjutsu..."
Hinata gritted her teeth, her Byakugan pulsing with effort. She drove a palm toward his chest, the chakra at her fingertips whistling through the air. Kakashi caught her wrist, but the sheer pressure of the emitted chakra forced him to slide back a few inches.
"She’s holding back out of habit, not lack of skill."
Sasuke and Naruto watched from the flanks, momentarily stunned by the sudden ferocity of the girl.
"She's fast... and those hits aren't just physical," Sasuke thought, his eyes tracking the blue haze around her hands.
"She's hunting his chakra points," Naruto realized, his hand tightening on the Yamato. "If she blocks them, he won't even be able to use Substitution anymore."
Hinata gasped, her breath coming in short bursts, but she didn't retreat. She lowered her center of gravity and prepared for another lunge. "I... I won't be a burden!"
“Sasuke.” Naruto’s voice was low, cutting through the sound of the wind and Hinata’s heavy breathing. “This is a test, not a real exam.”
“I thought that was clear,” Sasuke replied, his eyes never leaving Kakashi. “But I get what you’re saying.”
“The bells gave it away.” Naruto said, his hand resting on the Yamato’s hilt. “The Third Hokage did it with the Sannin, Jiraiya of the Sannin did it to the Fourth Hokage. And the Fourth did it to his own team… the one Kakashi Hatake was part of.”
“It’s a teamwork test,” Sasuke concluded, a grim smirk touching his lips. “Do you think Hinata figured it out?”
“I believe so.”
“Well then… the three of us should be able to take him down,” Naruto said. “I’ll give you an opening.”
Naruto took a step forward, his fingers weaving into the half-tiger seal once more.
“Spectral Blade Shot.”
Blue energy blades manifested and shrieked through the air. Kakashi’s lone eye snapped toward them just before the projectiles stabbed into the exact patch of ground where he had been standing a second prior.
Kakashi jumped back to clear the impact zone—
“Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!”
–right into the path of a massive sphere of roaring flames. Sasuke had timed the release perfectly, catching Kakashi in mid-air where his evasion was limited.
As the fireball erupted, Naruto jumped, landing smoothly next to Hinata.
Naruto and Hinata surged forward in a seamless pincer. Naruto took point, his offense relentless as he forced Kakashi into a corner. He swung the sheathed Yamato at Kakashi, forcing him to use both hands to parry.
He transitioned from a scabbard strike to a rapid-fire succession of kicks, never giving Kakashi the breathing room to weave a single hand sign. The Jōnin was forced to focus entirely on the blonde's high-speed movements, just as Naruto intended.
That was the opening Hinata needed.
She drove a strike toward Kakashi’s flank. Kakashi’s eye widened as he felt the chill of the Gentle Fist. At the last possible second, he contorted his body, taking the hit on his shoulder instead of his vitals. The force of the chakra impact sent a jolt through his system, but he didn't falter.
With a sudden burst of strength, Kakashi planted his feet and exhaled, a surge of chakra throwing both Naruto and Hinata back.
"Very good," Kakashi said, his voice dropping its lazy tone completely. "But you're still—"
He stopped mid-sentence. From the periphery, a new pressure entered the clearing.
Sasuke stepped out from the smoke of his dissipated fireball. His head was down, but as he looked up, the dull black of his pupils had been replaced by a vivid, blood-red glow. A single black tomoe spun slowly in each eye.
"The Sharingan," Kakashi whispered, his posture tensing. "So, the Uchiha wakes up at last."
Sasuke didn't waste words. With his visual prowess active, he dashed forward, his movements far more precise than before.
Sasuke closed the distance in a heartbeat, his newfound perception allowing him to weave through the defensive line Kakashi tried to establish.
He threw a punch that Kakashi barely parried, only for Sasuke to use the momentum to spin, his eyes already tracking the bells' swaying movement.
He ducked under a counter-sweep and launched a flurry of punches that forced Kakashi to actually use his hands for defense instead of just dodging.
Naruto saw the shift in momentum and didn't hesitate. He didn't want to crowd Sasuke's space, so he opted for a mid-range attack. He flicked his wrist, manifesting three more blue energy blades.
"Spectral Blade Shot!"
The blades didn't aim for Kakashi, but for the ground around his feet, limiting the Jōnin’s footwork.
"Hinata, now!" Naruto yelled.
Hinata didn't need to be told twice. She ignored the ache in her lungs and surged forward, her Byakugan tracing the disrupted chakra flow in Kakashi’s left arm where she had previously struck his shoulder.
"Two Palms! Four Palms! Eight Palms!"
Kakashi was forced into a desperate defensive dance. He parried Hinata’s strikes with his forearms, but the residual chakra was beginning to sluggishly affect his movements. He tried to leap away, but Sasuke was already there, mid-air, catching him with a double-leg dropkick that sent Kakashi reeling back toward Naruto.
“Sunder!”
Naruto was waiting. He didn't draw the Yamato, instead, he used the scabbard in a powerful two-handed overhead strike. Kakashi crossed his arms to block, the impact forcing him deep into the dirt. Naruto jumped back.
“Spectral Blade Rain!”
More than a dozen chakra blades manifested above Kakashi before raining down. Naruto used Body Flicker to get far away, managing to dodge as Kakashi jumped from the blade rain.
Naruto took a Iaijutsu stance, his chakra spiking high, making Kakashi take a defensive step.
"What’s that energy?" Kakashi thought to himself, his eyes widening as Naruto drew the Yamato.
“Judgment Cut!”
A sphere of dozens of instantaneous slashes erupted around Kakashi, who instinctively reinforced himself with his chakra.
"...So this is what offensive space-time manipulation feels like..." Kakashi muttered as he fell to his knees for a moment.
The localized dome of cutting energy dissipated, leaving the air humming and the ground around Kakashi shredded. That single moment of recovery was long enough for Sasuke and Hinata to jump at him and attack.
Sasuke’s strikes forced Kakashi to waste precious seconds on defense, while Hinata’s glowing palms relentlessly hunted for his pressure points.
Naruto, having caught his breath as his chakra surged back into place, didn't stay on the sidelines.
He blurred back into the fray, the Yamato’s scabbard whistling through the air to cut off Kakashi’s last remaining exit.
"They're actually doing it. No hesitation, no internal bickering... they're moving as one."
Under the mask, Kakashi’s lips quirked into a genuine smile. He felt the exhilaration of a teacher seeing his students surpass the ‘impossible' hurdle of the day.
They had learned the secret of the test, the bells were never the objective; the person standing next to you was.
"Very good!" Kakashi called out, his voice filled with pride as he parried a kick from Sasuke and sidestepped a palm strike from Hinata. "Your teamwork is—"
But the team didn't stop.
The praise went completely ignored. The three Genin weren't looking for a ‘passing grade’ anymore—they were looking for the win.
Naruto’s eyes were cold and focused, Sasuke’s Sharingan was spinning with killing intent, and Hinata was more aggressive than she had ever been in her life.
"Wait, the test is—" Kakashi started, but he was cut off by a Spectral Blade flying past his ear.
He found himself backed against one of the large trees.
Naruto was closing in from the front, Yamato held in a low stance, Sasuke was coming in from the left with a kunai drawn, and Hinata was blocking his right, her palms primed and ready.
All three looked ready to unleash their most devastating attacks at point-blank range.
The sheer intensity radiating from the three ‘monsters’ he had helped create made Kakashi’s eyes widen in a sudden, very real flash of panic.
“Hold up, hold up, hold up!” Kakashi yelled, his hands shooting up in a frantic sign for a timeout as he pressed his back against the tree. “Chill! Chill! Chill! Chill!”
The three of them halted just inches from his face. The air was silent, save for the faint ringing of the bells on Kakashi's waist.
“Chiiiil… you passed the test… it was not about the bells—”
“It was about working as a team,” Naruto finished, his voice level. “We figured it out.”
“Wow, great then,” Kakashi laughed, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. “...Why did you three then try to kill me just now?”
“You said to come with intent to kill,” said Sasuke, his Sharingan fading back to black as he tucked his kunai away.
“...” Hinata was back to being quiet as her face turned red, her Byakugan deactivating as she realized exactly how close she had come to striking a Jōnin’s heart.
“I just wanted to hit you. Some extra...” Naruto said, sheathing the Yamato with a sharp click.
“...Why?” Kakashi asked slowly.
“You pissed me off.”
“...Understandable.” Kakashi was back on his feet, dusting off his shredded vest and looking as if he hadn't just been seconds away from a disaster. “Well, as Captain of Team Seven, I hereby pass all three of you!”
He offered them a big thumbs up and an eye-smile. “Good job!”