By the riverside at the center of Training Ground 3.
Sunlight filtered through the dense leaves, scattering golden flecks across the water's surface. Wild grass grew thick along the banks, and the stream flowed lazily over moss-covered stones, its gentle murmur filling the air.
"A... fishing test?!"
The peaceful atmosphere shattered instantly. The fish in the stream seemed to understand the outburst, darting away in panic, leaving ripples and bubbles in their wake.
Naruto stared as Kakashi pulled out fishing rods, buckets, and bait from a scroll, his mind completely blank.
No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't fathom why the final test after graduating from the academy wasn't about ninjutsu or combat—but fishing.
What did fishing have to do with being a shinobi?
He racked his brain but couldn't find any connection.
No wonder the pass rate is zero! Who the hell trains to fish as a ninja?! Naruto internally screamed.
Then, a certain spiky-haired figure flashed through his mind.
Actually… if it's him, he might actually pass this ridiculous test.
"Is this supposed to test survival skills?"
Sasuke rubbed his chin, deep in thought. Even if the idea of a fishing exam was absurd, he could at least rationalize it this way.
But if the goal was just to catch fish, then for him and Hikari, it wouldn't even be a challenge. They didn't need fishing rods—a simple Lightning Release jutsu would send every living thing in the water floating belly-up.
Something told him this test wasn't that simple.
"Hikari, what do you think?" Sasuke turned to her, expecting insight, only to find her expression even more complicated.
Confusion, regret, bewilderment—her face was a mix of emotions, none of them easy to read.
"I dunno!"
Hikari shook her head like a rattle drum, her eyes unfocused. She had already spotted the two bells hidden in Kakashi's pocket, so why had the famous "Bell Test" suddenly turned into a fishing contest?
But she wasn't completely clueless.
Looking at Naruto and Sasuke—both far stronger than they should be—plus her own overwhelming presence, she could understand why Kakashi might want to avoid getting brutally beaten up.
"Alright, come get your rods, buckets, and bait. I'll explain the rules."
Kakashi beckoned them over, and the three reluctantly took their gear, watching him warily.
Whoosh!
The fishing line cut through the air with a sharp whistle.
Plop!
The hook, laden with bait, arced gracefully before sinking into the shimmering water. Kakashi shielded his eyes, observing the line's position before adjusting the rod's angle with practiced ease.
After a moment, he cleared the weeds by the bank, filled his bucket halfway with stream water, and finally settled onto a smooth rock, perfectly content.
"The rules are simple."
He held the fishing rod loosely, his voice casual.
"We'll fish together for four hours. No ninjutsu or chakra-based methods allowed—just pure fishing skill. If the total number of fish you three catch together exceeds mine, you pass."
"That's it?"
Naruto blinked. Even Sasuke looked skeptical. They had braced for some insane requirement—like catching a hundred fish—but this seemed too easy.
Sure, they couldn't use ninja tricks, but with three of them working together, sheer numbers should make up for any lack of skill.
How could the pass rate possibly be zero with rules like this?
"Ah, I wasn't finished—"
Kakashi's gaze drifted to the water, and he fell silent. A moment later, the line twitched, and ripples spread across the surface.
Hikari's eyes sharpened—her Byakugan pierced through the water, spotting a small fish hooked by the lip, struggling uselessly against the barbed metal.
With a flick of his wrist, Kakashi yanked the rod upward. The line went taut, and the fish burst from the water, flailing helplessly in the air before landing neatly in his palm.
"Got one!"
Naruto cheered, momentarily forgetting the test in his excitement. This was his first time seeing someone fish properly, and the novelty overshadowed his nerves.
"Hah. Good start."
Kakashi smirked at Naruto's enthusiasm, unhooking the fish and tossing it into the bucket before re-baiting and casting again.
Within seconds, the line was back in the water, the bait dancing beneath the surface like a living insect.
Another fish—this time a small carp—soon approached, circling cautiously before biting.
Sasuke and Hikari exchanged glances.
They might not know much about fishing, but Kakashi's fluid, effortless motions spoke of serious experience. Beating him wouldn't be as simple as they thought.
"Now, back to the rules. Besides out-fishing me, the person who contributes the least will be eliminated."
"Wait!" Naruto cut in, eyes wide. "That means no matter how many we catch, one of us has to fail?!"
"Correct."
Kakashi snapped his fingers. "At least one fails. Up to all three. Break the rules? Fail. Don't pull your weight? Fail. That's the test."
"That's brutal!" Naruto gritted his teeth, glaring at Kakashi's relaxed posture.
After finally graduating, this stupid fishing test threatened to crush someone's dream before they even started.
If it were about combat or ninjutsu, fine. But fishing? That had nothing to do with being a shinobi!
"Life's full of unfair tests, Naruto. Not everything goes the way you want."
Kakashi sighed, lifting his rod slightly.
Below, the fish hesitated—then greed won out. It swallowed the bait.
Splash!
The hooked fish thrashed wildly before joining its companion in the bucket.
Kakashi recast without missing a beat.
Two fish in the bucket.
Team 7 was already two points behind.
"Calling it 'unfair' is just an excuse for weakness."
Sasuke's voice was calm, but his eyes burned with something fierce as he glanced at Hikari.
Not admiration—something beyond that.
At the same age, faced with life-shattering tragedy—
When the Uchiha were slaughtered, he had been powerless. Broken. But Hikari?
She had killed the Kumo elite jonin who attacked her and emerged as Konoha's strongest genius.
If he'd had her strength that night, everything would've been different.
His parents wouldn't have died. The Uchiha wouldn't have fallen.
All tragedy stems from weakness.
That was the truth he'd learned from her.
So for five years, he'd swallowed his pride, begged Kakashi for training, and pushed himself beyond limits—just to never be weak again.
"If we all catch the same number, and the total beats Kakashi's, we all pass. Right?"
Sasuke smirked as Kakashi's hand paused mid-cast. He'd found the loophole.
"And what if that gets you all disqualified?"
Kakashi's tone was icy.
"You're gambling a year of your lives on a maybe."
He tapped a timer.
"Three hours, fifty-four minutes left."
Then he pulled out Icha Icha Paradise and started reading.
"Damn it!"
Sasuke's face twisted into the same frustration as Naruto's.
He glanced at Hikari. To keep their counts equal, someone would have to hold back—maybe him, maybe her.
And if his plan backfired, they'd all waste a year.
Splash!
A red koi soared through the air, landing in Kakashi's bucket.
Naruto and Sasuke paled.
Hikari, though, just nodded.
"We do it Sasuke's way. Same number for all. We pass together—or fail together."
"Yeah!"
Naruto and Sasuke grinned. If someone had to fail, they'd rather all go down fighting.
They grabbed their rods and got to work.
Kakashi's eye crinkled—just slightly—before returning to his book.
Hikari caught it.
She understood now.
This wasn't about fishing. It was the Bell Test in disguise—teamwork and sacrifice.
He'd just skipped the "getting jumped by three overpowered genin" part.
In the original test, the fight was Kakashi's way of gauging their skills.
Now?
He was avoiding a beatdown.
If they stuck to the plan—equal catches, no infighting—they'd pass no matter the numbers.
Hikari decided not to cheat with ninjutsu.
After a few clumsy casts (and accidentally shattering some rocks with the hook), she mimicked Kakashi's technique perfectly, thanks to her Byakugan and muscle control.
Sasuke was even faster.
His Sharingan copied Kakashi's movements flawlessly, his rod bobbing in perfect sync.
Within minutes, they each had a fish.
Naruto, though?
Struggling.
His casts were wild, his bait kept falling off, and his growing panic wasn't helping.
If he couldn't contribute, Hikari and Sasuke would have to wait for him, risking a loss.
"Use your wrist, not your arm. And don't just thread the worm—fold it like this."
Sasuke demonstrated, surprisingly patient.
"Your bait's too loose. Here, skewer it in three sections, like a skewer."
Hikari adjusted his hook, showing him step-by-step.
Naruto's eyes shimmered.
"D-Don't get the wrong idea! I just hate letting Kakashi win!" Sasuke looked away, cheeks pink.
Textbook tsundere. Hikari held back a laugh.
Without Sakura as a wedge, Naruto and Sasuke's relationship had mellowed. Rivals, friends, even family after years of shared New Year's celebrations—they were closer than in the original timeline.
With their help, Naruto soon landed his first catch—a massive koi, dwarfing theirs combined.
(They pretended not to be salty. Size didn't count, after all.)
Hours passed.
The sun dipped low, painting the stream in crimson.
"Time's up."
Kakashi stretched, eyeing the three buckets.
"Congratulations. You all pass."
"Huh?!"
Naruto and Sasuke blinked, then scowled at his casual tone. "You didn't even check!"
"Didn't need to."
Kakashi's voice softened. "If you chose equality over victory, you'd have passed no matter what. A shinobi who doesn't abandon comrades… is worthy."
Naruto and Sasuke froze, realization dawning.
Hikari just smiled.
Of course. This was the real test—the same as always.
The ghosts of Sakumo, Obito, and Rin still shaped Kakashi's ideals.
"But there's a second lesson."
Kakashi gazed at the three—bathed in golden light—and sighed.
"While waiting for Hikari earlier, I saw you two still training. Not just today—every day for five years."
His eye narrowed.
"Effort matters. But a bowstring stretched too long snaps."
He tapped his book.
"Chase your dreams 300 days a year. The rest? Do something pointless. Balance is everything."
Naruto, Sasuke, and Hikari exchanged glances—then smirked.
"So… that's why you read porn?"
"It's literature!" Kakashi's composure cracked.
"I peeked! It's definitely porn!" Naruto crowed.
"Did you get all this 'wisdom' from Icha Icha?" Sasuke deadpanned.
Hikari—who'd never read it—just watched Kakashi's meltdown with amusement.
"Art isn't porn!"
His flustered protests only made them laugh harder, the training ground alive with warmth.
For the first time in years…
Team 7 felt whole.