"We still haven't got the bells," Naruto said quietly.
The three hid in a patch of forest, using tall shrubs as cover. All around was silent. Kakashi seemed to be waiting for them out in the meadow.
"Kakashi-sensei is too strong. We're no match for him," Sakura sighed. The image of his hand seals was still vivid in her mind.
Those seals were so fast they left multiple afterimages. Two per second? No, more like three or four.
"His sealing speed is terrifying. It's inhuman."
Hearing that, Sasuke's face grew grave, while Naruto stayed calm. Of course Kakashi's seals were fast. He did not earn the title of the number one technician in the ninja world for nothing.
After the Third Hokage, he was Konoha's first all-nature chakra user, a copy ninja who had mastered over a thousand jutsu.
He was not as powerful as the Third, but the word genius fit him perfectly.
"We have to attack together, or we have no chance," Sasuke said flatly. "I'll go in hard, Sakura will disrupt, and Naruto will grab the bells."
"Wait, I…" Sakura panicked. "I can't. My genjutsu against Kakashi-sensei…"
"This is our only chance," Sasuke said in a low voice.
"I…" Sakura lowered her head.
Naruto patted her shoulder and reassured her.
"Sakura, we'll buy you time. Seize the moment to cast genjutsu on Kakashi-sensei. Watch our backs. Believe in yourself."
After a brief hesitation, Sakura bit down and answered okay.
The ninja world was cruel. You could or you could not. Naruto found that neither Sasuke nor Sakura had personalities as exaggerated as in the manga.
They were just normal. Sakura was not that boy-crazy, and Sasuke was not that aloof. They were standouts of their generation, and overall their character was decent.
Maybe it also had to do with the strength Naruto had shown. For now, a healthy pressure had formed among the three.
With Naruto's earlier intel sharing and their tacit teamwork just now, Team Seven had not even officially formed, yet they already had good chemistry.
No resentment, no arrogance, only a belief in cooperation.
Blazing sun, grassy field.
Kakashi leaned at ease against a wooden post, eyes scanning back and forth across Icha Icha Paradise. He seemed completely unguarded against his surroundings.
A breeze threaded through the woods. Kakashi paused his page-turning. The hiss of air split the silence as two sharp whistles flew in from the trees, breaking the calm of the meadow.
Shuriken came slicing in, the reflected light flashing twice under the sun, aimed straight at Kakashi beside the post.
Thud, thud. They missed as expected, biting into the post. Kakashi had already leapt aside, but before his feet touched down, Sasuke burst from his flank.
"Wasn't it Sasuke who threw the shuriken just now?" Kakashi wondered to himself.
It made sense. In the Third's files, Sasuke had the best marks in shurikenjutsu among the three, which made Kakashi assume those had been Sasuke's throws.
"The throws had great force. Impossible for Sakura, so that leaves Naruto," Kakashi murmured. "Surprisingly good."
While Kakashi was still in the air, Sasuke's hands flashed through seals the instant he charged. Kakashi spotted the ambush and glanced at Sasuke's hands.
"The Snake sign? Fire Style?"
Snake–Ram–Monkey–Boar–Horse–Tiger. The five seals flew, forming the Great Fireball Technique. A surging blaze roared toward Kakashi, forcing him to evade again.
But as he moved, something felt off. Although he dodged, his body seemed sluggish.
Genjutsu?
He did not dispel it immediately. Instead, he looked toward one side. Sakura was struggling to maintain her genjutsu seals.
Suddenly, Kakashi seemed to understand. Before he could lower his head, the jingle of bells rang twice by his ear.
With a bang, smoke billowed. A gust whipped past in the blur, and Kakashi felt a sudden lightness at his waist. When the smoke cleared, the bells were already pinched in Naruto's hand.
Seeing Naruto succeed, the other two exhaled and moved in slowly.
Kakashi eased as well.
Even if he had let enough water flow to fill the Pacific, the fact remained: they had taken the bells.
"Congratulations. You managed to snatch the bells," Kakashi said with a crescent smile. "By the way, you're the most cooperative group of fresh graduates I've seen."
All three smiled. Sakura especially let out a breath, her worried face looking better.
But in the next second, Kakashi's tone shifted, turning stern.
"You only have two bells. That means only two of you can pass, or just one."
At that, Sasuke and Sakura both focused on Naruto, who held the two bells.
"You can give one to someone else, or keep them both. If I train you alone, you'll probably learn more from me," Kakashi added.
"I am a jōnin, after all. Aside from missions, I don't have much spare time to teach."
"Teaching two is not as good as teaching one. It would be easier for me too."
Kakashi's words made the bell-less Sakura and Sasuke tense up. Both looked nervously at Naruto.
It was a tempting offer. Both Sakura and Sasuke knew Naruto was the strongest of the three.
If he chose to keep a bell for himself, they would have no grounds to complain. They would resent it, but…
Sakura's heart went cold. It felt like sinking into an ice cave.
There were only two bells. Even if Naruto gave one up, it probably would not be to her. Who needed a teammate who could not help with anything?
"Well?" Kakashi asked with a smile, arms folded as he looked at Naruto. "Have you decided?"
"There's nothing to think about," Naruto said, raising the bells.
Hearing that, Sasuke and Sakura's faces stiffened. So it was like that after all. Being taught alone by a jōnin would mean faster progress.
Kakashi's smile deepened and he lowered his folded arms. Just as he was about to speak, Naruto spoke again.
"I'm already strong enough. I don't need guidance at all."
"What?" Sasuke froze.
Sakura held her breath, staring at Naruto in disbelief.
Naruto flicked both bells back over his shoulder. They seemed to grow eyes, drifting down like leaves into Sasuke's and Sakura's hands.
"As for a jōnin instructor," Naruto said, picking his ear and flashing a bright grin in the sunlight, "I don't need one at all."
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