Chapter 4: The Bells
Of the twenty-four graduates from the Ninja Academy, only nine would become Genin. The rest would be sent back to repeat their training. The Survival Exercise wasn't just a test—it was a brutal culling with a 66% failure rate. The graduation exam had already filtered out those without raw potential, but this exercise determined who truly deserved the title of Genin.
Kakashi laid out the rules with his usual nonchalance, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "Bring your ninja tools. Meet at 5 AM tomorrow. Oh, and one more thing—skip breakfast. Unless you want to puke."
Naruto and Sakura froze, their eyes wide with alarm. Sasuke's expression darkened, his usual stoicism giving way to a flicker of irritation. Renji, armed with his omniscient perspective from watching Naruto countless times, remained unfazed. Skip breakfast? Yeah, right. He'd not only eat a full meal but also pack snacks for the road.
After the meeting, the team dispersed. Sakura headed home to her family's dinner table. Sasuke, ever the loner, scoffed at the idea of joining the others and walked off. Naruto and Renji, both orphans, ended up at Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto, with his boundless enthusiasm, insisted on paying for both their bowls. Renji, slurping down noodles, realized too late he had no money.
Damn, forgot to ask Danzo for cash, he thought, mentally kicking himself.
When Naruto invited him to crash at his place, Renji politely declined. "Thanks, Naruto, but I've got something to handle." Money was more pressing than bonding right now.
After parting ways, Renji leaped onto a rooftop, his movements swift and precise. A few bounds later, he stood at the entrance to ROOT's hidden base. The moment he stepped inside, a masked operative escorted him to Danzo.
Renji didn't waste time. "Uzumaki Naruto's dream is to become Hokage. Uchiha Sasuke wants to revive his clan and kill Uchiha Itachi. Sakura Haruno's dream is to marry Sasuke. Their goals are pretty straightforward."
He recited the intel with practiced ease, knowing Danzo had already provided him with detailed files on Naruto and Sasuke. Mentioning Itachi's name was no slip-up—it was calculated.
Danzo's cold gaze fixed on him. "Sakura Haruno is irrelevant. No need to report on her."
His tone was sharp, dismissing the civilian girl as beneath his notice. "And no daily reports from now on. It'll raise suspicion, even in a fool."
Renji nodded, suppressing a smirk. Even a pig would get suspicious, huh? Danzo clearly didn't think him that dense, which meant his return had piqued the old man's curiosity.
Renji extended his hand, palm up. "I'm short on cash, Lord Danzo."
Danzo's eye twitched. "…"
He glanced at Owl, the cat-masked operative behind him. Without a word, she pulled out a bulging money pouch and handed it to Renji. He weighed it in his hand—heavy. Danzo didn't skimp when it came to funds.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +50]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +50]
[Chakra (7800/100,000,000)]
Renji paused, glancing between Danzo and Owl. Where'd that come from? Owl's tight grip on the pouch and the faint scowl in her eyes gave her away. Yup, she's pissed about the money.
Satisfied with his haul, Renji left to find his old room in the base, collapsing onto the bed for a long rest.
…
The next morning, at 5:00 AM, the sky was a deep purple, mist clinging to the ground. Three figures gathered at the training field, bleary-eyed and yawning.
"Good morning," Sakura mumbled, rubbing her eyes, her voice thick with sleep.
"Morning," Naruto slurred, groping his way forward with his eyes half-closed.
Sasuke, though visibly tired, held himself with more composure, his fatigue showing only in the slight slump of his shoulders.
Naruto blinked, scanning the area. "Where's Renji?"
Sasuke's voice was cold. "Probably overslept."
"Huh?!" Sakura snapped awake, panic creeping in. "What? Kakashi-sensei wouldn't fail him just for being late, would he?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "A ninja who can't even be punctual doesn't deserve to be one."
Sakura frowned, finding his words harsh. Naruto stomped his foot, frantic. "No way! We gotta go wake him up!"
Sakura's quiet reply stopped him cold. "Do you even know where Renji lives?"
Naruto's shoulders sagged. None of them did.
Five hours later, the sun blazed overhead, the mist long gone. Sakura and Naruto slumped on the ground, dozing off. Sasuke stood with his arms crossed, his pose somewhere between cool and brooding.
"Good morning, everyone!" Renji's cheerful voice cut through the silence. He strolled in, radiating energy after twelve hours of sleep and a hearty breakfast of dango and rice balls.
"Renji!" Naruto shot up, grinning as he slung an arm around Renji's neck. "I thought you bailed! You're so late!"
Renji shrugged, unfazed. "Kakashi sensei is late too, isn't he?"
Naruto's face twisted in outrage. "That bastard Kakashi's five hours late!"
"Oh, good morning, everyone," Kakashi's voice drawled as he appeared in a puff of smoke.
"You're too late!" Naruto and Sakura shouted in unison, their frustration boiling over.
Kakashi coughed, scratching the back of his head. "Well, you see, a black cat crossed my path, and I had to take the long way…"
His gaze landed on Renji, who looked infuriatingly well-rested. Did Danzo tip him off about the exercise? Kakashi wondered. Even knowing the test's true nature wouldn't explain predicting his chronic lateness. Luck? Or something else?
He decided to keep an eye on the kid.
"Alright, let's set the alarm for noon," Kakashi said, pulling out a clock and setting it with a flourish. He dangled three silver bells, their jingle sharp in the morning air.
"Your task is to snatch these from me before the clock strikes twelve. No bell, no lunch. Instead, you'll be tied to those logs over there—" he pointed to three horizontal posts—"watching me eat my bento."
Renji's hand brushed the ninja tool pouch on his thigh, a sly smile tugging at his lips. A true ninja's always prepared. He'd packed shuriken, kunai, and even a few explosive tags, ready for anything.
"No wonder he told us not to eat breakfast," Sasuke muttered, his resentment slipping through his usual cool demeanor. Hunger and exhaustion were already fraying their nerves.
Renji's eyes flicked to the bells. "There's only three bells, but four of us."
Kakashi's visible eye curved, though his smile held no warmth. "Exactly. One of you is guaranteed to be tied to the log and fail this test. You'll lose your shot at becoming a Genin and get sent back to the Academy. Or… all of you might fail if you can't snag a single bell."
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke's expressions grew grim, the weight of the stakes sinking in. Renji met Kakashi's gaze and flashed a disarming smile.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Not scared, huh?"
Renji shook his head, spotting a loophole. "I never went to the Academy. Can't be sent back there."
Sakura: "…"
Naruto: "…"
Sasuke: "…"
Kakashi: "…"
Kakashi's mind raced. "Fine. I'll send you back to where you trained." He knew exactly what ROOT was—a place that forged tools, not ninjas. A twelve-year-old raised in that darkness was no ordinary kid, and Renji's carefree attitude only deepened Kakashi's suspicions.
Renji shrugged, his confidence unshaken. Danzo would pull strings to keep him in play, no matter what. He was, after all, ROOT's privileged pawn.
"Oh, by the way, Renji, where do you live?" Naruto asked, recalling their earlier panic.
"ROOT," Renji said bluntly, no hesitation.
Kakashi nearly tripped. He just… said it?
"ROOT? What's that? Sounds weird," Naruto said, scratching his head.
Sakura elbowed him. "Don't talk about his home like that! It's rude!"
Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Right, my bad!"
Kakashi's eye narrowed. This kid's an enigma.
"Enough chit-chat," Kakashi said, cutting through the banter. "You can use shuriken, kunai, whatever you've got. But without the intent to kill, you'll never get these bells. Ready… start!"
At his words, Sasuke and Sakura vanished, slipping into concealed positions with practiced ease. Kakashi nodded approvingly. "Good. They're hiding well."
Except for two.
Naruto stood in the open, arms crossed, shouting, "Come on! Let's have a fair fight, dattebayo!"
Renji stepped back, leaving the field to Naruto. I'm not hiding. Not yet. His plan was simple: observe Kakashi's combat style. For someone with Mahito's learning speed, fighting a Jonin like Kakashi was a goldmine of experience. Naruto, though, was a liability. Let him take the heat first.
Naruto charged, all bravado and no strategy. Kakashi barely moved, his stance relaxed but ready.
Renji watched closely. This'll be quick.
It was. Kakashi's movements were a blur, effortlessly countering Naruto's wild swings. Then, with a mischievous glint in his eye, Kakashi crouched.
"One Thousand Years of Death!"
"AHH!" Naruto yelped, launched into the air by Kakashi's infamous finger-poke technique. He splashed into the river nearby, flailing.
Renji winced. Never letting those fingers near me.
Naruto, undeterred, scrambled out of the water and activated his signature move. "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A dozen Narutos appeared, but chaos ensued. The clones started brawling among themselves, tripping and punching each other. A minute later, Naruto dispelled the jutsu, bruised and swollen from his own clones' attacks.
Renji facepalmed. Classic Naruto. What was I expecting?
Naruto's eyes locked onto a bell lying under a tree. "There!" He sprinted toward it, oblivious to the obvious trap.
"Wait!" Renji called, but Naruto didn't stop. In a flash, he was snared, dangling upside-down from a rope.
Renji sighed. He was at a loss for words.
Naruto bounced like a trapped insect, cursing. Kakashi hopped down from the tree, reattaching the bell to his waist with a grin. He turned to Renji. "What, not gonna charge in like that idiot?"
Naruto shouted, "You're the idiot, dattebayo!"
Renji and Kakashi ignored him. An idiot claiming otherwise? Not convincing.
Renji met Kakashi's expectant gaze and nodded. "Alright, I'll charge like Naruto!"
His figure blurred, darting toward Kakashi with surprising speed.
Naruto: "…"
Sakura, from her hiding spot: "…"
Sasuke, watching silently: "…"
Kakashi: "…"
What's this kid's deal? Kakashi thought, caught off guard. Why's he following orders so eagerly?
As their fists met, Kakashi's eyebrow rose. Renji's taijutsu was leagues above Naruto's—fluid, precise, and far too polished for a kid his age. ROOT's work, huh?
Kakashi tucked his book into his pouch, deciding to take this seriously. Renji wasn't just some Academy brat; he fought like a seasoned operative. But Kakashi was a war-hardened Jonin. With a swift kick, he sent Renji flying.
Renji twisted mid-air, landing lightly on his feet. The pain in his chest faded instantly, his cursed spirit physique shrugging off the blow. Mahito's body is insane.
He lunged again, smarter this time. No reckless charges. His movements were snake-like, weaving around Kakashi with agility, exploiting his smaller frame. His tiny fists carried the force of a tiger, striking with precision and power.
Kakashi parried, his eye narrowing. This kid's learning as he fights. Renji's speed and adaptability were uncanny, his attacks growing sharper with every exchange. For the first time, Kakashi felt a flicker of intrigue. Danzo's trained him well… maybe too well.