Kakashi Hatake slowly turned a page, his visible eye calmly scanning the words in his book. "As for my first impression of you three," he drawled, not looking up, "I find you quite annoying."
Naruto's temper flared, but Hinata quickly placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "Naruto-kun, he's right. It was wrong of us to not wait quietly for our teacher." Naruto knew she was right, but he already had a bad first impression of Kakashi Hatake.
Kakashi closed his book, yawned, and let his sleepy eyes drift over the three of them. "Well, since you want to become my students, let's get to know each other. You three, tell me what you like, what you dislike, and what your future goals are."
It was a standard procedure. Naruto was the first to stand up confidently. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen, especially the Ichiraku ramen Iruka-sensei treats me to! What I hate is waiting the three minutes for the ramen to cook! As for my dream, I'm definitely going to become Hokage, surpass all the previous Hokage, and make everyone in the village acknowledge my existence!"
Kakashi's eye widened slightly. *The Hokage...* he thought. "A very nice dream. And you're a very motivated young man."
Naruto laughed heartily. "Of course!"
Kakashi looked at Sasuke. "And you?"
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke," he replied coldly. "I don't particularly like anything, and I dislike many things. I don't have dreams, but I do have an ambition. I will revive my clan and... kill a certain man." Sasuke's icy tone sent a chill down Naruto and Hinata's spines.
*Sasuke really does have a dark past,* Naruto thought.
Kakashi's reaction, however, remained indifferent. "I see. And the last one?"
Hinata quickly replied, "I-I'm Hinata Hyuga. My hobby is pressing flowers... and I don't really dislike anything. My dream is to become a strong ninja who can stand on her own and fight alongside her comrades."
Kakashi nodded. "Very good. We've gotten to know each other, but this is just the beginning. Let's go. Follow me to the training grounds to begin the Genin Examination Trial."
"A Genin Trial? What's that?" Naruto asked, confused.
"Well, to put it simply," Kakashi said, "if you pass, you'll officially become my students and members of Team 7. If you fail... you'll all be deemed unqualified and sent back to the Ninja Academy for another year."
In an instant, not only Naruto's, but also Hinata's and Sasuke's expressions changed dramatically. "Sent back to the academy?!" This was something none of them had ever heard of. But Naruto suddenly remembered what Might Guy had told him.
"Aaaaah!" he cried out, covering his head. "I remember now! Might Guy-sensei said you're the one who sends all his students back to the academy every single year!"
Hinata and Sasuke were even more shocked. *Every year?!*
Kakashi frowned slightly. "Might Guy... That man talks too much. However, he is absolutely right. To date, no one has successfully passed my test."
All three of them were dumbfounded. But Naruto's confidence didn't waver. "Then let me, Uzumaki Naruto, be the first person to pass! I'll never fail before I become Hokage!"
"Naruto-kun... you're right," Hinata whispered, her own resolve hardening. Sasuke just snorted.
Kakashi's visible eye curved into a smile. "Alright, very energetic. Let's get started. The task for the assessment is... to grab these bells."
At the Konoha training ground, a gust of autumn wind blew past, carrying a hint of a chill. Kakashi sat lazily on a wooden post, facing his three prospective students.
"Well, as I just said, the task is simple: grab a bell." He shook the two bells at his waist, their jingling sound cutting through the quiet air. "If you can snatch a bell from me, you'll have passed. The time limit is until the end of the day."
Naruto scratched his head. "Huh? It's that simple?!" Although Sasuke and Hinata said nothing, they seemed to agree.
Kakashi smiled slightly. "That's right. It's that simple. That being said, don't underestimate me. I am, after all, an elite Jonin of Konoha Village. As for the three of you, while I've heard you have excellent grades and are quite strong, trying to take a bell from me won't be an easy task."
Naruto laughed, cracking his knuckles, his face a mask of pure fighting spirit. "Kakashi-sensei, you're the one who's underestimating us! I, Naruto Uzumaki, am the genius who graduated first in his class! Hinata is the third strongest! And this jerk Sasuke... he's alright, I guess!"
Hinata blushed at Naruto's praise. Sasuke, however, was furious. "You damn loser, who are you calling just 'alright'?!"
"Wasn't that a compliment?!" Naruto retorted. "It's a rare occasion! You should appreciate it!"
"That was a compliment?!" The two of them were instantly at each other's throats again.
Kakashi sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Hey, you two... If this continues, all three of you 'genius ninja' will be heading right back to the academy. The clock is ticking."
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a look, then both snorted and turned away.
Hinata quickly tried to smooth things over. "Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, Kakashi-sensei is right. We must work together to overcome this challenge."
"I don't need to cooperate with him!" Naruto scoffed. "I can snatch the bell all by myself!"
"I should be the one saying that, you loser," Sasuke replied indifferently.
Kakashi's eye curved into a crescent again. "Then by all means, give it a try."
Before he could even finish his sentence, Naruto was already charging forward with a roar.
Kakashi frowned slightly. *He's coming straight at me?* He shook his head, not even bothering to put down his *Make-Out Paradise* book, preparing to casually deal with the attack.
However...
"Konoha Cyclone!"
*BOOM!*
Naruto roared, unleashing a burst of violent taijutsu. Like a rampaging beast, his right leg slammed down toward Kakashi with incredible force.
"What?!" Kakashi was taken aback. *This is... Guy's...* He knew Might Guy had taught Naruto, but he never expected this level of skill. In an instant, he was forced to drop his book and cross his arms to block the attack. The force of the kick still sent him sliding backward a step. *This kid... his physical strength is incredible.*
But Kakashi was not to be outdone. His strength as an elite Jonin was not to be underestimated. He immediately launched a counterattack, forcing Naruto's leg back and kicking out with an equally powerful strike.