Chapter 11: The Bell Test
Hinata nodded softly, a thread of reluctance winding through her heart as they reached the imposing gates of the Hyuga compound.
Naruto stopped. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Hinata turned back, her mouth opening as if to speak, the memory of that sinister red chakra clawing at her thoughts. But looking into his calm, blue eyes, the words died on her lips. Instead, she did something that made her own heart stutter. She took a small step forward, looked directly at him, and offered a gentle, genuine smile—the first she'd ever dared to give him so openly. "Goodbye, Naruto-kun." It was a promise. No matter what you hold inside, I will not look away.
He returned her smile, a warm, uncomplicated one. "See you." He turned and walked away, a hand raised in farewell.
Hinata watched until the last flicker of his blond hair vanished around a distant corner. Only then did she sigh, a soft sound lost in the evening breeze, and slipped through her family's gate.
In the deep shadows of a Hyuga courtyard wall, a pair of all-seeing white pupils observed the exchange. As Hinata disappeared inside, the watcher—a figure of rigid posture and stern demeanor—melted silently back into the compound's disciplined silence.
Exhausted in body and spirit, Naruto collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. He woke to sunlight streaming through his window. A glance at the clock showed it was well past nine.
The test. A flicker of alarm was quickly quashed by reason. Kakashi. He won't be on time. He might not even be there at all yet.
Moving with deliberate calm, he washed up, bought a simple breakfast from a street vendor, and began a leisurely walk toward Training Ground 23, eating as he went.
In the sun-drenched field, Sasuke and Sakura were monuments to mounting frustration. They'd been seated on the dew-damp grass since before six, their patience eroded by the crawling hours.
When Naruto's unhurried figure finally appeared, Sakura sprang up, her pent-up irritation finding a target. "Naruto! You're late! Kakashi-sensei said six o'clock! It's nearly ten! This is unacceptable!"
Naruto took a final bite of his bread, unruffled. "I may be late, but it seems our sensei is later." He gestured to the conspicuously empty field.
"That's not the point!" Sakura fumed, rubbing her sore legs. "We've been waiting here forever!" Her complaint was less about his tardiness and more a vent for the collective, wasted morning.
Naruto wisely chose not to engage further. His gaze shifted to Sasuke, who was glowering at him. Her eyes held clear displeasure, but the moment they met his placid, smiling face, she made a sharp "Hn" sound and looked away, as if his very composure was an insult.
At that moment, a puff of smoke announced Kakashi's arrival. "Yo. Sorry I'm late. A little black cat crossed my path…"
The wave of collective disbelief and exasperation was almost tangible.
"Enough," Kakashi said, cutting off Sakura's inevitable outburst with a raised hand. His lone eye swept over them, the lazy demeanor replaced by a sudden, serious gravity. "Listen carefully. This test is a prerequisite for becoming genin under my command. Fail, and all three of you return to the Academy."
The trio stiffened.
Kakashi produced two small silver bells from his pouch, letting them chime softly before tying them to his belt. "Your objective is simple: take these two bells from me before noon. Use any means at your disposal. Those who fail to secure a bell fail the test." He paused, letting the implication sink in. Two bells. Three students. "Begin."
The three scattered into the surrounding foliage with practiced haste.
"Hmm. Good concealment," Kakashi murmured to himself, his senses extending to track their chakra signatures. He reopened his orange book, seemingly absorbed. Who will make the first move?
Swish!
A blur of yellow shot from the trees directly at him—a frontal assault. Direct, but reckless.
Kakashi didn't even look up from his book. As Naruto closed in, Kakashi's foot snapped up in a casual, almost dismissive front kick aimed at the boy's stomach.
Thud!
The kick connected solidly. Naruto's body folded around it and was hurled backwards, crashing through some low shrubs.
A fraction of a second later, Kakashi's senses screamed a warning. He spun, his book snapping shut. Another Naruto was already there, having used the initial charge as a distraction. This one's fist was a blur, driving with sharp precision toward Kakashi's temple.
Good. The evaluation was instantaneous. The feint with a Shadow Clone, the timing, the speed of the follow-up—this was not the work of a fumbling novice. This was clean, aggressive taijutsu.
Still, it was a genin against a jonin. Kakashi's free hand came up, his palm intercepting the fist with a soft smack, arresting its momentum completely. He didn't release his grip on the book.
Naruto didn't pause. He used the captured fist as a pivot, his body dropping low before driving a knee up toward Kakashi's ribs. Kakashi shifted his weight a mere inch, letting the attack whistle past. Naruto, overextended, began to fall forward.
In mid-air, he twisted with viper-like agility. A kunai, drawn seemingly from nowhere, flashed in a horizontal arc aimed at Kakashi's exposed neck. It was a fluid, dangerous reversal.
Now Kakashi was forced to act. His book finally tumbled from his hand. The arm that had blocked the punch now shot up, fingers clamping around Naruto's wrist an inch from his throat. His other hand seized the front of Naruto's shirt.
The clone he'd kicked had dispelled in a puff of smoke. This was the real one—the weight, the solidity of the chakra in his grip confirmed it. To salvage a shred of professional pride against this surprising ferocity, Kakashi unconsciously upped his strength to a solid chunin level.
He pivoted and threw.
Naruto sailed through the air, but as he did, he shouted, "Now, Sasuke!"
Thump! He hit a thick tree trunk back-first, the impact jarring a grunt from his lips. He slid down, shaking his head to clear the stars. Definitely feeling that one.
His cry was the signal. From the tall grass to Kakashi's blind side, Sasuke erupted into motion. Her hands had already flown through a sequence of seals with practiced, deadly grace. She took a deep breath, chakra igniting in her chest.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive orb of condensed flame, hotter and denser than any academy student had a right to produce, roared from her mouth, scorching the grass as it hurtled toward the momentarily off-balance Kakashi. The air wavered with intense heat.
Kakashi's lone eye widened slightly behind his hitai-ate. Uchiha flame... impressive control for her age. And Naruto's taijutsu... this isn't a team of dead-lasts. He was already moving, his body a blur as he substituted with a nearby log just before the inferno consumed the spot where he'd stood.
The log was instantly reduced to a charred, smoking stump.
From the ground, Naruto pushed himself up, a sharp, tactical grin on his face. The first phase was over. They had his attention. Now, the real test—the test of their supposed inability to work together—could begin. He caught Sasuke's eye across the field. For a fleeting second, something other than icy disdain flickered in her gaze: a spark of grim satisfaction. They had communicated, however briefly. They had acted, however loosely, in concert.
It was a start.