Lava Style or Wood Style

In the afternoon, in the classroom.

The three sat listlessly in the classroom, waiting for their Jonin instructor. Naruto, well aware of Kakashi's habit of being late, had already curled up on his desk to sleep.

Sasuke sat by the window, his knuckles interlaced on the desk, his gaze drifting over the lush treetops outside.

Sakura stared down at her desk, looking a little dejected.

Although she had received comfort from her companions earlier, whenever the surroundings fell quiet, she couldn't help but feel a sense of confusion.

After an unknown amount of time, the classroom door finally creaked open.

Team Seven's Jonin instructor arrived fashionably late. The moment he stepped into the classroom, a lazy voice rang out.

"Yo, sorry, sorry, I accidentally got delayed."

"I am your Jonin instructor, Kakashi Hatake."

The Jonin who called himself Kakashi looked young, perhaps in his early twenties. His silver hair, like chives in dry soil, stood on end. He wore a black mask, and his forehead protector slanted across one eye.

He was dressed in a black combat suit, with a green Jonin flak jacket over it. As he spoke, his eyes curved into crescent moons.

Naruto was already awake when he heard the voice.

The three of them turned to look at Kakashi in unison, their gazes complex.

"Teacher, you're too slow!" Naruto complained, taking the lead.

"Well, it's because I was helping an old lady cross the street, so..." Kakashi scratched his head, offering an utterly ridiculous excuse.

"Liar!" Sakura exclaimed.

Kakashi looked a bit embarrassed and forced a laugh, trying to change the subject.

"Anyway, follow me. We'll talk somewhere else."

As he finished speaking, the three of them scrambled to their feet and followed Kakashi out of the classroom. During this time, all three maintained a tacit silence.

Kakashi had previously obtained some information about the three from the Third Hokage: one was a survivor of the Uchiha clan massacre, and the other was a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Naruto Uzumaki, huh?

Things won't be easy from now on.

Kakashi walked ahead, a slight headache forming.

The actions of this village's higher-ups were truly incomprehensible. Making such a decision, and now expecting him to train these two children into ninja.

With a sigh in his heart, Kakashi took a deep breath and pulled himself together.

The next day, before dawn.

Sakura, dressed in casual clothes, emerged from an alley and paused for a moment in the bright lamplight, seemingly trying to get her bearings.

"Over here!" Naruto waved at Sakura.

She waved back, a smile appearing on her face.

As Sakura approached, she realized Naruto was standing at the entrance of a small eatery. The last time they shared information, it was at a barbecue restaurant, and now it was another small dining spot.

"Didn't the teacher say not to eat breakfast?"

"He said it's best not to, you'll throw up," Naruto said nonchalantly. "Eat up, it's fine. It's better to throw up than to go hungry."

Sakura hesitated for a moment. Just as she was about to refuse, she saw that both Naruto and Sasuke had ordered. So, she inexplicably nodded and sat down.

After breakfast, the three of them rushed to the agreed-upon location to wait.

They waited for several hours until the sun was high in the sky, blazing down. Kakashi finally arrived, fashionably late.

"Uh... there was a little lost girl on the way." Kakashi grinned shamelessly, showing no awareness of his lateness.

"Really, Teacher Kakashi, that's too much!"

"Yeah! Such a perfunctory excuse."

"Tch."

All three had eaten breakfast, and they offered their customary complaints with unspoken understanding. This somewhat surprised Kakashi, who thought they didn't look like they had just eaten.

His objective not having been met, Kakashi didn't dwell on it. He pulled out two bells from his pocket and dangled them in front of the three.

"Well, first, let me tell you the rules of the test."

"I only have two bells. Only those who manage to grab a bell before noon will qualify to become ninja. In other words, one of you will be eliminated."

"Eliminated?" Sakura immediately became nervous. "Teacher Kakashi, what happens to the person who is eliminated?"

"Hehehe!" Kakashi's eyes curved into crescents. "Unfortunately, being eliminated means failing the assessment and not possessing the qualifications to become a ninja. You'll also be tied to a log until sunset."

"If no one manages to grab a bell, then all of you will be sent back to the drawing board."

"During this time, you can use any means necessary. Don't worry about hurting me; with your current abilities, it's like dreaming."

Saying that, Kakashi paused and reattached the bells to his waist.

"Is that clear enough for you all now?"

The three remained silent, and Sakura's face turned pale.

Was this a practical exercise? Her strengths lay in theoretical and intelligence analysis, while practical combat was her weakness. It would be difficult not to just approach a Jonin, let alone snatch bells from Kakashi.

If one person had to be eliminated, it would undoubtedly be...

Naruto stood to the side with no expression. After the barbecue restaurant yesterday, he hadn't shared any more intelligence. Some things were difficult to articulate, and there was no need to spoil too much.

The original intention of snatching the bells was to test the three's sense of cooperation, but after yesterday's conversation, their relationships had already become much closer.

However, when faced with a choice, Naruto wasn't sure.

Precisely because of this, he didn't continue sharing intelligence and chose to remain silent. He wanted them to take fewer detours, but he didn't intend to walk the path for them.

Moreover, Naruto also wanted to see their attitudes when faced with such a choice.

Suddenly, the familiar mechanical synthesis sounded in his mind again.

[Option One: Use all your strength to snatch the bells, then give the snatched bells to Sakura and Sasuke. Reward: Lava Style Ninjutsu]

[Option Two: Do nothing, lie flat in front of Kakashi, and obediently be tied to the log. Reward: Wood Style Ninjutsu]

Looking at the panel that popped up, Naruto almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

Wood Style Ninjutsu and Lava Style Ninjutsu?

Holy crap!

Two gold rewards at the same time?

How could he choose? The Four-Tails' Lava Style was incredibly powerful. If he really got Lava Style, if he really got Lava Style...

He was still afraid of the heaven-defying Water Release.

But even if he chose Wood Style, although rare, it would be unlikely to wield its abilities like the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

This time, the system didn't specify the mastery level of Wood Style. It was probably just an introductory level of Wood Style chakra nature.

If he chose Lava Style, he could also show off his teamwork to Sakura and the other. But snatching the bells wasn't a simple task, and failure was highly likely.

However, if he lay flat, only Sasuke would be left to face Kakashi, and the possibility of them getting the bells would be extremely slim.

While he hesitated, Kakashi had already announced the start of the exam.

Almost as soon as the words fell, with two whooshing sounds, Sasuke and Sakura immediately disappeared from their spots, leaving Naruto standing there in a daze.