Answer

"The bells are still out of reach," Naruto said quietly.

The three of them hid in a patch of woodland, using tall bushes for cover. The surroundings were deathly quiet, and Kakashi seemed to have remained in that grassy clearing, waiting for them all along.

"Kakashi-sensei is too strong. We're no match for him," Sakura sighed. The sight of Kakashi forming hand seals was still vivid in her mind.

His hands had moved so fast they nearly left multiple afterimages. Maybe he formed two seals per second—no, perhaps three or four?

"His hand seal speed is terrifying. It's practically inhuman."

At that, Sasuke's face turned grave, while Naruto remained calm. Of course Kakashi's hand seal speed was fast. He hadn't earned the title of the ninja world's number one technician for nothing.

He was the first person in Konohagakure after the Third Hokage to possess every chakra nature, a copycat monster who knew over a thousand ninjutsu.

Though Kakashi was not as powerful as the Third Hokage, he undeniably deserved the title of genius.

"We have to work together, or we have no chance of winning," Sasuke said expressionlessly. "I'll lead the assault. Sakura will interfere. Naruto will take the bells."

"Wait, I..." Sakura panicked slightly. "I can't do it. My Genjutsu against Kakashi-sensei..."

"This is our only chance," Sasuke said in a low voice.

"I..." Sakura lowered her head.

At that moment, Naruto patted Sakura on the shoulder and comforted her.

"Sakura, we'll buy you time. Seize the chance to use Genjutsu on Kakashi-sensei. We're leaving our backs to you, so believe in yourself."

After hesitating for a moment, Sakura finally gritted her teeth and agreed.

The ninja world was cruel by nature. You either could do it, or you couldn't. Naruto realized that neither Sasuke nor Sakura had personalities as exaggerated as they were portrayed in the manga.

They were simply normal. Sakura was not that lovestruck, and Sasuke was not that cold and arrogant. They were both outstanding members of the new generation, and overall, they were decent people.

Perhaps it also had something to do with the strength Naruto had displayed. In any case, for now, a healthy kind of pressure had formed among the three of them.

Combined with the information Naruto had shared earlier and their tacit cooperation just now, Team Seven had already developed excellent teamwork before it was even officially formed.

There was no friction, no arrogance—only the conviction to work together.

The blazing sun hung high overhead. The grassy clearing.

Kakashi leaned leisurely against a wooden post, his eyes moving back and forth across Make-Out Paradise. He seemed to have no guard up against anything around him.

Wind swept through the woods, and Kakashi stopped turning the pages. Two sharp whistles cut through the air from the forest, shattering the quiet of the clearing.

Shuriken came flying in, their reflected light flashing twice beneath the blazing sun. Their target was Kakashi beside the wooden post.

Two dull thuds rang out. As expected, the Shuriken missed and buried themselves deeply in the post. Kakashi had already leaped away, but before his feet could touch the ground, Sasuke suddenly rushed out from his flank.

Wasn't Sasuke the one who threw those Shuriken just now? Kakashi thought silently.

That made sense. According to the information provided by the Third Hokage, Sasuke had the best Shuriken scores among the three. Kakashi had instinctively assumed that the Shuriken had been thrown by Sasuke.

"The throwing power was tremendous. It couldn't have been Sakura, so it was Naruto," Kakashi murmured. "Not bad. Unexpectedly so."

While Kakashi was still in the air, Sasuke formed hand seals with both hands the instant he charged out. Kakashi also noticed Sasuke's surprise attack and glanced at his hands.

"The Snake seal? Fire Release?"

Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger. Five hand seals flew into place, and the Great Fireball Technique took shape. Roaring flames instantly surged toward Kakashi like a tidal wave, forcing him to evade again.

But the moment he moved, Kakashi immediately sensed that something was wrong. Though he had avoided the flames, his body seemed to be moving far more slowly.

Genjutsu?

He did not dispel it immediately. Instead, he looked in one direction, where Sakura was struggling to maintain the Genjutsu hand seal.

In an instant, Kakashi seemed to understand something. But before he could lower his head, two bell chimes suddenly rang beside his ear.

With a bang, white smoke filled the air. Through the blurred haze, a gust of wind swept past, and Kakashi felt his waist suddenly lighten. When the smoke cleared, Naruto was already holding the bells in his hand.

Seeing that Naruto had succeeded, the other two finally let out sighs of relief and slowly approached.

Seeing this, Kakashi also stopped moving.

Even though he had gone easy on them by an ocean's worth, the fact remained that they had taken the bells.

"Congratulations. You successfully took the bells," Kakashi said with narrowed eyes and a smile. "And by the way, among all the freshly graduated genin I've seen, you are the team with the best coordination."

The three of them smiled at those words. Sakura, in particular, let out a breath, and some of the worry on her face faded.

But the next second, Kakashi abruptly changed his tone, his voice becoming serious.

"You only have two bells, so only two of you can pass. Or perhaps only one."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sasuke and Sakura both turned their eyes toward Naruto, who held the two bells.

"You can give one bell to someone else, or choose not to. Hmm, if I train you alone, you'll probably be able to learn more from me."

"I am a Jonin, after all. Once you exclude the time I spend on missions, I do not have much spare time to teach disciples."

"Teaching two people is ultimately not as good as teaching one. It would also make things easier for me."

Kakashi's words immediately made Sakura and Sasuke, neither of whom held a bell, tense up. They looked at Naruto anxiously.

Kakashi's offer was simply too tempting. Sasuke and Sakura both understood that Naruto was the strongest among the three of them.

If Naruto chose to keep the bells for himself, they would have nothing to say. They might still resent it, but...

Sakura's heart sank completely. It was as though her heart had fallen into an icy abyss.

There were only two bells. Even if Naruto was willing to give one away, he probably would not give it to her. Who would need a teammate who could not help with anything?

"Well?" Kakashi asked Naruto with a smile in his eyes, arms folded. "Have you decided?"

"There's nothing to think about." Naruto raised the bells in his hand.

Sasuke and Sakura's expressions both froze. So it was going to be like that after all? If he received a Jonin's guidance alone, he would improve faster.

The smile in Kakashi's eyes deepened, and he lowered his folded arms. Just as he was about to speak, Naruto spoke again.

"I'm already this strong. I don't need any guidance at all!"

"What?" Sasuke was slightly stunned.

Sakura held her breath and stared at Naruto with disbelief.

As he spoke, Naruto flicked both bells behind him. As if they had eyes, the bells drifted down like fallen leaves into Sasuke and Sakura's hands.

"Guidance from a Jonin and all that." Naruto picked at his ear and flashed a brilliant smile beneath the sunlight. "This great man doesn't need it at all!"