There was not much to say about Kakashi's meeting with Team Seven. In truth, it was the same whenever any Konoha ninja graduated.
There was the usual self-introduction and a preliminary understanding of one another. Although Kakashi had already learned quite a bit about Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke beforehand, to the three of them, Kakashi was at least still a stranger.
Under the name of a survival exercise, Kakashi began Konoha's traditional activity—bell-grabbing!
No one knew when this activity had started. At the very least, it had not existed in the days of the First and Second Hokage. But there was no need to dwell on such details now. In any case, it was a traditional Konoha graduation ritual designed to screw people over, and countless people had fallen victim to it.
"Remember to gather at the training ground at five tomorrow morning. Don't eat breakfast. After the exercise, I'll determine whether you can become ninja. I hope our teacher-student relationship won't last only one day. See you tomorrow." As Kakashi spoke, he suddenly flipped backward off the railing.
Sakura hurried over to look, then raised her head. "He's gone."
Naruto Uzumaki stood up and curled his lip. "What a show-off. Are all Jonin this bad-tempered?"
Sasuke had already risen and was walking off into the distance.
Early the next morning, three figures arrived at the training ground as promised. The sky was faintly beginning to brighten, and most people were still lost in dreams. Naruto Uzumaki yawned, while Sakura looked half-asleep. Only Sasuke wore his usual expression, as though it would never change no matter when it was.
Second by second, time passed. The sun in the east rose higher and higher, yet Kakashi still did not appear.
He didn't trick us, did he...?
The thought surfaced involuntarily