They had thought Naruto had finally wised up. Who could have imagined this was what he would do?
Luo Mang's pool of water had soaked Kakashi's trouser cuffs earlier. Using a substitution had not removed the water, so when he landed, his wet cuffs instantly dampened the grass.
They had been about to give chase, but Naruto's attack stunned them both. Who shouted at the top of his lungs during a sneak attack?
"Idiot!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes and cursed inwardly again, but still hurled the shuriken in his hand toward Kakashi.
"Clone Technique."
Sakura Haruno quickly formed hand seals and conjured a small clone, holding the kunai the Academy had awarded its top student, its point aimed forward.
"Hah!"
She charged with her kunai in hand. Trying to take on a jonin with such a weak physique was a little foolish.
But throwing the kunai would mean throwing away her only means of attack.
"Aah!"
All of Naruto's shadow clones had now been dispersed. His real body was knocked onto the grass and skidded several meters!
Bam! Smack!
Kakashi tilted his head to dodge Sasuke's shuriken, then swept his right leg across, knocking Sakura Haruno's clone to the ground. It vanished with a puff.
He reached behind his back and caught Sasuke's incoming fist, then countered Sasuke's taijutsu with that same hand!
Luo Mang's eyes lit up at the sight. The Copy Ninja certainly lived up to his name. He was strong enough to handle this many opponents with ease while reading Icha Icha Paradise.
But beating him was not the point. Luo Mang was not arrogant enough to think having a Sharingan would let him defeat an elite jonin. His gaze slowly shifted down toward Kakashi's crotch.
He bent slightly and reached for the ninja tool pouch at his thigh!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
He hurled shuriken at the bells hanging from Kakashi's waist!
Thud! Thud!
Kakashi blocked the shuriken with Icha Icha Paradise. They pierced straight through the book!
In the original story, Kakashi might have flown into a rage. Right now, though, he was only putting on an act, doing his best to look as listless as he originally had so Luo Mang would not notice.
So he felt nothing much when Icha Icha Paradise was destroyed.
Sakura hurried over to Naruto and pulled him up.
"Damn it!"
Naruto sprang to his feet, clenching a fist and glaring angrily at Kakashi.
"You kicked my butt!"
Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
A mass of Narutos charged again. Even without fighting skills, they could bury him under sheer numbers!
"Narutooo!"
Meanwhile, Sakura held her kunai, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
"Genjutsu."
Sasuke could not handle Kakashi even when he used only one hand, so he had no choice but to activate his Sharingan and cast genjutsu!
Genjutsu should have been useful, but he had forgotten that Kakashi also had a Sharingan, and a more advanced one at that. One-tomoe versus three-tomoe-the winner of that genjutsu contest was obvious.
A sudden wave of dizziness washed over Sasuke Uchiha.
Luo Mang seized the blind spot as Kakashi turned to deal with Naruto's clones.
He left an illusory clone in his place, while his real body used the Transformation Technique to become another Naruto and slip into the battle.
Kakashi had let his guard down while dealing with Naruto and failed to notice Luo Mang seize the opening. Luo Mang yanked the bells off and clutched them in his hand.
Jingle, jingle!
The bells he had snatched rang clearly in Luo Mang's hand.
Kakashi opened his mouth.
Sharp as he was, he figured out the answer in an instant: the Transformation Technique.
Careless. Far too careless. I was so busy watching out for Sasuke and Luo Mang that I never considered he might transform into Naruto and slip into the fight. He caught me when I turned to look around.
Still, Kakashi was not about to deny it. The bells had been taken, fair and square.
"Very good, very good. You understand how to use techniques and teamwork. Nicely done."
He looked at Luo Mang holding the bells and gave him an approving response.
"Oh, damn..."
Sasuke Uchiha held his dizzy head and swayed, feeling as though he would fall over if he took another two steps.
"Sasukeee!"
Sakura hurriedly put her kunai away and ran toward Sasuke, her voice full of concern!
"Don't touch me!"
Yet when Sasuke saw Sakura coming, he refused to let her help him even as he fell.
Thump.
He hit the ground, landing painfully on his backside!
Sakura was dumbfounded. He was about to fall, yet he still would not let her help him. Did she smell bad or something?
"All right, I've assessed your performance. Luo Mang did the best, followed by Sasuke and Naruto. Sakura came last."
Kakashi gave a very serious assessment of their performance in the fight.
"Sakura, you have the biggest problems. Although your combat ability is lacking, you have the strongest grasp of theory. You should be providing support."
"When my trouser cuffs got wet, you should have noticed and directed the others, rather than standing on the sidelines like a little fangirl watching them fight. If I really were an enemy, you would be my first target. I'd use you as leverage against them!"
Sakura Haruno's face fell at his words. As the model student when it came to theory, she had only ever received praise.
Yet in her very first battle, she received nothing but criticism, without a single word of praise. Her face crumpled, and it looked as though a couple more harsh remarks might make her cry.
Kakashi paid her no mind. If she could not handle this mentally, she would be better off returning to the Academy for more training sooner rather than later. He turned his gaze to Naruto.
"And Naruto, you weren't any help either. Shouting during a sneak attack? Your chakra control is far too weak, too."
"Sasuke, you tried using your Sharingan Genjutsu on an elite jonin like me. You're getting ahead of yourself. Consider yourself lucky I didn't reflect it back and knock you unconscious."
The gap in their mental strength was enormous. Even without a Sharingan, Kakashi would be difficult for Sasuke to affect with genjutsu.
"Luo Mang, although you performed well and successfully took the bells, you..."
After building up to it for ages, Kakashi pointed at Luo Mang, but could not think of anything to criticize. He did not seem to have any shortcomings. He had coordinated with the others, prepared his attack, and used his head.
"There are three bells in total. Those who performed best get a bell. Anyone who didn't do well gets tied to a post and goes without lunch!"
In the end, Kakashi really could not think of a lecture to give him. He could only clear his throat and announce what they would do next.
It had already been midmorning when Kakashi arrived. After their fight, it was now eleven, and the three who had skipped breakfast were ravenous.
They went over to the posts, and he handed the three lunch boxes sitting on top to the three strongest performers. This time, Sakura was the one who would not eat.
As the rules dictated, she was also tied to a post.
Naruto Uzumaki felt awful when he saw this.
"Kakashi-sensei, I'll give up my bell and let Sakura have it!"
"Oh?"
Kakashi instantly raised an eyebrow at those words, drawing out his response questioningly.
"Really?"
Naruto had just opened his mouth when his stomach started growling.
Sakura shook her head, refusing.
"Forget it, Naruto. I was the one who wasn't good enough. I won't drag you down."
Before you continue