After This, Woman, Stop Clinging to Me!

Fourteen years ago.

Kakashi Hatake and his two teammates faced Minato Namikaze's bell test. Already experienced ninjas, Kakashi seized the opportunity his two teammates created and successfully sliced through Minato Namikaze's sleeve with a shuriken.

Fourteen years later.

Minato Namikaze's son, Naruto Uzumaki, seized the opportunity created by his teammate Sasuke Uchiha and hurled two Wind Release: Rasenshuriken in succession, nearly severing Kakashi's arm...

Kakashi Hatake squeezed his right arm. He could barely keep forming hand seals, but if he had to face the battle with taijutsu, he could only deal with Team Seven's three little brats one-handed.

"When I heard yesterday afternoon that Ebisu had been hospitalized, I guessed today's Survival Exercise would be difficult. As expected of Sensei Minato's son..."

Leaf Village's Skillful Ninja watched the small figure faintly emerge through the dust, drew another kunai from his Ninja Tools pouch, spun it deftly around his fingers, and caught it in his palm.

Kakashi Hatake gripped the kunai and charged forward. Turning into a blur, he appeared before Naruto in an instant, the blade of his kunai hovering above Naruto Uzumaki's forehead!

Yet a Rasengan was also pressed against his chest...

"Sensei Kakashi..."

Naruto Uzumaki raised his head and gave the white-haired jonin beneath his mask a friendly smile. "I believe your taijutsu is far more refined than Senior Ebisu's... but do you think I'd make the same mistake I made yesterday?"

Yesterday afternoon, Ebisu had beaten him black and blue with taijutsu! How could he allow a jonin to create an environment for close-quarters combat during today's Survival Exercise?!

Kakashi Hatake took several steps back and let out a long sigh. "Your ninjutsu... doesn't cost chakra?"

To force back his frontal attack, Naruto had casually unleashed an A-rank ninjutsu. Such a lavish display made Kakashi's eyes sting...

Naruto Uzumaki gave him an odd look and warned him, "I'll recover the chakra for one Rasengan very quickly..."

"..."

Students these days really weren't cute at all!

Kakashi had meant to warn the brat not to waste chakra recklessly, not give him the chance to show off his powerful chakra recovery!

Kakashi Hatake felt sour all over. He stared deeply at Naruto Uzumaki. "Naruto, haven't you considered taking the bells?"

"No one desires becoming a ninja more than I do."

After saying that, Naruto Uzumaki shook his head. "But if I focus only on the bells, I'd be giving up my advantage in ninjutsu. Maybe I'll make my move to take them only after Sensei Kakashi is exhausted!"

"So rational. You really don't resemble the Naruto from Ninja Academy..."

"The old me was in darkness, yet my heart yearned for the light."

Naruto Uzumaki spread his hands, his gaze gradually deepening. "As for the current me, don't I look more like a qualified ninja?"

That deeply buried subconscious told him that darkness was not so frightening. It was, instead, more real. And light was not as great as he had imagined; it merely stood out because darkness existed to contrast it.

Kakashi Hatake paused. Without answering Naruto Uzumaki, he vanished from the training ground, and the jingling of the bells disappeared with him.

Before long, a girl's scream rang out!

Sakura Haruno had been attacked by Kakashi!

The pink-haired girl had not dared to show herself at all, and the traces she left behind while hiding were far too easy for a jonin to find!

Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha exchanged a glance, then hurried toward the source of the sound. All they saw, however, was Sakura Haruno lying unconscious on the ground.

"Hey, Sakura!"

"Sakura!"

Just as the two reached Sakura's side, the ground beneath their feet suddenly split open, and their bodies tumbled into a fissure in the earth!

"Earth Release: Split-Earth Palm!"

Kakashi Hatake's voice rang out as he performed the jutsu. He had once used this technique to bury his dear friend, and now he intended to use it again to subdue his two students...

But as the earth began to close again, Naruto Uzumaki pressed both hands against the dirt on either side and shouted, "Sealing Art: Devour!"

The chakra within the soil on both sides was instantly devoured!

The effect of Earth Release: Split-Earth Palm was forcibly brought to a halt!

Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha leaped out of the fissure. The two watched their surroundings vigilantly, because their jonin instructor should be nearby...

Naruto Uzumaki frowned. "If Sensei Kakashi keeps hiding like this, it'll be too hard for us to find him..."

"A jonin can't possibly be that pathetic. Facing three students who just graduated, if he still has to hide and sneak around, it would be beneath his status..."

Sasuke Uchiha shook his head. With such overwhelming strength, one should break through head-on and crush the enemy's will with absolute power.

Naruto Uzumaki did not quite agree with Sasuke's opinion and retorted, "That's hard to say. Maybe some jonin just don't care about their dignity..."

While Naruto Uzumaki was still badmouthing Kakashi Hatake, a hand suddenly grabbed each of their ankles!

The two hands that had suddenly appeared tried to drag them underground!

"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu!"

"Rasengan!"

A Rasengan swiftly formed in Naruto Uzumaki's palm, and he slammed it down at the ground below. Based on his understanding of the Rasengan's effect, if Kakashi Hatake dared to remain underground, the force unleashed by this Rasengan would be enough to badly injure him!

The ground shook under the Rasengan's attack!

Sensing the Rasengan's chakra from underground, Kakashi Hatake helplessly gave up this perfect chance to attack.

He could not understand why Naruto Uzumaki could form a Rasengan so quickly. According to the information he had received from the Third Hokage, this brat should have only learned it a few days ago, right?

Why, then, did he feel that when Naruto Uzumaki used the Rasengan, both its formation speed and power surpassed those of his teacher, Minato Namikaze?

If Naruto Uzumaki kept relying on chakra to constantly release ninjutsu and defend against attacks that could come at any time, then Kakashi could only go all out...

This battle would spiral out of control...

A jonin instructor could not even control the situation when facing three genin, especially when two of his friends from the same generation each had a graduating class of their own!

That would be far too embarrassing!

It seemed he could only give himself a way out.

Kakashi Hatake jumped out of the ground, tightly gripping two bells in one hand while pointing at Sakura Haruno on the ground with the other. "Seeing how outstanding you are, I can give you the two bells in my hand..."

Kakashi Hatake narrowed his eyes slightly. "But... have you decided who to eliminate? For example, that little pink-haired girl who has been lying on the ground. She doesn't seem qualified to be a ninja, does she?"

Sasuke Uchiha fell silent for a moment, then suddenly spat. "We just became ninjas, and now we have to eliminate our teammate?"

"This is a troublesome question."

Naruto Uzumaki gently shook his head. "Sensei Kakashi, give us the bells first. The three of us will discuss the rest ourselves..."

Kakashi Hatake: "..."

What was with this kid? Where had he learned not to act until he saw the payoff? Fortunately, Kakashi was using an open and honest scheme. He merely wanted to see what they would choose.

When the two bells rolled to their feet, Naruto Uzumaki hooked one up with his finger, glanced at Sakura lying on the ground, and suddenly tossed the bell in his hand to Sasuke. "Sasuke, you decide how to distribute them!"

After Sasuke Uchiha caught the bells, his face immediately flushed red. "You... are you humiliating me?"

"No. I'll accept whatever you decide."

Naruto Uzumaki looked at him seriously. "Whether you eliminate Sakura, eliminate me, or even choose to sacrifice yourself..."

Kakashi Hatake, standing nearby, immediately wore a subtle expression upon hearing that.

He had wanted to test these three brats, yet Naruto Uzumaki, this seemingly straightforward little fellow, was actually testing his teammate!

"I don't want your charity!"

Sasuke Uchiha flung one bell to Naruto Uzumaki, gritted his teeth, and tossed the other onto Sakura. "Tch, consider it the price she pays for liking me before! From now on, I won't feel like I owe her anything!"

In truth, after reading Naruto Uzumaki's notebook, Sasuke Uchiha believed that if he became Kakashi's disciple, he would surely be able to defeat Itachi Uchiha under Kakashi's guidance!

However, Sakura Haruno had liked him for far too long at Ninja Academy.

Sasuke also knew Sakura Haruno's feelings very well. If he could use this to cut off the issue between them, he could face the pink-haired girl openly in the future—such as telling her to get lost and stop clinging to him...

There were still many roads to take before he could kill that man, right?

If even an idiot like Naruto Uzumaki could uncover information, then as long as he remained in the village, Sasuke would eventually find traces Itachi Uchiha had once left behind.

From now on, he needed to eat at Ichiraku Ramen more often.

When Sakura Haruno slowly woke up, she noticed the bell beside her. After hearing their explanation, her expression gradually became tense. "Sasuke, did you give me your chance to become a ninja?"

Sasuke Uchiha stood up and coolly left behind a single sentence. "So, woman, stop clinging to me from now on."

"Wait!"

Sakura Haruno stepped forward to stop him, her expression sorrowful. "If there's no Sasuke, then what meaning is there in me becoming a ninja?"

"..."

Kakashi Hatake and Naruto Uzumaki exchanged a glance. The two seemed to smell something strange in the air, and their expressions twisted slightly.

Just as Sasuke Uchiha was about to continue displaying his domineering side, Kakashi Hatake hurriedly waved his hand. "Alright, alright, save the romance for later..."

"Although there were some deviations along the way, and certain people's feelings have changed, I still have no choice but to announce that you three brats... have passed."

"Alright, now take me to the hospital immediately!"

A new week—please send recommendation votes and add this to your collections!

Second update.

Sakura Haruno: As expected, it was the power of love that changed Sensei Kakashi's mind...

Kakashi Hatake: I came to test you! Not to watch you shower affection on each other! Blegh~

Naruto Uzumaki: Hehe, what a winner in life. What use are these bells to me...

Sasuke Uchiha: Naruto, listen to my explanation. That woman has something wrong with her head...