To start this off, I have no affiliation with the creation of Naruto. The Original work of Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, and what I am working on is purely a Fan Fiction. Please support the original. That said, let us get to the story.
- let us start this chapter!-
Kakashi stood alone in the open field, the wind whipped through as the only noise. He listened intently as he judged their methods of erasing their presence. Taking to the brush, creating false placement, and distracting noises to make him lose them. The basics followed well expressed by the three students. ~Only a short time till noon. They better think of an attack method soon.~ The senior ninja thought to himself before he noticed Naruto leaving his own hiding space.
"Wasting time hiding isn't my style, I am going to take you down myself and take both bells!" Naruto confidently smiled.
Kakashi surprised by Naruto's proclamation, only to sigh in exasperation. "Not your style? Patience is a virtue, they say." Kakashi at least admired the other two as they did not rush out yet. "
"Can't win a game by not moving now, can I?" Naruto charged forward at his future teacher. His late-night training had to be enough, his transformed clone needed to have given him insight. He needed to get Kakashi back and get Uzume's gear back.
"Game? Sorry for you all... this is serious for you. The game is all mine." Kakashi slipped his hand to his back pouch. Naruto smart enough to back down, forced to wait to see Kakashi's next step. "Let us go over the many skills you should have learned. Let us start with the subject of Taijutsu." Kakashi pulled out a book labeled 'makeout Paradise.'
-Naruto Vs. Kakashi-
Naruto surprised as he looked at the open stance and Kakashi allowing himself to be distracted. Uzume, from her hiding spot, let out a little gasp when she recognized the book. The kunoichi covered her own mouth and shrunk behind the leaves of the canopy of a nearby tree. Kakashi's eye turned to her location before shifting back to Naruto.
"You think so little of me, huh? Well, teacher, I am going to make you pay for looking down on me!" Naruto roared out as he rushed toward his teacher once more.
A swipe of his hand, small ball bearings launched from it. Kakashi realized it as a distraction as Naruto closed the distance. Naruto leaped into the air with his fist thrust forward, a simple duck allowed the attack to slip passed over Kakashi's head. Naruto rolled shortly, planting his feet quickly into another rush. A sweeping kick aimed for Kakashi's head while he had his back, only blocked with ease with his free hand. Growling as his leg was grabbed, countering by dropping his hands to the ground and snapping his other leg against Kakashi's grasp.
He then twisted his hips, using his momentum to get back to his feet. Kakashi already in a position to continue the fight. Naruto quick to close the distance, entering Kakashi's strike distance. He spun his body to make a backhand strike, followed by another kick for a rapid strike combo. Kakashi stopped his backhand, slipped under the sweeping kick, and a frustrated Naruto attempted to turn his whole body around to punch forward. Kakashi instead followed his back and kept himself behind him.
"Never allow your advantage to become a disadvantage, you show your back to much. And after taking mine, and losing it." Kakashi placed his hands together, 'Makeout Paradise' clasped between his palms as he made an easily recognized hand sign.
Uzume watched as Naruto, who was much better at Taijutsu than herself, was being trounced. The hand sign was a serious one, though. "N-Naruto!" She yelled out, giving away her position.
"Too late! Konoha's most secret and sacred technique!" Kakashi's voice rang out as Naruto looked back. "One-Thousand Years of Pain!" Kakashi thrust his fingers forward with the intent to simply poke Naruto's butt and launch him to the water.
~Gotcha~ Naruto thought to himself with a sudden smirk. Pivoting on his leg, he twisted his body to sidestep Kakashi's attack. He had to move quick, or Kakashi would slip away! His hand grabbed the hem of Kakashi's sleeve, his other hand clutching his shoulder, and finally, he shifted his foot placement, so one hooked behind Kakashi's own stance. "Hope you like Banana Splits, Teacher." Naruto pulled suddenly, pulling Kakashi's forward leg forward and forcing the Jonin into a Forward Split.
"What?" Kakashi was surprised by his own joke attack being countered so fluidly. It was good that a ninja both needed to be healthy and flexible, or this position would have been problematic. He leaned away from Naruto, allowing his legs to escape the situation and snapping into a scissor strike into Naruto's own legs. Tripping the younger ninja to the ground, following it with a quick blow to the chest to knock the wind out of Naruto and forced his hold to break.
Kakashi then used the loosen grasp to slip away and get to his feet. "Looks like you know a bit more of Taijutsu then I thought." Kakashi complimented, Sasuke interested in the small show from his teammate. Naruto usually didn't show such skill in the academy, but still got through with the basics easier than most.
"Damn... I thought I would catch you with that one. Was all my training for nothing." Naruto groaned, holding his chest. "If I was not so hungry... I would have made it."
"You can't hope to be ready to fight me. My skill and body leave you at a disadvantage." Kakashi sighed. "Full or not, I would be able to beat you... even if there were five of you."
"That's good... Because I made more than five." Naruto smiled as the ball bearings exploded in smoke, Kakashi turning to see six more Naruto. Each one charged at him with full intent to beat down their teacher. Another smoke explosion, this time at his shoulder. A ball bearing hidden under his Flak Jacket, Kakashi found his arms restricted by a Full Nelsen as the others came at him.
~Brilliant.~ Kakashi thought, with Naruto's Taijutsu skill above average and his prankster like mentality... he was able to put Kakashi into a bad situation. But even it was not enough as he switched one of the clones with himself and took to a hiding place. Naruto's clone instead hit one of its own, hard enough to dispell the duplicate and leave Naruto looking at himself.
"Did he transform?" One called out.
"And replace one of us, not likely." Another claimed.
"He is a Jonin, he might be able to." said another in frustration.
"Release!" Naruto called out, dispelling his other clones before they bickered with themselves. The last thing he needed was to be defeated by his own punches. As the smoke cleared away, he found himself alone and let out a sigh of relief.
A small glint of light shined caught Naruto's attention. His eyes soon focused on a bell. ~Did a bell fly off when I was attacking him? In that scuffle, it might have. It looks like things are coming up, Uzumaki. Now I just have to help Uzume get her own bell.~ Naruto chuckled to himself as he blindly walked into a trap, the rope wrapped around his ankle and swung him upside down.
"All that boasting and show." Kakashi's voices came out as he plucked the bell from the ground. "And you get caught in such an obvious trap. A ninja must read the hidden meaning behind the hidden meaning."
"I know that." Naruto groaned. ~I just tricked myself into a trap... I don't need a lecture.~
Uzume watched as Naruto was trapped, stuck, and at Kakashi's mercy. Her body shook uncontrollably. Their teacher outclassed them, she could tell he was still holding back. There was no hope... not a chance of victory.
"No, you don't know. That is why I am saying it." Kakashi continued, his attention focused. Sasuke saw his opening, and will not allow his one chance to escape him. "Naruto, you-" Kakashi cut off suddenly. Uzume's eyes opened wide as Sasuke was able to make several direct hits.
"Sasuke, Whoa! That was overkill!" Naruto yelled loudly in surprise as it appeared Kakashi died before his eyes, only to watch it turn to a puff of smoke.
Sasuke realized that Kakashi just trapped him as well, giving away his position. He needed to plan a new attack and needed to escape first. Uzume saw that Kakashi was never hit by Sasuke. Her fear overwhelming her mind as she sensed Sasuke rush away, Her body moved on its own. Forgoing Sasuke, and leaving Naruto to hang in the trap alone. She instead ran, forgetting to hide, just running away. Deeper into the trees, she needed a safe place.
"Where you going, Uzume?" Kakashi's voice came from behind her. The red-hair girl yelping as she lost her footing. Forced to roll on the ground and slam her body into a trunk. Whimpering before her eyes lifted to their teacher squat just before her.
-Uzume Vs. Kakashi-
Uzume's vision became hazy, Kakashi faded behind swirling leaves. A strange wind wrapped around her. Her mind snapped into focus as she looked around. "W-what was that?"
"Uzume..." A voice came out of the treeline. The young Kunoichi body froze as she watched a figure step out from behind a tree. A pair of scissors flashed in her vision. Snip snip, the sound echoed as she recognized a young boy, no more than six. "Looks like you have your pretty hair back. That won't do."
"N-no... you would be... older." Uzume stepped back, her mind racing. "Genjutsu... the art of illusion. I-I need to halt my chakra." She shivered, her hands clasped together as she focused on her chakra. She needed to stop it from moving, stop Kakashi's power over her.
~Not this time...~ A voice she remembered, her stomach suddenly burned again. The sky shifted from blue of the afternoon to a crimson red of sunset. ~fear... fear them... then hate them... then kill them...~ A chuckle followed.
The vision became worse, as the scissors snipped and grew into shears. Red liquid dripped from the edges, the giggles of children wrapped Uzume's mind. She was no longer her twelve-year-old self. Reverted back to her four, her hair cleanly combed and parted. Her violet eyes shined as tears weld up.
Another, after another, children stepped from behind the trees. Shadows hung over their smiling faces, red eyes with slits for pupils focused on her. Each one holding a cutting tool and a bloody body part. The boy she recognized stepping forward as her small body pressed against a tree. A blonde-haired head hung from his fingers, blood dripping from the missing neck. Tossed to her feet and the face of Naruto stared up at her. The shine of his blue eyes faded as his lips moved, trying to speak.
"Get her." The boy's distorted voice echoed in the black clouds overhead. Thundering as she felt each arm grabbed, the grips tight and painful. Uzume's arms forced back painfully, the children vanishing, and a tightly bound rope replaced them. The giggles of the children. "One monster child is gone..." The boy smirked as the shears lifted to the side of her face. The red liquid glistened in the orange sunlight. Her hair caught in the shears, snip. Locks of her hair fell to the ground, snip snip. More and more of lovely red-hair fell. Knifes drawn close to her eyes, hair pulled and cut away.
~They hate you... they don't want you. They think you don't deserve to live. They will make sure you remember that. Until the day you die, Uzume.~ The voice echoed in her mind, a bladed edge dragged over her leg. Pain shooting through her as she felt her own blood trickle down. ~They will torture you... they will make you pay for the crime of living. Your only hope is to kill them first. Break the bonds, claw out their eyes, and show them never to approach you again.~
"Stop... please stop." Uzume's voice innocently called as a kunai slowly was driven between her ribs. "I... I didn't do anything. Please." Tears flowed from her eyes as the red demonic eyes stared into her own. Shears lifted, two tipped points stabbed downward.
-Outside the Illusion-
Uzume's eyes drooped, Kakashi sat on a branch not far from her. "Looks like you could not handle a simple Genjutsu. Let us move on, you will break free soon." Kakashi turned to leave when Uzume suddenly screamed out a bloodcurdling scream.
Kakashi brought his attention back to Uzume. Her hair unnaturally lifted away from her body, her one violet eye turned red as three whisker-like markings appeared on both sides of her face. Her hands lifted to her own hair, grabbing them and pulled. Tearing at her hair, her body slammed back into the tree behind her. Leaves shook from their limbs, fluttering to the ground as Uzume launched herself forward and slammed into another tree. Screaming out, Uzume crashed into trees again and again. Each impact harder than before, knocking one over.
"What the hell?" Kakashi was unsure what was going on. He didn't put much power into the Genjutsu, only enough to give her a small vision of something fearful. Her mind would fill in the fear-inducing illusion. "She shouldn't be having this reaction."
The Jonin leaped down to contain the issue. Unaware that Naruto was having a similar reaction as pain swelled in his stomach as well. Tormented by hunger, being hung upside down, and now this searing pain like a brand on his stomach. Kakashi positioned himself in front of Uzume, her red eye making contact with his and a sudden feeling of fear rushed into him. Uncontrol chakra launched at him in pressure to freeze him in place. "Don't tell me that the Genjutsu is letting the demon out!" Kakashi growled as his hand lifted his headband. "I never would have thought I would need this now. Sharingan!" His red eye exposed to the light.
Uzume lashed out at Kakashi, claws for nails aimed to impale his skin, and tear away at him. The Sharingan allowed him to evade each swipe of her hands, his own grasping hold of her head, and forced her eyes to look into his own. "Sharingan, Release!"
-Back in the illusion-
The shears stopped just before her eyes, the boy's wrists grabbed by Kakashi's. One red-eye and the other a dark gray looked down at her, seeing her trapped in the Genjutsu literally. The boy looked up with a smile as the children turned on the Jonin. Whipping the child away and knocking the others away from her. "Uzume," He was quick to grab the younger version of his student. "Trust me... and calm down." The Sharingan began to spin in her vision.
~You won't escape their hate long... what will you do then? What will they do when they kill Naruto when he is not strong enough to protect you.~ The voice echoed in her mind moments before her mind went blank.
The illusion broke away, fading back to the real world. Kakashi huffed as he hid his Sharingan before he had to use it any longer. He was glad it was only needed for a short time, feeling drained but well enough to keep the test going. Holding Uzume as she passed out in his arms. "I am not sure why your mind went to that... or what happened to trap you within it. But for now, you need to rest. Not here." Kakashi looked at the mess of trees dented and pushed over.
Sasuke stood looking at the distance after hearing the strange scream. It sounded painful, the thing that could haunt someone's sleep if they saw what caused it. "That wasn't Naruto. Did Kakashi get Uzume?" He asked himself before he heard a jingle behind him.
"Don't you worry about Uzume," Kakashi spoke, Uzume's body laid nearby but away from Kakashi's next battle. "You're in your own trouble."
"I am not like them." Sasuke did not turn; he was confident in defending himself even at the current disadvantage.
"Save your boasting when you have a bell, Sasuke." Kakashi stepped forward as the two faced each other. The two could feel the tension building.
Sasuke dropped low as he drew shuriken; with a fast swing of his arm, he began the battle. Kakashi dodged easily, surprised Sasuke would try a frontal assault. Sasuke's own cool acting gave away for a trap, Kakashi leaped back. Sasuke cutting off his escape and leading in with a kick. Kakashi blocked the blow, but then Sasuke led through a series of combination attacks to open himself to the bells. Sasuke touched them, but could not finish the task before Kakashi could pull away.
"I'll admit it. You are impressive; of all three, you are the most promising." Kakashi was starting to think he got the cream of the crop, and yet they are still disappointing for the actual test.
Sasuke, without a word, began to weave hand signs, summoning his chakra. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Merely breathing in, and then exhaling a massive fire, intensely burning. Once he finished, Kakashi was missing from sight. "Where did he... Behind? Above?"
"Below," Kakashi's voice apparated without a source. "Earth Style: Groundhog Technique Decapitation!" Sasuke's leg captured within the same moment. The young shinobi dragged under the earth until it was just his head above ground. Kakashi letting himself from the earth and squat before Sasuke's head. "Ninjutsu, though you seem well aware of what that is. It is too bad you are so good, much hurt to be the tallest nail being hammered down." Kakashi mocked to Sasuke's displeasure and forced to watch him walk away. The young ninja not having anyone to assist him free.
-Several minutes later, after the alarm.-
The three ninjas in training had their stomachs growling, Kakashi shook his head as the all looked displeased. "Not one of you could get a bell. It seems like all this talent, and you still can't cut it as shinobi. At least you will have a chance to make friends with more students next year."
"Oh come on, give us another go." Naruto placed his hands together to plead at their teacher.
"Begging only makes things worse. You three failed the most basic need for a team." Kakashi shook his head. "And missing the fact proves your no ready to be real shinobi."
Sasuke could not take being called out as inferior to any other Genin. He got the best scores, he was superior to all the other students. If he could not be a shinobi, no one else should. His frustration nearly boiled over.
"What is this missing fact?" Uzume asked. The simple question caused Sasuke to sit back, not that he was calmer, but the extra moment allowed him to remember that Kakashi had already beaten him once.
"I cannot believe it has to be explained. You were broken up into a team, a group of people who you are supposed to rely on. I am supposed to trust my life to you and yours in me. How can you do that without the most simple thing a team requires?" Kakashi refused to tell them outright.
The three silent as they looked at each other, trusting their lives in each other was a strange thought. Sasuke knew he didn't trust either of them. Uzume was more worried that Naruto would risk his life unnecessarily. And Naruto remembered Iruka saving his life, and wondered if he could hold onto that responsibility. Kakashi watching the three deep in thought even with their stomachs growling.
"Uzume... do you think you three should be Shinobi?" Kakashi finally asked.
The young woman froze as the attention was brought to herself. She could feel Sasuke's gaze flaring as he did not like the idea of his destiny in her hands. Naruto's eyes pleading her to say yes, hoping that Kakashi would give them another chance. Kakashi's arms cross, the imposing feel of his stare was intense. She looked to the ground as she thought. "No..." She could feel Naruto's heartbreak when she said it, she could feel Sasuke's hatred toward her.
"Why?" Kakashi asked. "You are all skilled. Why do you feel you and your team should not be ninjas?"
Uzume hated he was targeting her. "I... I ran away." She whimpered. She closed her arms around her knees as she hid her face once more. "I ran away when Naruto was in trouble, and Sasuke failed to take you out. I was afraid... afraid to be in the way... to be hurt... to... to be right."
"and your team?" Kakashi provoked her to continue.
"Kakashi! She already gave you an answer. There is no point in hearing her out more." Sasuke voiced his growing aggravation.
"Are you worried about her... or about what she has to say about you?" Kakashi questioned to silence Sasuke. "Go on, Uzume."
Uzume stayed silent for a bit. Kakashi sighing, and about to speak when she interrupted him. "Naruto challenged you without back up, thinking he could do all the work himself. Doing so gave us no opening to act with him. Sasuke only helped when he personally had an advantage, He could have targeted the rope to release Naruto. Instead, he left him hanging. We didn't care enough about each other to coordinate our attacks." The two boys didn't look at her anymore, forced to self reflect on their actions.
Kakashi gave a small slow clap. "That is correct. Uzume's fear, Naruto's pride, and Sasuke's selfishness... these are your greatest weakness. Uzume's Humility, Naruto's Selflessness, and Sasuke's Courage could make up for each of your faults." Kakashi stepped away, pulling out Uzume's scroll and threw it behind him. "Skip lunch, and I will give you a second chance. Anyone who eats will be sent back without a chance of proving themselves. Same rules as before, get the two bells. Someone will have to lose." The three students had a mix of cheer and dread, as it meant another missing meal.
A few minutes of listening to their stomach grumble. The tightened pain and requirements of their body made the wait feel longer. Left to try to make sense of what Kakashi wanted them to learn from the exercise. The silence broke by the sounds of their empty bellies.
"DAMN IT!" Naruto yelled to the sky in frustration before he let his body flop on the ground.
"Stop yelling. You're just wasting energy." Sasuke bit at his thumbnail as he tried to think, the searing pain kept him from focusing on his task. ~Too selfish? How does becoming Selfless win a fight.~
"I just can't think of a way to beat him. He is way stronger and faster than I thought he would be. All that time in the Hyuuga Compound, and I still lack the Taijutsu skill needed." Naruto's eyes focused on the sky. "I don't know any good Ninjutsu that will beat him, and Genjutsu was always Uzume's skill."
"Even if you did, he uses his arts more efficiently than we do. He doesn't ever leave a real opening. None of us have a chance to get a single bell." Sasuke sighed, feeling the overwhelming lack of experience he had.
"Man, if there was at least one more. Then we could all win." Naruto sat up as he looked to Sasuke. Seeing the best student losing faith was dishearting.
Uzume looked into her pack, having unsealed it from her scroll. Her ear perked when Naruto mentioned them all winning with one more bell. "Hidden meanings in hidden meanings," Uzume whispered to herself. "What if there is another bell? Hidden somewhere out of sight."
"What do you mean? Kakashi never made any mention that would indicate there were three." Sasuke rested his hand to his forehead as his eyes turned to her.
"Right... but think about it. Kakashi just kept mentioning two... and jingling the bells. It is a Genjutsu tactic to mislead you into focusing on something while doing something else. Did anyone watch his other hand?" Uzume looked to both boys, giving them a moment to admit to having only focused on the two bells. "But he keeps putting things in his pack or taking from it. He is trying to show us the location of the secret bell. He then spouts a bunch of stuff of finding out how to better ourselves and says it is the meaning of the test. But we must find the hidden meaning inside the hidden meaning."
"So, his whole argument before was just to mislead us from the goal?" Naruto scratched his head, still confused. "But... if he does have a third bell, then we need to somehow catch him still."
"Not alone." Sasuke looked at the two of them, doubting their abilities to link with him. Timing, skill, experience, and a drive to win was needed for a combined effort.
"Right..." Uzume spoke quietly, looking at her gear. "Naruto, how many more clones can you make?" Her hand grabbing some wire she brought to use for traps if she needed to make them.
"I think I could manage two more, maybe. Do you have a plan?" Naruto watched as Uzume lost herself in her mind, grabbing a shuriken and fed wire through the center.
"Sasuke, you said your Ninjutsu was beaten... what technique did you use?" Uzume ignored her brother, it was already hard to focus on planning with her stomach revolting against her.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. I don't think I could do another." Sasuke eyed at Uzume again. "Maybe a small one if I had to."
"Good. I remember you being good at shuriken arts, as well." Uzume finally looked up at them. "I have not used up my chakra yet. Which means I can still pull some effort into this. Now listen, this will require everyone to work together." Uzume motioned her hands for them to get closer, the young kunoichi explained her plan to the two of them.
-Team 7 Vs. Kakashi-
Kakashi stepped into the clearing, his three students all with their backs to the stumps. 'Makeout Paradise' slide into his pack as he looked at their resolute eyes. "So, who will make the first move?" Kakashi asked. The wind whipped between them and picked up dust between them.
"Master Kakashi!" Uzume's hand shot up suddenly, her head lowered. "Can I borrow Makeout Paradise when you are done with it?"
Kakashi momentarily distracted by her question, Two naruto leaped out from behind the two stumps. Uzume's hand lowered and clapped together. His vision shifted as crudely formed Torii phased into existence, covering Naruto's clones. Sasuke then put himself between Kakashi and Uzume, his hands already in the sign of the Tiger. The Naruto clones closed in, both going for a full power punch at his ribs. Kakashi was quick to knock the arms down and away, turning his redirect to a counter as his fists landed into each duplicate's stomach. Focusing his chakra back into his control and Uzume's Genjutsu breakingFocusing his chakra back
The heat of fire closed in as Sasuke's Fireball Jutsu came at him. ~Not enough time to go below.~ Kakashi thought to himself as he took to the air, prepared to get attacked with ranged weapons with a kunai in hand. His eye caught Uzume with her hands in the position of the Tiger as well. ~Don't tell me!~ Small spits of fire left her lips and curved toward him. ~Pheonix Fire!?~ Kakashi was forced to close his arms in front of his body. Moving in the air was to difficult, and he would need to take the impact. The spits of fire never made contact, as the illusion passed by him. His arms to his chest tightened as unseen wire wrapped around his body from both sides.
"Sorry, Master Kakashi! But this time, you're not getting away!" Naruto's voice called out from the sky, Kakashi found his chakra was still under control. ~Genjutsu layering.~ Naruto's form appearing moments before impacting into Kakashi's arms. The older ninja felt himself crash into the ground with the full weight of Naruto force the air out of his lungs. "Gotcha!" The blonde boy quickly snatched the two bells from Kakashi's side. Turning to toss one to the others. "Uzume, catch!" His sister surprised by the bell coming for her, catching it unprepared. "Now for the third bell." Naruto turned back to find only a log under him, the wire cut. Unaware behind him that a third Genjutsu was breaking, Uzume and Sasuke trading places. Sasuke surprised he had the bell.
"Third bell? I don't remember mentioning anything about a third bell." Kakashi squat before Naruto. Impressed, the three of them were able to come up with a plan that caught him off guard.
"Damn, I am sorry, Sasuke." Naruto turned to see that it was not his sister with a bell in hand. His mind stopped, his brain could not comprehend. He tossed it to Uzume, but Sasuke now stood where she was with the bell he threw.
Uzume breathed heavily as she used a lot of chakra to put up the Genjutsu, the first one looking poorly because too much concentration was being used already. Her legs faltered, dropping to her knees and let her arms fall. Sasuke looked at his hand, then to Kakashi. He watched the elite ninja as he got ready to speak.
~She... she was supposed to take the bell! Why?~ Sasuke's body moved on its own, he had to get to Uzume before Kakashi could claim her the failure. The bell in his palm, he grabbed Uzume's wrist to pull her hand into his. "All three of us hold a bell!"
Kakashi looked at Sasuke as he made the proclamation. "Oh?" His gaze looked down at Naruto with a bell in his hand. "One..." Kakashi moved closer, his eyes turned to Sasuke and Uzume.
"Sasuke! Let go! If you don't, you might-" Uzume began to plead. She didn't want to be responsible for Sasuke to be sent back to the academy. Their deal of giving the known bells to Naruto and Uzume was one she planned to break since they agreed to it.
"Shut up!" Sasuke snapped, Uzume wincing at his sudden loud outburst and the pain of his grip on her hand. "We pass together or fail." He growled as he looked at Kakashi, his eyes resolute as he looked at his teacher.
Kakashi stood before both of them, his hands placed on his hips. "I couldn't have said it better myself." His tone was much more cheerful. "Not a standard way to show all three should pass. Working together was all you needed to do. So congratulations, you all pass."
A sense of relief washed over the three, though Naruto was still very confused. Sasuke's grip on Uzume's hand loosened, the young woman pulling it into her other hand and rubbing the pain away. Sasuke landed on the ground beside her, the rush of adrenaline came down and force him down. "Eat lunch and prepare. Tomorrow starts your official work as Konoha ninja."
