Soft physique modification! Mitsuki stretched out his arm and sent a punch directly the sensei's face, which was expectedly blocked with the sensei expectedly carrying a smirk on his face. He threw a few more outstretched punches at him which were all blocked by the far more talented ninja. Of course attacks at this level won't work on jonin, especially one of Konohamaru-sensei's caliber, but the important thing is to see how he responds. Mitsuki reached into his pouch and threw a kunai at the sensei which was dodged. He threw another, with the same result.

Throw.

Dodge.

Throw.

Dodge.

Throw.

Boom.

The last one Mitsuki had attached an explosive tag to. It explode right before it reached Konohamaru sensei's clone. After the smoke settled the clone of the sensei still with blue chakra dissipating from his palm in a spiral and with not a single scratch on him. So he used rasengan to counter and dissipate the explosion. Impressive. So this is the power of a jonin.

"I'm impressed Mitsuki, you're the first of your teammates to actually get one of my clones to use ninjutsu, and even more impressive you didn't use ninjutsu to accomplish it. Simply your intelligence." Konohamaru said praising Mitsuki with a grin.

"Thank you for the compliment sensei." Looks like mundane means aren't going to cut time for some ninjutsu of my own.

Firestyle: fireball jutsu. Sarada's jutsu was dissipated with a rasengan. At least I was able to get him to use ninjutsu. Up till now all of Sarada's attacks had been neutralized by the sensei's taijutsu. Getting him to use ninjutsu meant she was making progress, but it wasn't perfection yet.

"C'mon Sarada, you'll need to do better than that to be hokage." Konohamaru smiled.

Yeah, no kidding. "Alright sensei, let's see if this works. Shannaro!" Sarada leaped at the sensei with another chakra enhanced punched only to find it had hit ground instead of flesh. Sarada turned behind her guessing correctly that her opponent was there with a rather surprised expression on his face. Seems like he's impressed, that was my strongest punch yet after all.

"I not impressed Sarada. That can't be you strongest punch right?" Konohamaru sensei said with a wide grin on his face. Sarada resisted the urge to spout back a sly remark of her own, and instead activated her sharingan preparing to get really serious.

Boruto's shadow clones managed to get the sensei to hop around but they were still being done away with like flies. At least I know I can get him to move, now if I could just get him to fall. Boruto shadow clones were being thinned out so he created a few more. I'll use my clones to distract while I hit him from a distance. As the sensei was busy swatting aside Boruto's clones, blue chakra began to spiral into his hand in the shape of small sphere. As the last of the clones was cleared away Boruto himself threw his spiraling sphere at the sensei with almost blinding speed. Rasengan! It was sure to hit were it not for the sensei using a large handheld rasengan of his own to counter it. Boruto gritted his teeth.

"A prodigy indeed Boruto. By deliberately creating a smaller rasengan you were able to throw it, and with immense speed no less. Most ninja your age can't even perform a regular rasengan." Konohamaru looked at him with what Boruto assumed was pride. He gazed up at the sun. It was clear that it was almost midday. He threw a smoke pellet and left to rendezvous with the others. Leaving the sensei and the bell behind.

Konohamru had specifically chosen a secluded part of the forest to hide himself. His clones fed him information on each of their battles with the prospective genin. An ingenious plan indeed Naruto. His mind went back to when his hokage explained this new bell test to him.

. . .

"I'm listening." Thus the seventh hokage began explaining his new test idea, both hokage and and jonin wearing the same mischievous smirk all the way through.

"It's like this. Instead of two bells on your person, there will be three bells, hidden in places through the forest, in places easy to find."

"And the goal is for the students to find and ring the bells I'm assuming." Konohamru interrupted.

"More or less."

"I don't get it." Konohamru couldn't see the point of them ringing bells that were hidden in easy places. Naruto sighed then began again, smiling.

"Since the bells themselves will be easy to find ringing them will have to be the real challenge."

"So I just place obstacles in the way? Say a clone at each bell."

"Not a bad idea, but that would be too simple. The test me, Sakura, and Sasuke went through had something deeper behind it." The hokage paused. Konohamaru waited patiently for him to begin again.

"You see Konohamru, the goal of this test is for them to prove to you that they can theoretically ring the bells. Not if they can actually manage. You see the members of this team actually get along a lot better than Team Kakashi used to. So teamwork won't be a problem. The problem is going to be: is teamwork enough? Or will there be something greater required?"

. . .

"Greater than teamwork, huh Naruto?" Konohamru thought out loud. "A sharp and swift ninja, a clever and strong kunoichi, and a young prodigious child of a kage. Not only are they on the same team, but they get along as well. I wonder what more will be needed?"

Konohamru stared up at the sun smiling to himself. There was cool breeze on the air which he was most grateful for. He wondered how long this weather will last before storm blows over.

Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki reached their meeting point at roughly the same time. At least I'm not late this time. Boruto looked over his friends. There was sweat dripping for their brows and they were covered scrapes and bruises. And at least I'm not the only one who got his ass kicked. Boruto had learned his mother a long time ago if you couldn't be the winner, at least don't be the only loser. That was how it turned out.

Boruto began: "so I'm guessing you guys went through hell as well, huh."

"Yeah", Sarada replied "The sensei doesn't hold anything back, even against genin."

"Wait you fought him too? I though you got wasted by some traps or something." Boruto was genuinely surprised.

"We all fought him", Mitsuki jumped in. "He left a shadow clone at each bell so he could test our abilities simultaneously."

"Makes sense", Sarada began. "After all the test wasn't to see if we could find the bells but if we could ring them, and what better way to do it than to confront us and see our capabilities directly."

"Precisely Sarada. Now that he's seen what we can do individually, the next move should be to-"

"Attack him as a team", Boruto interrupted. "We know where each of the bells are now, and with the knowledge we've gained individually we'll stand a much better chance than we would any other way."

Sarada seemed to be considering the option, while Mitsuki had a smile on his face.

"What's so funny rubber man?" Boruto was annoyed by his smile.

"Do you honestly think he went all out on us?" Mitsuki seemed amused. "With the knowledge we've gained, we stand a much better chance as a team than we would any other way, but do you really think that teamwork will be enough to defeat even a clone of ninja of Konohamaru sensei's caliber?"

"It could happen Mitsuki!" Boruto was blurted.

"But we'll be worn out by the time we manage to defeat one and ring that bell, what will we do about the next one? After all, ringing all three is the goal, not one or two." Mitsuki replied in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Well then what should we do Mitsuki?" Sarada began to question. "If ringing the bells one at a time is out of the question do we just give up?" Mitsuki didn't answer right away. He closed his eyes almost as if he was meditating for a slight moment, then opened them. As he did a smirk formed on his face. A smirk that meant Mitsuki had come up with a master plan.

Mitsuki finally began, "for now we'll eat, after that we'll verbally exchange formation about the sensei's abilities, then I'll explain my plan to you. I may have just discerned the true meaning behind this exam." It was clear Mitsuki knew what he was talking about. SO Boruto and Sarada did as they were told and ate. Boruto in particular was surprised by how confident Mitsuki seemed, and how his golden always seemed to be see the true nature of everything. At times Boruto thought it some sort of dojutsu like his mother's byakugan or Sarada's sharingan. However, whatever those eyes saw, wasn't because of a dojutsu, and Boruto knew it. That amounted to all Boruto knew about his friend. He wished knew more.

Konohamaru woke with a jump from his nap. Someone's coming. A kunai at his face which he effortlessly caught between his fingers. He heard what sounded like waves behind him and as he ducked, sure enough he had just dodged a strong jet of water that cut through the trees in their path. That was Mitsuki's jutsu. The same one he used my clone. He hopped away from his current position, as his three young opponents stepped out of the trees. Each one wearing a face of the utmost determination.

"So you decided to come directly for me?" Konohamru had considered that they might take an approach but not so soon.

"Sensei!" Boruto spoke up. He was standing in between his two teammates. "We decided, to lay everything on the line in this test!"

"Yeah!" His teammates added in.

"So, what?" Konohamru began. "Coming directly for me instead of going after the bells? That's how you're going to try beat this test?" He questioned.

"That's right." Mitsuki replied. "We'll just wear ourselves out fighting your clones and we'll never ring all your bells. That'll be a complete waste of our talents. Beating the real you will prove more difficult, but if by some ridiculously remote chance we do win, and we're still standing by the end of it, we'll be able to ring the bells without any hindrance whatsoever. That'll be enough proof of skills. We either win here and pass, or we lose and fail. All or nothing" Mitsuki explained. Konohamru was surprised by the determination of these children. They know that even as a team they won't beat me. But they're prepared to put everything on the line, to succeed. They're prepared to defy the odds stacked against them. Is this the thing greater than teamwork you were talking about Naruto? Konohamru tightened his neckerchief, put on a confident grin and prepared to oblige his crazy, courageous, and bold students.

"All right Boruto. Sarada. Mitsuki. If you are truly prepared to put everything on the line to win here, then by all means come on. All of nothing!" That was all his students needed to hear. He looked on in pride as they came at him all at once.

Boruto knew they were outclassed by Konohamaru-sensei, he knew they weren't going beat him. But this was the best chance we had of passing the test. Not that that's saying too much.

The sun had gone down, Boruto and his teammates were on their knees in front of Konohamru sensei with their heads held down. Boruto clothes had been torn, and his body was covered in bruises and scratches. His friends were in no better condition. Boruto looked to his right and Sarada who looked disappointed in herself more than anyone. Exactly how I feel. He turned to his right to look at Mitsuki who expression just as beaten as the rest of them except his was calm almost confident as he's expected this outcome.

"Look at me." Konohamru sensei's voice interrupted his thoughts. Boruto and his friends did as commanded. Their sensei didn't have a single scratch on him. That's what annoyed Boruto the most. After our great speech about putting everything on the line, this is how we ended up. Pathetic. Boruto wished he could blame Mitsuki, but his friend had come up with the best plan out of all of them, and they all agreed to win together and lose together

"The sun has gone down, you haven't rung bells. You failed to defeat me." Konohamaru-sensei's voice was calm and devoid of any hint of condescension. "You put everything on the line in this fight and still lost. So there is no choice for me but to pass you all for this test." At the end of the last sentence a smile had formed on Konohamaru-sensei's lips, and Boruto and Sarada's jaws dropped at his words.

"You're joking." Sarada accused.

"Nope." The sensei replied. "You all pass. This test was designed to be impossible for you three. So I wanted to see what you would do in a situation like this, and you didn't disappoint. You showed me that you aren't only capable of working as a team but you're capable of losing as a team. I can see there is not the slightest bit hostility between the three of you for this loss. That is something important for any ninja to accept, after all we are the one who endure." Konohamru sensei finished. Boruto sighed in relief. Sarada pushed up her glasses with and let out a similar sigh. Mitsuki looked unsurprised by the sensei's words.

"Congratulations. The four us are now officially Team Konohamaru, Team 7." Boruto and stood up beside his friends and new sensei. We're really ninja now. Boruto wanted to cry, but he would never let Konohamaru-sensei see him like that. Sarada took a deep breath and said what he expected her to say. "I'm one step closer to being hokage now." Boruto couldn't help but feel glad that his friend was closer to achieving her dream, he just wished she didn't want to become hokage like his father. Pushing that thought away he looked over at Mitsuki and Mitsuki looked at him with that almost arrogant look on his face. You were right Mitsuki. I don't how you knew, but you were right.

. . .

The three of them had finished their lunches when Mitsuki began to explain. "It's clear that based on the direct tactics being used by the sensei, there is no way we'll be able to ring all the bells."

"What?" Boruto and Sarada said in unison. What the hell would we be given an impossible test?

"So..." Mitsuki began, "we have no choice but to confront the sensei directly."

"That's suicide Mitsuki!" Sarada exclaimed.

"Of course not. I'm certain the sensei has no intention of killing us." Boruto could tell Sarada was annoyed at Mitsuki sarcasm. Mitsuki resumed: "It's true we'll never beat him the way we are now. But since ringing the bells is impossible, the sensei must be testing us for something else for something else."

"Like what? Teamwork?" Boruto questioned.

"That would be too cliche. Especially considering that we already work so well as a team. No, he's looking for something greater than teamwork."

"Like what?" Sarada asked.

"Something the being able to able to share in defeat as a team. Being able to put everything on the line as a team. What better way to prepare us for the real world than teaching us about loss?" Mitsuki finished. Boruto thought this over before speaking again. "It sounds good Mitsuki. But what if you're wrong? This is quite the gamble your taking."

"That's true." Mitsuki replied. "But life itself is gamble, you have no idea when your world will come crashing down upon you, but sitting in one spot waiting for it to happen is true suicide. If you keep moving you can still salvage your wreck of a life right?" Boruto couldn't argue with that and by the look on Sarada's face, she couldn't either.

"Alright." Sarada spoke up. "Let's put everything on the line together. I'll find him. With that she activated her sharingan and led them to the sensei's location. Yeah let's put everything on the line.

. . .

Boruto didn't know much about Mitsuki, but he was glad they were friends, because having him for an enemy would be scary. Boruto had always been called a prodigy, but Boruto knew Mitsuki had much more potential than both he and Sarada put together. Sorry Sarada, but if you want to be hokage, Mitsuki's the one you have to beat, not me.

"Alright you three, time for you to head home tell you families the good news, and get ready to be ninja. Our missions begin next week." Konohamaru-sensei dismissed them.

"Got it!" The three of them acknowledged in unison.

Mitsuki entered his apartment and turned on his light, revealing a hallway with his bedroom and kitchen on the left and bathroom on the right. At the end of the hallway hung an ornate knife on display. Underneath was note given to him by his mother. It read: My son, this knife is your heritage, birthright, and legacy. May it protect you in your darkest moments, and guide you in your brightest. Mitsuki couldn't help but feel sad looking at this last memento from his mother. It was all she had time to give him as their ship capsized. He took the knife in hand by it gold-hilt decorated with jewels. He read the inscription on its midnight black blade out loud.

"I shall bless those whom the sun blessed, I shall curse those whom the sun has chosen." He hung the knife back on its display.

He walked to his kitchen and quickly prepared himself some rice and eggs, and reflected on the events of the day. He was impressed by Konohamaru-sensei's slyness and the depth of the test. He found it hard to believe that he came up with it himself though. A ninja huh, the ones who endure. That is what he had heard about ninja from Shino-sensei at the academy. It made sense. Ninja performed missions both for paying clients as well as their own ninja villages. Right and wrong was a secondary priority. It made sense that ninja had much to endure if completion of the mission was prioritized over morality. He heard of sever cases of P.T.S.D. particularly during the era of the seventh hokage's but tin this era it was quite rare. This is peace time. I just hope it stays that way. His mother had always told him that that moon and sun always battled for control in the sky. That resulted in the changing of seasons, as well as day and night. If one is allowed to last for too long, the world will stiffen and crack from the lack activity. And so it is with people. His mother had told him.

He finished up his dinner and climbed into bed. He closed his eyes waiting for darkness to take him, to comfort him for the light would not. Why? Why did the sun choose me Mom?