Objective: teamwork

Alright kids, I've spent a lot of time crafting the details in this, so I hope you can appreciate my work! Don't blame me, you chose to be here! And hey, mental scars are better than being dead!

'Magen: Rain no Zensen!' [Demonic Illusion: Rhine Front]

A rustling noise made them tense up again. Sakura was about to draw her kunai when a small swarm of white moths fluttered past them. They eased up, relieved that it was just some insects.

"He, guess not even bugs want to be near her", Naruto joked, and Sakura couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

And then, all hell broke loose. Massive explosions, bigger than anything a bomb tag could produce, detonated all around them. They jumped to their feet and tried to run, but Sakura's feet got tangled up and she faceplanted. Raising her head, she was confused as the trees were nowhere to be seen. Around them was nothing but a dead wasteland with not even a single blade of grass growing out of the soil. White smoke covered the entire area, allowing her to only see a couple of feet in any direction. A thick smell that reminded her of sulfur and rotten eggs hung in the air, and a strange, deep humming seemed to come from above. What had happened to the forest?

"Ah!"

A bit ahead, almost clouded by the smoke, she saw Naruto tangled up in what looked like a short fence made of barbwire.

"That idiot," Sasuke cursed and ran to him. As he did, a whistling sound started and gradually grew louder. Suddenly, an object dropped from the sky. Sakura could do nothing but watch as the two boys got swallowed up in another explosion.

"NO!"

She finally got to her feet, but as she saw the remains of her teammates, her stomach twisted and she lost all strength.

No! This can't be real! No, no, no!

More whistles were heard, followed by more explosions. One went off not far from her, the shockwave throwing her to the ground. Not being able to think straight, not having an idea what was happening or what else to do, she shakily got her feet and started to run, tripping and falling over more than once. Whenever she heard a whistle, she couldn't do anything but hope the explosion would go off elsewhere. Suddenly, while she ran, her foot found no ground. Falling forward, she tumbled down a short, steep slope and landed in a small flow of water. As she got up she noticed that she was in some sort of trench. Another whistle and explosion made her hunker down. Only then did she realize she wasn't sitting in water. Dead bodies piled up left and right, and the floor of the trench was covered in their blood. The hum grew louder and the whistles started again. Dirt rained from above as the explosions went off at the edge of the trench. Tears ran down Sakura's cheeks as she cowered in fetal position, her hands clutching her head and covering her ears while she begged to whoever would listen that she wouldn't get hit.

"Sakura!"

"Huh?! Wha… what?!"

Her eyes snapped open and she frantically looked around. She was back in the training area, currently getting carried piggyback by Naruto, who ran alongside Sasuke through the forest. In any other scenario, she would complain that she was carried by Naruto rather than Sasuke, but right now she couldn't care less. She was just infinitely glad that both were alive.

"What happened?" she asked, still confused, with her eyes still full of tears, and with her heart still beating like it was trying to escape her ribcage.

"Genjutsu," Sasuke answered shortly. "I managed to get us out."

"W-what happened to your eyes?" the pinkette inquired after noticing the red irises with strange markings on them.

"Long story, I'll explain later!"

He looked back.

"Okay, we lost her again," he declared and both boys came to a halt, with Naruto setting Sakura back down. Sasuke's eyes looked normal again.

"This can't go on like this," Naruto complained. And Sakura couldn't agree more.

"Maybe this is the point to give up," the young kunoichi admitted. "I have lost track of where the gate is, but it's enough if one of us finds it, right? She said it ends immediately once one of us leaves."

"What?! No!" Naruto refuted. "I finally managed to pass the academy exam, I won't waste another year! After two flukes, I finally earned my headband! When Iruka gave it to me, I swore that one day I would become the Hokage and that I would never give up on my way to that goal!"

"I for once agree with him," Sasuke grumbled, clenching his fist. "I won't let anything stop me until I had my revenge. I will not fail!"

"But, I mean, haven't we failed already? If even Sasuke can't do anything against her, neither can we! And next year, we know that we have to get the bell in the first half!"

"If we have failed already, what's the point of even having the second half?!"

She wanted to retort, but then, the gears in Sakura's head started turning. Naruto had a point.

"That's… actually..," she said after a moment of thinking. "If one leaves the area, the test ends, right?"

"Yes, you already said that."

"That's… weird, isn't it?"

The boys just looked at her, not catching her train of thought.

"Think about it: if we are supposed to compete against each other, if only two can pass - why are we all disqualified if one leaves the area? That makes no sense! Also, there is the entire premise of the test. If we are supposed to reclaim stolen intel, shouldn't it be more important that we get it, rather than who gets it?"

"But… didn't she explicitly say only two can pass?" Naruto reminded.

"Sure, but she has already misled us more than once. But every time, with the breakfast, with the introductions, and with her route through the forest, she always gave us some verbal clue on what we were actually supposed to do! She must have chosen her words with the same intention this time as well!"

Sasuke rubbed his chin, thinking about her words.

"I can see where you're coming from. So you think the number of bells is just a ruse. That we all pass as long as we get them. Well, I guess it kinda makes sense. Just as Naruto said, if it's basically impossible to get to her in the second half, then why have the second half at all?"

That gave Sakura another idea.

"Yes, of course! The reason why she's going all-out on us is probably to hammer home that we can't and are not supposed to do this alone! She isn't actually trying to kill us; this is to help us find out the solution!"

"So when she said no one survived her test so far, that was just a lie as well?" Naruto chimed in.

She hesitated. Right, she had forgotten that part.

"Actually, it doesn't have to be," Sasuke retorted. "I don't know about this test, but I know that in the Chūnin Exams, some participants die each time. So it's not that farfetched. Being a ninja is a dangerous profession after all."

The other two just stared at him.

"…or it's indeed just to conceal that she's trying to nudge us in the right direction. Either way, I also agree that there has to be still a way to pass, and if Sakura is right, we need to work together."

"And if she isn't?"

"Then getting the bells from each other will still be easier than getting them from her."

That last sentence was enough to finally convince all of them.

"Okay, so how do we do this? Oh, I'm pretty good with the transformation jutsu! Or maybe use my shadow clones?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Yes, we can certainly use that."

"But we can't just charge at her," Sakura interjected. "That jutsu she used against me attacks a wide area, we can't dodge that on an open field! Not to mention the fire!"

That made the black-haired boy think.

"I… actually noticed something. It's not much, but she never looks straight ahead. Her head is always slightly tilted to the right."

"How does that help us?"

"That's not something you do without reason. My guess is that her right eye can't see very well. She tries to look at everything with her left eye. That means her field of view is reduced. We just need to make sure that at least one of us is always in her blind spot. We must press the attack so she doesn't get a chance to use Ninjutsu. Now that I have my Sharingan, that also gives us additional options. Unfortunately, I don't have much chakra left. I'd say I can make one more fireball and one smaller jutsu. The rest I'll need for my eyes."

"So, what exactly can those red eyes do?"

"It's complicated. Let's just say I'll have an easier time fighting her with them."

Naruto slammed his fist into his palm.

"Alright, we probably don't have much time left! Let's do this!"

Would you look at that, they broke out of the Genjutsu sooner than I would've thought. Credit where credit is due, that was unexpected.

Unfortunately, they had left the range of my chakra sense. Granted, that particular skill of mine wasn't as developed as I would've liked it to be. It was exactly the reason why I would've preferred to get the Yamanakas' child on my team. Their clan had produced many exemplary sensor-nin, having a good relationship with them for sure would've gotten me way to some of their techniques.

Since I couldn't risk any of the kids actually dying, all of the dangerous traps were close to the clearing where they would still be in range so I could intervene. But that also meant I couldn't exert any more pressure on them at the moment.

After what I had put them through, at least one of them should be on the verge of quitting right now. And once one was out, all were out. Time was also running short for them, but it was still enough that they could theoretically make it. Maybe I should scare them a little bit more? I had said I would only attack them on sight, but I never claimed I would stand still in the second half. Random encounters can always happen, after all.

Just as I had decided to move out, three identical chakra signatures entered my range. Shortly after, the kids jumped out of the forest and charged straight at me. Did Naruto really think I wouldn't notice that those were transformed shadow clones?

Three weren't a big deal, so I didn't bother to use a Ninjutsu. As they closed in I ducked under a kick from 'Sasuke', grabbed his leg, and slammed him into 'Naruto', while simultaneously kicking 'Sakura' against the shin. The fact that you didn't even need to strike shadow clones in the vitals to dispel them, just hit them hard enough made them very easy to deal with. Just as the last clone disappeared, another chakra signature entered my range. Was he finally done hiding?

Wait, that wasn't Naruto. Way too little chakra. Don't tell me…

'Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!' [Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu]

From the trees, a barrage of smaller fireballs was launched at me. Did he just use the opportunity again or was it coordinated this time? Either way, he probably expected me to dodge. Sorry, not happening. I quickly pulled out a paper tag with six lines of various symbols on it, all centered around a large 'ketsu' [bind] kanji. I threw it in the air in front of me, then formed the 'ram' sign to charge the seal with my chakra. The seal overloaded and burst into pieces, causing the chakra to spread and form a screen in front of me.

'Ninpō: Itten Kekkai!' [Ninja Art: Single-Point Barrier]

Most of the fireballs missed, merely singing the ground a bit, while the few that would've hit struck the barrier without doing any damage.

Sasuke's chakra signature came closer. So he tried to use the fire as a cover, cute. I was just readying myself as the telltale chakra signature of the real Naruto entered my range. With a side glance, I could see him holding a large fūma shuriken. Also, he had transformed into Sakura for some reason. No idea what that was supposed to achieve, but he threw his weapon at me. I focused on Sasuke's chakra signature so I knew where he was, then I readied myself to catch the oversized throwing star. I did so with little effort, just as the Uchiha reached me, and blocked his kunai attack with it. Wait, why did the fūma shuriken have a chakra signature?

…shit.

I quickly let go of the blade and jumped back. Just as I did, the shuriken transformed into Naruto, whose hand I managed to swat away before he could grab the bells.

"Crap! Almost!" he shouted as he fell to the ground.

Having created some distance, I could now feel Sakura behind me. It had been the real one all along, but because they were so close, Naruto's massive chakra signature had drowned out hers. Had that been intentional or had they just been lucky?

Either way, that wasn't the problem. The problem was that for some reason, they were working together now.

What the hell?! After all that?! And I even gave them an easy way out! What the fuck is wrong with the children in this world?! This is the 203rd all over again!

Sure, something similar had happened in my second life, but for crying out loud, these were twelve-year-olds! It seemed I had underestimated what growing up in this screwed-up world did to those kids. But the time wasn't up yet. I could still break their teamwork apart. I just needed to get a bit of space.

I slid under Sakura's kunai to get some distance, but immediately, Naruto came from the right. I blocked his punch and hit him in the stomach, causing him to cower down wheezing. I turned to Sakura who retreated to the left, making way for Sasuke. As the Uchiha attacked, I noticed his eyes.

He had the Sharingan.

So he had already awakened them during the academy but hid it. A smart move to hide a trump card, but it wouldn't help him against me. Deflecting his attack, I swiped his feet before grabbing the falling boy by the collar and pushing back with enough force that he rolled over a few times.

Sorry kid, but I've fought alongside eyes like these long enough! I know how they work! They won't help you if your body can't keep up!

Next came a high kick from Sakura which I caught easily. Was I seeing things or were they focusing on my right side? Did they notice my injured eye? If so, kudos to them. But they weren't yet on a level where they could actually abuse that weakness. With a quick yank pulled the girl into the air, swung her around on her ankle, and threw her at Naruto who just got back up. The two kids collided and rolled backward, past Sasuke, and came to a stop between the wooden posts that held the alarm clocks. Meanwhile, the black-haired boy had gotten to his feet again and was weaving hand signs. Judging by his limited roster of Ninjutsu, it was probably another fire technique. I answered with hand signs of my own, and since I needed less, we finished at the same time.

'Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!' [Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu]

'Futon: Kūhōdan no Jutsu!' [Wind Release: Air Canon Shell Jutsu]

Simultaneously, both of us blew our jutsu at the other, the two attacks meeting in the middle between us. Wind and fire collided, and despite being supposed to be the weaker element in this matchup, wind won. The air projectile punched through Sasuke's fireball, causing it to disperse, and proceeded to hit him square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him, propelling him backward, and adding him to the pile of tangled limbs that were his teammates. While the three were still on the ground, I walked over to the posts as well, stepping my foot at a 'ketsu' tag that was stuck to the ground while pulling out another one, forming a hand sign before holding it up in front of me. The chakra I channeled through my hand and foot into both of them spread through the ground and air to the other six tags that were stuck at the top and bottom of each post.

'Ninpō: Hachiten Kekkai' [Ninja Art: Eight-Point Barrier]

Unlike with the Single-Point Barrier, the tags this time were part of a proper formation and didn't get destroyed. Instead, they produced a sustained membrane of chakra, forming a cubic barrier that trapped the three inside of it.

I gave the trio just enough time to realize their predicament before I spoke.

"That was quite some teamwork. I take it you decided which of you goes back to the academy?"

"Yeah, no one!" Naruto shouted back, and the defiant expressions on the other's faces seemed to agree. Just then, the second alarm went off.

The defiance disappeared from the kids' faces as they realized that the time was up. I allowed myself to enjoy the moment I bit longer before I spoke again.

"Well, seems like that's it," I said and took down the barrier.

I could've easily told them they had failed. They had fulfilled the passing requirements, but they didn't know that. They still thought they needed a bell. In their mind, they had failed already. And I was sure having those three as a team would be the biggest pain in the ass I could possibly have in this job. But if they talked to others and word got out, I was screwed.

Just as I was pondering my options, I could feel my neck hair standing up. I didn't sense anyone else, but my gut feeling told me something wasn't right.

"…you pass."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"HUH?!" all three of them shouted in unison.

"W-wait a moment," Sakura called, "wasn't the point to get the bells as a team?"

So they really had figured that much out.

"Almost. The bells didn't matter, to pass you simply needed to work together. This test wasn't about your skills, it was about your mindset. Showing teamwork despite the prospect that one wouldn't make it - in other words, putting the team and the success of the mission above personal interest, that was the point of the test."

My description of the test was a compromise between the truth and the official version. I didn't want to sound too cynical in case my words reached someone important, but I also couldn't bring myself to completely lie to the kids and just say 'yay, teamwork!'.

"As much as I can understand you wanting to celebrate" - I couldn't - "you should probably leave before the fire reaches the gate. That way."

The three got up and left, bruised and battered, but too happy to care.

…this world was fucked up.

"Hey, uh, Tanya-sensei?" Sakura asked, turning around. Sensei, huh? Yup, that's what I was now.

"Yes?"

"I have a question: are we really the first team that survived your test?"

"Naturally."

I left the statement hanging in the air for a while before continuing the sentence.

"After all, this is the first time I'm doing this."

The looks on their faces almost compensated for the annoyance they without a doubt would turn out to be in the near future. Shortly after, I was finally alone.

Suddenly, someone stood next to me. I hadn't noticed that person's chakra signature at all. Giving my best to not seem startled, I turned to the new arrival. It was a slender shinobi in grey armor and a hawk mask. An Anbu. And considering how easily he had bypassed my chakra sense, not an ordinary one. Well, ordinary for Anbu. And sure, my chakra sense was far from the best, but still.

...I knew something was off!

"Those kids are quite something, aren't they?" he asked in a neutral tone.

"Indeed. Holding back almost became something of a challenge in the end."

For a while, he just stood there in silence. Did he expect me to say something?

"Do you need help with the fire?" he finally asked.

Did he ask whether I still had control over the situation?

"Not need, though it certainly would be faster, so I'd still appreciate it."

He nodded. One after another, he conjured up a couple of rainclouds. The napalm effect of the jutsu had long but ended, only normal fire remained, so the rain could put it out rather easily. With another quick nod, the Anbu disappeared, no doubt to report to the Hokage. So he had watched the entire time. Was the Third simply not trusting a first-timer? Or was this a message? It wouldn't be too farfetched considering he invested a lot of money in Naruto, and Sasuke was the last surviving member of what was once the Hidden Leaf's greatest clan. Either way, good thing I decided to not fail them in the end.

Now that I had a Genin team, I needed to plan. The next Chūnin Exams would begin a bit over four months from now. If I wanted to show off my skills as a sensei, having them participate as soon as possible was a given. But they didn't just need to participate, they needed to perform well. Ideally, all three would make it, but time would show how realistic that would be.

…I also needed to make sure they would all survive it.

The requirement to participate was at least eight successfully completed missions, so it was best to get that out of the way first. I could mask this as wanting to build some teamwork first, so it wasn't too obvious what I was going for. After that, complete focus on training. I would whip them in shape even harder than I did with the 203rd!

I could feel an angry grin form on my face. You want me to deal with this nightmare of a team, 'Lord Third'? Fine! Then I'll just have to be the best Jōnin-sensei this damn village has ever seen!

A/N: Got this one done quicker because this was all supposed to be in the last chapter, but it kept getting more and more. And now it's two chapters!