Chapter 7 - The Bell Test


That morning, he'd been awake even before his mom. What a drag.

Shikamaru stifled a yawn as he trudged onto Training Ground 3. Dawn had barely broken, the forest still cloaked in early morning mist. Yet here he was, dragged from his warm bed by an overeager Naruto to meet their lackadaisical sensei. What a drag.

Up ahead, he could make out two figures already waiting in the hazy field. One was a bouncing blotch of orange - Naruto, no doubt. The other a statuesque silhouette - likely Ino judging by the rigid posture.

As Shikamaru drew closer, their voices drifted through the mist.

"Stand still, will ya?" Ino's shrill tone was unmistakable. "I'm trying to see if Sasuke's coming this way!"

"Why're you staring at the road? We're meeting here, believe it!" Naruto's exuberance grated on Shikamaru's sleepy ears.

Ino huffed loudly. "I know that! But Sasuke could show up early and walk right by. I have to be ready!"

Shikamaru suppressed another yawn. Clearly he was the only one lacking enthusiasm this early.

"More like you just wanna ogle Sasuke," Naruto shot back. Shikamaru could picture Ino's glare without even seeing her face.

"Shut it, Naruto!" A loud thwack echoed through the mist followed by Naruto's pained yelp. Yup, Ino had bashed him over the head as expected. Some team this was shaping up to be.

As Shikamaru finally shuffled into the clearing, Naruto spun around eagerly. "Hey, you made it!" He pointed a thumb at himself. "Look look, I got here hours ago to start setting traps for when Kakashi-sensei shows up."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. Their teacher was already two hours late and Naruto thought pranks would improve the situation?

Still, Shikamaru had to admit his own curiosity was piqued about this mysterious test. After his initial shock yesterday, he'd realized Kakashi's claim of 66% failure made little sense. No squad could operate at full capacity without passing genin. Which meant this so-called test was likely another layer designed specifically to evaluate something else. The question was, what and how?

Shikamaru settled into the grass, laying back and looking up at the sky. His vision was obscured by the heavy white mist that continued to bathe the field as morning broke. He wondered idly what shapes the clouds overhead might resemble today.

"Hey, don't fall asleep!" Naruto yelled, appearing suddenly in his line of sight. "We gotta be ready for Kakashi-sensei's big test, believe it!"

Shikamaru sighed. "Relax. It's still early." But Naruto was already scampering off again, no doubt to check his pranks for the tenth time. Where did he get all that energy?

Nearby, Ino continued scanning the tree line for any sign of Sasuke. Or maybe their ever-late sensei at this point. Her ponytail swished back and forth with each impatient pivot.

Closing his eyes, Shikamaru let the sounds of the forest wash over him... Naruto's exuberant chatter mixing with birdsong and wind through leaves. Peaceful. He could almost forget this troublesome test awaiting them. Unfortunately, Naruto's loud voice kept jarring him back to wakefulness.

"Man, where is this guy?" Naruto complained, flopping down dramatically in the grass beside Shikamaru. "It's been way too long, even Kakashi-sensei can't be this late!"

Shikamaru had to agree it was strange. The sun had fully crested the horizon now, burning away the last wisps of mist. Dew glittered on the untrampled grass. By all rights, their sensei should have arrived ages ago.

Cracking an eye open, Shikamaru studied his teammates. Naruto was squirming restlessly, picking at blades of grass as dawn shifted to proper morning. Ino continued scanning the surroundings, though now it was from impatience rather than watching for Sasuke. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. Never a good sign with Ino.

Shikamaru scrubbed a hand down his face. What a drag. Looked like he'd have to be the voice of reason when his volatile new teammates inevitably lost their patience. Troublesome as always.

"I'm starving!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, clutching his stomach dramatically as it rumbled loudly on cue. "Does Kakashi-sensei really expect us to take some big test without any breakfast? That's just mean!"

Ino whirled on him, hands planted on her hips. "Is food all boys think about?" she demanded, ponytail whipping around in her irritation. Though Shikamaru noticed she eyed the bag of chips Choji had given him rather covetously.

Before another argument could erupt, Shikamaru decided to intervene. "We should just eat something small," he said reasonably. "Don't know how long Sensei plans to keep us waiting."

Naruto whooped in delight and eagerly snatched up the proffered bag of chips. As he loudly crunched away, Ino's traitorous stomach gave a very unladylike growl. Sighing in defeat, she delicately grabbed a handful of chips for herself.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to birdsong and wind rustling the leaves. Almost peaceful if Shikamaru ignored his teammates' loud chewing. Though the nagging mystery of their absent sensei still lingered at the back of his mind...

"Hey, wait a second!" Naruto suddenly shouted through a mouthful of chips. He sprang to his feet, pointing an accusing finger towards the sky. "The sun's already up super high. There's no way Kakashi-sensei's still coming!"

Shikamaru sat up, glancing around the empty training field. Naruto had a point for once. Their teacher was absurdly late with no explanation or communication. His curiosity was definitely piqued now. What was the man playing at? Some eccentric test before they'd even arrived?

Nearby, Ino crushed the empty chip bag viciously in her fist. "That's it, if he doesn't show in the next five minutes, I'm not waiting around any longer for that slacker sensei!" She launched the crumpled bag at Naruto's head, eliciting an indignant "Ow!" from the boy.

Thirty minutes later, a puff of smoke announced the arrival of none other than Kakashi. Shikamaru glanced up lazily to see their chronically late sensei eye-smile at them.

"Yo, good morning. Sorry I'm late, I got lost on the road of life," Kakashi said breezily. Behind him, Naruto quickly stashed his pranking materials before their sensei could notice.

"You're late!" Ino and Naruto yelled angrily in unison, pointing accusing fingers at their lackadaisical teacher.

Kakashi blinked slowly. "Am I? My mistake." He clapped his hands together, ignoring their irritated glares. "Right, shall we get started with the test?"

As Naruto and Ino traded uneasy glances, Shikamaru sighed yet again. What a major drag this was sure to be. The sooner they got it over with, the better.


Naruto eyed the slick wooden pole jutting out of the churning river. Two small silver bells dangled from the top, glinting in the morning sunlight. He flashed back to all his intense training with Bushy Brow-sensei, getting thrashed around by these same deadly currents day after day.

Piece of cake, believe it!

Nearby, Ino was fixing her hair while complaining loudly about having to get wet. Even Shikamaru looked mildly intrigued for once, studying the setup critically.

Kakashi-sensei stood casually on the water's surface beside the pole, holding his questionable orange book. "Here's the test. Whoever grabs a bell before noon passes. The rest fail and will be sent back to the academy."

"That's it? All we gotta do is grab a bell?" Naruto shouted eagerly. This was gonna be a total breeze after surviving Bushy Brow-sensei's crazy river drills!

Kakashi didn't even glance up from his book. "I suppose it does seem simple enough."

Naruto rolled his shoulders, psyched to finally show off his hard-earned water skills. In the river waited an old friend—well, enemy was more accurate after all the times it had pummelled him. But today, Naruto would be the one doing the pummelling, believe it!

He cracked his knuckles loudly, savoring his teammate's wide-eyed stares. "Get ready to be amazed! I got this in the bag."

Without waiting for a signal, Naruto charged forward and launched himself at the churning water. He hit it in a messy splash, the cold shocking his system for a moment, but then he was kicking furiously upstream. The strong currents dragged at his limbs like greedy hands, trying to pull him under. But Naruto surged onward with single-minded focus. The bells shone like a beacon atop the pole, growing closer with each frantic stroke. He was nearly there!

A dark shape suddenly loomed in his vision. "Yo."

Naruto jerked back right as Kakashi's hand shot forward, nearly swiping the bell in front of him. With a frustrated growl, Naruto aimed a punch at the infuriating man's masked face. But Kakashi dodged smoothly, still reading his book.

"Hey, no fair!" Naruto yelled. "I had it!"

Kakashi's bored tone never wavered. "A shinobi must be aware of more than just the bells, you know."

Before Naruto could spit back a retort, a piercing scream came from the shore. He whipped around to see Ino flailing in the shallows, ponytail dripping.

"Ew ew ew, something touched my leg!" she shrieked, thrashing wildly and splashing Shikamaru in her panic. Despite the situation, Naruto had to bite back a laugh. What was Little Miss Sparkles doing flopping around like that? This was his chance to grab a bell!

He shot Kakashi a cocky grin over his shoulder. "Heh, good luck with that mess!" Then Naruto took off for the pole again, pumping his arms furiously through the churning rapids. Kakashi was too preoccupied saving Ino from some frog or whatever to stop him this time!

Heart pounding, Naruto reached out desperately as the pole came within range. His fingers had just brushed the rugged wood when suddenly the river exploded upwards, a giant serpentine column of water rocketing sky high. Naruto yelled as the surge snatched him up, shooting him dozens of feet into the air atop its crested peak.

For a breathless moment, he was weightless, the village stretched out far below. Then gravity snatched him back down. Naruto flailed but the fall was relentless, accelerating until - SMACK! He hit the river flat on his back, blasting the air from his lungs. Sputtering and disoriented, he barely registered the dark swirls rushing around him through stinging eyes.

Naruto broke the water's surface, gasping and flailing. The world was a disorienting blur of blue sky and green trees spinning around him. That burst of water had shot him what felt like miles into the air!

He spluttered, trying futilely to suck in air as the unforgiving river plunged him under again. The rapids pummeled him relentlessly, tossing him about like a limp ragdoll. He scraped his knee on a jagged rock, but the sting barely registered through the panic flooding his senses.

Just when his vision started going spotty, a hand fisted in the back of Naruto's jacket, hauling him from the rushing currents. He collapsed to the rocky shoreline, coughing violently as sweet oxygen flooded his starving lungs.

"What...the heck...was that?" Naruto wheezed between ragged breaths. He peered up at Kakashi's bored face through waterlogged bangs plastered to his forehead.

Kakashi eye-smiled. "Ah, looks like the river got a little feisty. You should be more careful."

Naruto's eye twitched. Be more careful? As if that crazy exploding water pillar came out of nowhere! He staggered to his feet, jabbing an accusing finger Kakashi's way.

"Oh yeah? Well try stopping me this time, sensei!" Naruto charged recklessly at the river again, leaping with outstretched hands toward the bells. He could almost feel the cool metal against his fingertips when suddenly the ground swooped out from under him.

"Hey, put me down!" Naruto yelled indignantly as he found himself slung under Kakashi's arm like a sack of potatoes, being hauled bodily back toward shore. This was so humiliating! The jerk didn't even bother glancing up from his orange book.

With an unceremonious thump, Naruto found himself deposited on solid ground again, sopping wet and fuming. Nearby, Ino stood wringing out her ponytail with a disgusted expression while Shikamaru observed everything through half-lidded eyes.

Naruto growled in frustration. "That's it, fight me like a real shinobi!" He launched a punch at Kakashi's vest, but the man sidestepped almost lazily, letting Naruto's momentum carry him stumbling past.

"Now now, no need to get worked up," Kakashi chided mildly, patting Naruto's spiky blond head. "Why don't you take a moment to actually come up with a plan?"

Naruto swatted the hand away angrily. He was so sick of this smug jerk brushing him off and messing with him! Jaw clenched, he spun and aimed a roundhouse kick at Kakashi's head. But the man just ducked, letting Naruto's leg swish harmlessly through air.

Naruto's momentum sent his body spinning, but before he could recover, Kakashi's foot swept his legs out from under him in one swift motion. Naruto yelped as he crashed to the ground in an undignified heap for not even the first time that day.

Nearby, Ino made no effort to hide her laughter. "Nice moves, Naruto," she mocked, wringing out her ponytail.

Naruto's face burned as he quickly pushed himself up, spitting out a mouthful of grass and dirt. So much for showing off his awesome taijutsu against Kakashi-sensei. The smug jerk was just toying with him at this point! He had to get one of those bells and prove himself.

Springing to his feet again, Naruto fell into a basic fighting stance, eyes narrowed. But Kakashi held up a hand before he could attack again. "I think that's enough taijutsu practice for now." His single visible eye regarded Naruto flatly. "You have no patience or strategy. That kind of recklessness will get you killed one day."

Naruto flushed all the way to the tips of his ears. He opened his mouth to protest hotly, but Kakashi had already turned away dismissively.

"Better hurry, time is ticking," the jounin said, burying his face back in his book. With a hand in his pocket, as if he was on a casual stroll, Kakashi sauntered down the river bank.

Watching through slits, the jounin's condescending words burned in Naruto's chest. Reckless. Impatient. Weak. How was he ever supposed to prove himself and become Hokage if everyone kept brushing him off with the same critiques?

Glancing around the empty training field, Naruto suddenly wished Bushy Brow-sensei and Bushy Brow were here after all. They never mocked him for charging in headfirst. Lee would be cheering Naruto on to try grab the bells again. And Guy would give some over-the-top speech about the 'Flames of Youth' or whatever. Naruto could really use their pep talks right about now.

Instead, he was stuck with a smug know-it-all for a teacher, and two teammates who clearly couldn't care less. Some great start to his journey to become Hokage.

Naruto scowled as he watched Kakashi-sensei stroll casually along the riverbank. The nerve of that guy brushing him off as reckless and impatient! Naruto would show him just what he could do.

"I'm gonna grab one of those bells, believe it!" Naruto shouted, pumping a fist. Before Shikamaru could voice his usual lazy protests, Naruto took off running and leapt into the churning river once more.

Nothing could stop hard work and perseverance. Not even Kakashi-sensei.

The icy water shocked his system, momentarily squeezing the breath from his lungs. But Naruto quickly recovered and kicked furiously towards the polished wooden post, eyes fixed on the glinting silver prizes atop it.

"Just gotta...get a little...closer..." he panted, strokes growing more frantic the nearer he drew to the bells. His fingers had just grazed the worn grain of the pole when suddenly - WHOOSH!

A massive column of water exploded skyward directly beneath Naruto, blasting him high into the air atop its surging crest.

"Not again!" Naruto yelled, limbs flailing helplessly. All too soon, gravity snatched him back down. The river's surface rushed up sickeningly fast.

Naruto slammed into the rapids belly-first, blood boiling in his ears with the force. For several disorienting seconds, the world was a blur of blue and green swirling around him.

When he finally breached the surface again, Naruto coughed and sputtered, painfully gulping down air. Blinking water from his eyes, he could make out Kakashi-sensei standing calmly atop the churning currents, reading his book without a care.

Anger flared hotly in Naruto's chest. "You got lucky!"

Ignoring his body's screaming protests, Naruto gritted his teeth and pushed towards the bells with furious determination. But once again, right as his prize was within grasp, the water detonated upwards, shooting him skyward atop a massive liquid pillar.

"Waaahhhhh!" Naruto yelled as he pinwheeled through the air, the training grounds stretched out far below. With a painful smack, he plunged into the frigid rapids for a third unwilling high dive.

"This - is - ridiculous!" Naruto sputtered angrily between dunks from the ruthless river. No matter how stubbornly he paddled towards the bells again, Kakashi blasted him away with that infuriating water jutsu!

Nearby on shore, Ino's laughter echoed mockingly over the rapids' roar. "Wow, great strategy, Naruto! Maybe try going for a swim instead of the actual objective?"

Naruto scowled, but a splash nearby drew his attention before he could retort. To his surprise, Shikamaru was wading cautiously into the shallows, brow furrowed in concentration.

"Shikamaru, what're you doing?" Naruto called out.

The Nara didn't even glance his way, eyes locked unblinkingly on the bells ahead. "Getting serious," he muttered. "We're running out of time."

Before Naruto could respond, Shikamaru moved forward, keeping all but his neck submerged. He must have somehow found a weaker current, because instead of being swept away, like Naruto expected, Shikamaru managed to make way through the river. He was almost at the pole when Kakashi abruptly appeared in his path atop the water.

"Yo," their lackadaisical sensei greeted with an eye smile. But Shikamaru dove straight through his teacher's legs, fingers shooting out to snag onto the post.

He only managed to get one hand on the wood. In a blur of motion too quick to follow, Kakashi grabbed Shikamaru and tossed him into the air. He plunged face-first into the rapids with a loud splash.

Naruto winced in sympathy as the river promptly swept his sputtering teammate away.

Swimming to shore, Naruto couldn't help but feel the heavy weight over the overhead sun. Time was running out, and this test was turning out way harder than he expected. None of them had even come close to grabbing one of those stupid bells yet!

He slogged over to where Shikamaru was wringing out his soaked vest on the shore.

"Man, Kakashi-sensei's no joke, huh?" Naruto said, giving Shikamaru a sympathetic whack on the back that nearly sent the dripping boy sprawling face-first in the dirt. "I bet you didn't expect him to toss you like a sack of potatoes, huh?"

Shikamaru just sighed, gazing back out at the river. "Actually, I wanted to confirm something. It seems my suspicions were correct."

"Huh? Confirm what?"

But Shikamaru just shook his head, gazing back out at the elusive bells. "The pole is covered in oil. Even if one of us managed to get past Kakashi, we wouldn't be able to climb it."

Naruto blinked in surprise as Shikamaru's observation sank in. Their lazy genius teammate was right - the polished wood did seem awfully slick. Just touching it long enough to grab a bell would be hard, let alone scaling the pole's height.

Sneaky Kakashi-sensei! Naruto shook a fist at their aloof teacher, who was casually reading atop the water as if they weren't even there. Always stay one step ahead, huh? More like a hundred steps considering how easily he trounced them!

"So what's your next grand scheme then?" Ino asked Shikamaru sarcastically, wringing out her ponytail with a wet splat.

Shikamaru sighed, gazing up at the position of the sun overhead. "I think it's obvious this test is too advanced for any academy graduate to reasonably pass. Even working together, our chances seem slim with such a small window of time."

Naruto's shoulders slumped as the reality of their situation sunk in. Shikamaru was right - between Kakashi's clear skill advantage and the slick oil coating the pole, grabbing those bells seemed impossible for a freshly graduated genin team.

But they had no choice but to keep trying! Naruto clenched his fists, staring defiantly across the churning rapids at the glinting silver prizes. Giving up wasn't an option. He had to find a way to snatch one of those bells and prove he had what it took to become Hokage someday!

"Who cares if it seems impossible?" Naruto declared loudly. "I'll grab one of those bells with my bare hands if I have to, believe it!"

Ino facepalmed. "Hey, funny guy, haven't you been listening? Even working together, we don't stand a chance before noon!"

"Wait a second, there are only two bells, though. Why would we work together?"

"Two bells is better than none," Ino said with a hand on her hip.

Naruto ducked his head sheepishly. Maybe charging in recklessly again wouldn't be the best idea. But he meant what he said - giving up wasn't an option! If the three of them put their heads together, surely they could come up with some sort of plan.

He turned to Shikamaru, eyes glinting eagerly. "Hey, use that big brain of yours! There's gotta be some way we can outsmart Kakashi-sensei, right?"

Shikamaru just sighed, glancing skyward. But Naruto caught the hint of a smirk tugging at his lazy teammate's lips.

"Maybe. But we'll need to work together..."


Naruto fished the last smoke bomb out of his weapons pouch, fingers curling around the cool metal casing. This was their big shot to grab those bells and pass Kakashi-sensei's test. They just had to time this perfectly!

"You guys ready?" Naruto called in a harsh whisper to where Ino and Shikamaru were waiting tensely at the river's edge. At their terse nods, Naruto yanked the pin from the bomb and hurled it with all his might toward the center of the rapids.

Thick grey smoke instantly billowed up, rapidly engulfing the width of the churning river. Naruto could hear Kakashi call out mildly "Oh dear, someone should clean this up." But he didn't have time to retort. They had to move fast!

As Ino yelled "Now!" Naruto charged recklessly into the hissing smoke, hitting the water in a graceless belly flop. The frigid temperature shocked his system, but he dove straight for the riverbed before the currents could sweep him away again. Just as they'd planned, he spotted Shikamaru's shadowy form crouched among the rocks.

Naruto stretched out his hands desperately. The very instant his fingertips brushed Shikamaru's, he felt the icy grip of the shadow possession jutsu take hold, rooting him to the spot. His lungs burned for air, but Naruto kept still, waiting, trusting in their teamwork...

There! Above him, the water churned violently as Kakashi no doubt prepared another water pillar jutsu to blast Naruto away. But this time, with Shikamaru's jutsu anchoring him down, the powerful column of water could only swirl impotently around Naruto. He clenched his jaw against the current trying to suck him up and flickered Shikamaru a thumbs up.

Stay calm, he told himself. The anxiety was automatic, primal - the urge to kick upwards, to gulp in sweet mouthfuls of air. Naruto dug his nails into his palms, using the bite of pain to ground himself. Just a little longer…

Suddenly, Naruto felt himself yanked violently from the river as Kakashi grabbed his ankle. He flailed midair, the trees and sky spinning dizzyingly around him. Then with desperate speed, Naruto's hands shot out and latched onto Kakashi's vest, preventing himself from being tossed away or dashed against rocks.

"Let go!" Kakashi ordered sharply. But Naruto stubbornly clung on, mere feet from the prizes.

"Shikamaru, now!" Naruto yelled.

On cue, he felt the icy grip of shadow possession jutsu take hold, rooting both him and Kakashi in place. Shikamaru had him pinned! Grinning fiercely, Naruto's eyes glanced toward the glinting bells so close now.

Shikamaru probably couldn't hold Kakashi for long, but it just needed to be long enough for Ino to do her thing.

"Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

Suddenly, Kakashi let go of Naruto's ankle, his body going limp in the shadow possession jutsu. Naruto glanced back in surprise to see Ino's unconscious body pitch forward as her mind transferred into their sensei's. Yes, it worked! With Kakashi immobilized, the bells were his for the taking!

But as he watched, Ino's limp form toppled directly into the raging river. The icy currents latched onto her immediately, blonde ponytail vanishing under the churning foam.

Naruto's heart dropped into his sandals. No! They hadn't planned on Ino getting swept away after using her jutsu. Without thinking, he released his grip on Kakashi's vest and dove into the rapids after his teammate.

"Ino!" he yelled hoarsely, frantically scanning the blurry blue and white for any flash of purple or blonde. There, ahead - a pale hand breaching the foam for an instant before sinking under again. Naruto surged toward it with powerful strokes, lungs burning with effort.

Naruto poured all his energy to close the gap between them. But the greedy rapids kept pulling Ino further away. Naruto's lungs burned for air between mouthfuls of water as he desperately clawed through the churning river.

Just as he neared, Ino's head broke the surface, arms flailing weakly as she choked down water. Naruto latched onto her sleeve right before she disappeared under the currents again.

"I got you!" With all his might, he kicked toward shore, dragging Ino's dead weight with him. She remained limp and unresponsive, letting him haul her bodily through the greedy currents. Fear lanced through Naruto's gut at her lifelessness. They had to get out of this river now!

Spotting a large boulder jutting from the rapids ahead, Naruto angled toward it fiercely. As they neared, he shoved Ino with the last of his strength, boosting her onto the slick rock. She landed in a wet heap, ponytail dripping.

Naruto barely had time to feel relief before the current slammed into him like a stone wall, driving the precious air from his lungs. Churning foam filled his vision, the world a dizzying swirl of blue and green. He clawed desperately for the boulder's rough surface, but the rapids seemed determined not to let go of their prey.

Darkness crept into Naruto's vision as his oxygen-starved lungs spasmed. But suddenly, a hand latched firmly onto his wrist, just before the river could suck him under into its depths.

With a mighty heave, Shikamaru hauled Naruto from the greedy currents onto the boulder beside Ino's still form. Naruto collapsed to his hands and knees, coughing up what felt like gallons of water from his burning lungs. Each breath was sweeter than Ichiraku's finest ramen broth.

But there was no time to rest. They had to get Ino to safety. Naruto blinked water from his eyes and shook the fuzzy darkness from his vision. Together, he and Shikamaru slung Ino's limp arms over their shoulders and slowly navigated across the remaining rapids back to shore.

They laid Ino gently in the grass. Naruto leaned down, pressing an ear to her chest while Shikamaru tipped her chin up, peering closely to check if she was breathing.

"Please be okay, please!" Naruto whispered anxiously. Ino's skin looked deathly pale and tinged with blue. Guilt gnawed at his insides. If he had been quicker, stronger…

But suddenly, Ino jerked and promptly vomited up what looked like gallons of river water. Naruto and Shikamaru quickly rolled her onto her side as she coughed and sputtered violently.

"Ugh...what happened?" Ino rasped weakly between ragged breaths. But Naruto was too relieved to explain. She was safe!

He and Shikamaru carefully helped Ino sit up. She seemed dazed but miraculously unharmed after nearly drowning, her ponytail a dripping mess down her back. Naruto flashed her a relieved grin.

"That was way too close! But at least we're all—"

A sudden clang cut him off. Naruto's head whipped around to see Kakashi casually swinging the two bells in his hand. Their teacher eyed them coolly, no hint of emotion in his one visible eye.

"Well, I appreciate you saving your teammate, but time is up," he said with infuriating mildness. And he held up the bells, their metallic song echoing with crushing finality in Naruto's ears.

Their desperate plan had failed, and almost got Ino killed. Now, Naruto realized with dawning dread, he and his friends faced being sent back to the academy, while their aloof teacher clearly didn't care one bit.

Naruto felt like his stomach was filled with icy water as Kakashi casually dangled the two bells in front of them, the metallic tinkling echoing with crushing finality. Their desperate plan to snatch the prizes and pass this impossible test had ended in failure.

His hands curled into helpless fists at his sides. After everything - the relentless river, the slick pole, Kakashi's infuriating water pillars flinging him about - they had still come up short. Now he and his friends faced being sent back to the academy, while their aloof teacher clearly didn't care one bit.

Hot tears of frustration burned at the corners of Naruto's eyes, but he quickly scrubbed them away before the others could notice. He wouldn't give that smug jerk the satisfaction of seeing him cry! Still, bitterness coated his tongue, more choking than even the rapids that had nearly drowned him.

Kakashi eyed them critically. "How can I put this… you all have no talent. Recklessness and negligence will only lead to someone getting killed on a real mission."

His gaze slid over to linger on Naruto. "Charging in without thinking shows poor judgment. Impatience without strategy will get you killed before you ever become Hokage."

Naruto bristled, cheeks burning with indignation. Just who was this guy to lecture them after toying with them all morning?

But Kakashi wasn't done yet. "You there," he said, pointing to where Shikamaru was still wringing river water from his vest. "You're analytical but too passive. A shinobi must be proactive, not just react to situations. Hesitation on the battlefield costs lives."

Shikamaru released a deep sigh, glancing skyward. No witty retort or denial, just resignation.

Numbly, Naruto watched as Kakashi strode over to where Ino still sat dazed on the shore, her soaked blonde ponytail plastered to her back.

"That reckless use of your jutsu nearly got you killed," Kakashi admonished mildly, though his single eye was sharp. "A kunoichi needs more prudence and caution."

Ino flushed, hugging her knees to her chest defensively. But Naruto noticed her shivering slightly as the breeze chilled her wet skin. Guilt gnawed at his insides. If he had been faster, stronger...

Jaw clenched, Naruto surged to his feet. "You can't fail us! So what if we didn't get some stupid bells?" He jabbed an accusing finger Kakashi's way. "We almost had you! We never gave up!"

Kakashi regarded him coolly. "Oh? And do you see victory here?" He held up the bells again, letting them chime softly.

Naruto growled in frustration, fisting his hands in his sopping hair. Hot tears pricked his eyes once more. After finally graduating from the academy, he couldn't handle being sent back now. Not when he still had so much to prove.

"Why…" Naruto forced out around the tightness in his throat.

Kakashi fell silent, considering them each in turn with his one visible eye. The quiet stretched between them, broken only by the rapids' distant roar. Naruto stood still, but deep inside fidgeted anxiously. Was there some other way they could prove to him their worth? Or were they doomed to fail this so-called test?

After an eternity, Kakashi finally spoke. "You all displayed poor judgment today, that's undeniable."

Naruto's heart dropped. Here it came, the crushing verdict...

"However, those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum."

Naruto's head jerked up in surprise. Kakashi's single eye crinkled into an upside-down U shape.

"Despite the cost, you prioritized saving your teammate over achieving the objective. That shows you embrace the Will of Fire within."

Kakashi tossed the two bells at Naruto, who fumbled to catch them reflexively. They landed with a muted thump in his palms. He stared at the dull metal discs, hardly daring to hope.

"You pass."

Naruto's head jerked up, wondering if the rapids had damaged his hearing. "Wait, what?" Beside him, Ino and Shikamaru wore equally shocked expressions.

Kakashi eye-smiled. "You pass," he repeated casually. "Despite your obvious flaws, you ultimately prioritized teamwork over personal gain. In the shinobi world, those who break rules are scum, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum."

"Wait… who passes? Just Naruto or…" Shikamaru said, his voice trailing off.

"All of you."

For a moment, Naruto blinked incredulously, not understanding the words coming from the jounin's lips. Then all at once, a heavy joy bloomed in Naruto's chest, leaving him momentarily speechless. They...they had really passed Kakashi's impossible test! He wasn't returning to the academy a failure. The relief left his legs nearly limp as shaky laughter escaped his throat.

Nearby, Ino sat stunned for a moment before promptly bursting into tears. Naruto shifted awkwardly, unsure what to do. But Kakashi placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.

"There there, I know the emotions of youth can be turbulent," he soothed. "But embrace this moment as the beginning of your lives as shinobi."

That sent Ino into renewed sobs, though now Naruto caught her smiling through the tears. Even Shikamaru looked oddly misty eyed as he gazed up at the clouds, shoulders relaxing for the first time all morning.

As for Naruto, his heart felt ready to burst right out of his ribcage. They had done it - passed Kakashi's impossible test together! His dreams were still alive.

"Starting tomorrow, we begin our duties as Team 7," Kakashi said. His single visible eye crinkled with what might have been pride. Or maybe amusement at their bedraggled, sopping wet states. "I'll see you bright and early."

As their eccentric sensei vanished in a swirl of leaves, Naruto whooped loudly and grabbed his stunned teammates in a crushing hug.

"We did it, believe it!" He laughed brightly. "Team 7 is officially ready to start our adventures tomorrow!"

Shikamaru grimaced at the volume right in his ear but didn't pull away. Even Ino managed a shaky, tearful laugh, swatting half-heartedly at Naruto's enthusiastic embrace.

In that moment, soaked to the bone and muscles aching, Team 7 had never felt more alive. The future lay ahead of them, bright with promise. They had taken the first step together.

And for now, that was everything.


Author's Note:

Just a quick little fun chapter here!

That's team 7 for ya! Just a bunch of rapscallions that don't quite understand how to be a ninja yet. So, individually, they all have a few issues they need to work out: Naruto is too impulsive, Shikamaru tends to overthink things, leading to him hesitating, and Ino is still playing Ninja, leading to some reckless plays as she tries to prove herself. Over the course of the fic we'll see if they can grow from these and develop.

I didn't wanna completely just throw the bell test out, since it's just such a legacy to the story, but I did want to throw a little spin on it, so there we go! This chapter was basically meant to set things up and just establish the dynamic of the team.

As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate all of you! You guys make this awesome! Stay tuned for the next chapter, where we'll finally get started on the first mission arc!

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