Chapter 27
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By the river near the training grounds, Naruto lay on a deck chair, snoring lightly, a fishing rod stuck in the ground beside him.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he stretched lazily. "Oh, time for a change. Time to regroup."
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At the training grounds, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura stood under the practice target.
Sakura looked at both of them, disappointment heavy in her voice. "The three of us didn't get the bells. Looks like we'll be heading back to the Academy for more training."
But in her heart, she thought: Yes! Naruto and Sasuke didn't get the bells either! Even if we have to redo the test, I'll still be on the same team as Sasuke. My chances with him are still high!
"I got one." Sasuke suddenly pulled out a silver bell.
Naruto grinned, twirling a bell between his fingers. "Me too."
Sasuke glanced at Naruto, saying nothing.
"NANI?!" Sakura felt as though the entire world had abandoned her. The clown… was me all along!
She suddenly realized what this meant—she was going to be tied to a log, forced to watch them eat while she starved. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Naruto sighed and stepped forward, patting her head. Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed her the bell. "Here, take it."
"But, Naruto… you…" Sakura stammered, tears still clinging to the edges of her eyes.
Naruto just chuckled. "Eh, it's fine. I'm not exactly ninja material anyway. My dream is to become a legendary ramen chef!"
Sasuke stepped forward, holding out his bell toward Naruto. "Here, take mine."
Naruto blinked in confusion. Hah? The hell? I gave mine to Sakura because I knew the Old Man wouldn't let me live off government handouts forever. But why the hell are you giving yours to me? Is this bravery? Is this… love?
Before he could process it, Kakashi appeared with his usual dramatic flair, accompanied by his own personal background music. "Congratulations! You've all passed!"
Naruto immediately raised a hand. "Uh, hold up. I don't have a bell."
A black line formed on Kakashi's forehead, but he pretended not to hear.
"In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum," Kakashi continued. "But those who abandon their comrades… are even worse than scum!"
Naruto interrupted again. "Oi, oi~ I still don't have a bell. Did you hear me?"
A vein popped on Kakashi's temple, but he kept his cool.
"I mean, if I don't have a bell, shouldn't I be eliminated—"
Kakashi snapped. "ARE YOU AN IDIOT?! I SAID YOU PASSED! DEAL WITH IT!"
Sasuke and Sakura sighed, watching Naruto push Kakashi to his limits.
Naruto shrugged. "Man, the world is changing. People don't even listen to common sense anymore." Then, brightening up, he threw an arm around Sasuke's shoulder. "To celebrate Team 7's official formation, let's go get some barbecue! My treat! Sasuke's paying!"
Sasuke glared. "Get lost."
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A few days later…
"I swear, if I have to catch one more damn cat…" Sakura groaned, rubbing her temples.
Next to her, Sasuke was doing push-ups with a massive boulder strapped to his back.
Naruto just yawned. "Welcome to the glamorous life of a genin."
At that moment, Kakashi appeared in his usual fashion—out of nowhere.
"Yo."
"Yo my ass! You're late again!" Sakura snapped.
Kakashi ignored her outburst and held up a mission scroll. "This time, I was fighting to get you guys a better mission." He unrolled it with a dramatic flourish. "A C-Rank mission!"
Sakura's eyes lit up. "Where? What is it?"
After weeks of chasing animals, babysitting, and carrying groceries, she was beginning to question whether being a ninja was worth it.
Kakashi led them to the Hokage's office, where an old, drunken man was waiting. He squinted at the three genin before scoffing. "These brats are my bodyguards?"
"This is Tazuna," Kakashi introduced. "A famous bridge builder. Your mission is to escort him back to the Land of Waves and protect him while he completes his project."
Tazuna took another swig of sake and sighed. "I'm telling you, are these kids really ninjas? They look like a bunch of snot-nosed punks."
Naruto crossed his arms. "Tch. No wonder I wanted to punch this guy in the original story."
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The next day, the group left Konoha, traveling through the forested road leading to the Land of Waves.
Naruto, glancing at the trees beside him, felt a tingle of familiarity. Huh. They're coming early this time.
Along the way, Kakashi gave his usual lecture about the ninja world and the might of the Hokage, hyping up Konoha's power. Sakura listened nervously, but Kakashi reassured her, "Don't worry, C-Rank missions don't involve enemy shinobi."
Sakura relaxed.
Soon, they approached a puddle on the side of the road. Kakashi glanced at it but said nothing, continuing forward.
The moment they passed it, two Hidden Mist ninja shot out from the water, their chain sickles wrapping around Kakashi's body—tearing him apart in a spray of blood.
Sakura's eyes widened in horror. "AHHHH!"
In an instant, the two enemy shinobi turned toward Naruto.
"Watch out, Naruto!" Sakura screamed.
Sasuke, hands still in his pockets, barely even acknowledged the attackers. He didn't move—almost as if he didn't see them as a threat.
Naruto sighed. "You know… of all the people you could've picked, why did you have to come after me?"
A kunai flashed into his hand. With a quick backhand slash, his arm blurred—an afterimage trailing behind his movement.
Then, he was gone.
Sakura turned to look at Naruto, heart pounding. "Naruto, are you okay?"
Naruto smirked. "Do I look like I'm in trouble?"
She hesitantly glanced at the two enemy ninja. Suddenly, blood gushed from their necks. Both fell to the ground, lifeless.
A chill ran down Sakura's spine. She turned back to Naruto—who was still smiling.
This… this is Naruto?
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