We got 'em!

Kakashi sighed.

He was already regretting not bringing his book.

Sure, he had to give them credit. The sheer amount of traps they had set up was honestly impressive for fresh Genin. They had clearly worked together to prepare the terrain, and if he were a lesser ninja, he might've actually been concerned.

But he wasn't a lesser ninja.

He was Kakashi Hatake.

Kakashi sighed, rolling his shoulders as he watched Sasuke step forward, eyes cold and stance sharp.

"Well then," he drawled, tucking his hands into his pockets. "I have to admit, I'm a little curious."

Sasuke's brow twitched, but he didn't reply.

Kakashi tilted his head. "The last loyal Uchiha of Konoha… carrying the weight of his entire clan. That's quite the burden for a twelve-year-old."

Silence.

Kakashi hummed, eye crinkling in amusement. "You don't talk much, huh? That's fine. Your brother was the same way."

That did it.

Sasuke's fists clenched, his entire frame going rigid for half a second before he forcibly relaxed. His eyes were sharp, glaring, filled with an emotion that Kakashi had seen too many times before.

Anger.

Hate.

Rage carefully disguised as cold indifference.

Kakashi sighed again, shaking his head. "I'll be honest, I've seen a lot of talented Genin. But the Uchiha always have a way of standing out."

He tilted his head, feigning thoughtfulness. "I wonder… will you live up to the name?"

Sasuke moved.

A blur of speed, a flick of his wrist, and kunai were already flying.

Kakashi smirked beneath his mask.

There it is.

The arrogance of a child who still thought raw talent and revenge meant something.

Sasuke closed in fast, his form strong. A straight jab, a pivot, a low kick meant to force Kakashi off balance. 

It was a solid strategy... if Kakashi were stupid.

Kakashi sidestepped the punch, caught the kick mid-air, and flung Sasuke backwards.

Sasuke skidded, hands already flying through seals.

Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!

Kakashi's eyes widened for what was possibly the 100th time this morning. A fire jutsu at his age? His chakra coils shouldn't be developed enough—

A giant orb of fire roared toward him, scorching the earth in its wake.

Kakashi jumped, flipping mid-air to dodge—

And that was when Sasuke struck again.

His hands were already mid-seal.

Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!

A rapid volley of small, burning projectiles came screaming toward Kakashi… too many to dodge easily, coming from too many angles.

Clever. Kakashi had to admit it.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, Kakashi had no need to dodge.

He weaved a single sign.

"Substitution Jutsu."

Poof.

A burning log crashed into the ground, smoking.

Sasuke spun around instantly, kunai drawn.

Silence.

His eyes darted.

Where—?

And then the ground beneath him rippled.

"Too slow."

Kakashi's hand shot up from below, fingers already locking around Sasuke's ankle, ready to drag him straight underground.

But then he stopped

He felt it.

A presence underneath him.

Kakashi froze.

His instincts screamed.

He pushed off instantly, leaping back… just as the ground beneath him exploded.

*BOOM*

A clone.

It was a Naruto clone.

And it had been carrying an explosive tag.

Kakashi landed on his feet, skidding backwards just in time to see Naruto grinning from below the dirt.

"Gotcha!"

Kakashi exhaled.

And then he realized where he had landed.

Directly in front of Sakura.

She was already mid-throw.

Senbon.

A blinding storm of them.

Kakashi barely had time to tilt his head as the first barrage shot past his ear, the thin, gleaming needles slicing through the air with deadly speed. 

He shifted back, deflecting two with a flick of his kunai—

Only for five more to come from completely different angles.

His eye narrowed.

Senbon clashed mid-air, bouncing off each other in erratic, unpredictable trajectories. They weren't flying in a straight line—they were ricocheting.

Kakashi twisted, dodging left—only for a stray senbon to graze past his shoulder from behind. He pivoted right, but three more shot up from below.

What.

Where was she even pulling them from?

His hand snapped out, catching two mid-air, but there were more.

Too many.

An absurd number of senbon rained down, spinning, rebounding, flickering in and out of his vision. His Sharingan eye wasn't even active, and yet he could tell—

This shouldn't be possible.

No Genin had this kind of precision.

No Genin had this kind of control.

No Genin had this many damn senbon!

And yet, here she was launching an entire armory at him.

Kakashi deflected the last three, pivoted—

And lunged.

His grip snapped around her wrist and then the other.

Got her.

Sakura went completely still.

The air settled.

The last of the senbon clinked to the ground, rolling to a stop and for a second, neither of them spoke.

Then Kakashi exhaled slowly.

He stared down at her, half-impressed, half-exasperated.

"…Well," he muttered. "That was annoying."

Sakura just smiled.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

…Why was she smiling?

She slowly, deliberately, opened her mouth.

And there it was.

A single senbon.

Held between her teeth.

And wrapped around it—

Was an explosive tag.

Kakashi's eye widened.

"Oh, for—"

Sakura spat the senbon straight at his face.

Kakashi barely had time to twist his head, letting go as he flickered back—

And then…

*BOOM*

The air shook. Smoke erupted in a burst, dust and embers scattering in the aftermath. Kakashi landed a safe distance away, eyes narrowed through the haze.

Did she seriously just launch an explosive from her mouth?!

Kakashi's gaze darted.

Where—?

A flicker.

His eye snapped toward the right.

Sakura was already retreating, flipping mid-air, landing a safe distance away.

Her expression was cool.

Too cool.

Kakashi felt a twitch in his temple.

…He was starting to really hate this girl.

But then, he saw something.

A glint. A distinct metallic glint.

Kakashi's eye widened.

His hand shot to his hip.

His fingers closed around… nothing.

The bells.

His bells.

They were gone.

Kakashi's head snapped up.

And there, standing a few feet away, holding up the two small, jingling trophies…

…was Naruto, grinning like an idiot.

"WE GOT 'EM!"

Kakashi exhaled slowly.

"…You little shits."

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