The next day at 5 am.

Team 7 showed up to the training ground at around the same time, they waited for a few hours getting angrier by the minute. By the time Kakashi showed up, it was already 10 o'clock.

"Hey, you're late!" Yelled Naruto and Sakura at the same time.

"Well, a black cat crossed my path so I had to take the long way." Kakashi said. "So anyway, let's get started. You just have to take these bells from me, that's all there is to it. If you can't get them by noon you'll go without lunch. You'll be tied to those posts and you'll watch as I eat my lunch in front of you." He said pointing to three stumps on the side of the field.

'So that's why you wanted us to go without breakfast.' Sakura thought.

"All you need is just one bell each, but since there's only two bells one of you is guaranteed to get tied to the stump. Whoever that is fails, and goes straight back to the academy." Kakashi continued.

The rest of the team immediately understood the gravity of the situation and got serious and little nervous.

"Attack with the intention to kill, otherwise you won't stand a chance." Kakashi said.

"But that's so dangerous!" Sakura exclaimed.

Naruto and Sasuke shared a look and immediately understood each other.

"A shinobi's life always teeters on the edge of life and death, it's in the job description. Now get ready on my signal..." Kakashi replied.

Everyone got ready.

"GO!" Kakashi exclaimed.

Immediately everyone disappeared.

"The basis of all shinobi arts is to become invisible, make yourself disappear." Kakashi said.

Sasuke and Sakura hid themselves in the forest surrounding the clearing. Naruto on the other hand stood in front of Kakashi and yelled. "It's time for the match to begin! Let's make it a real match, worthy of the greatest warriors!"

"You may be thinking of the wrong kind of match," Kakashi said. Looking tired of Naruto's antics.

"The only wrong thing here is your hairstyle!" Naruto said as he ran towards Kakashi.

Kakashi put his hand into his pack, which made Naruto think he was reaching for a weapon but what he pulled out almost made Naruto trip. It was a book, "What the hell, I thought you were reaching for weapon!" Naruto said.

"Yeah, so? I've been dying to find out how it ends, carry on, it shouldn't make much of a difference on the outcome considering who I'm up against." Kakashi said.

"I'm so gonna enjoy beating you up!" Naruto said.

Naruto approached Kakashi with surprising speed, he pulled out a kunai and threw it a him. Naruto then made a couple of hand signs and blew wind out of his mouth. Kakashi dodged the kunai but was hit with the wind. His body exploded into smoke and revealed a log in his place.

"You know, you shouldn't let your enemy get behind you," Kakashi said.

"Naruto, get out of there!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Leaf Village Secret Finger Jutsu, A Thousand Years of Death!" Kakashi exclaimed.

Kakashi then proceeded to jam his fingers up Naruto's ass and sent him flying. No one noticed that a log of wood fell into the pond instead of Naruto. Out of nowhere, hands exploded of the ground and grabbed Kakashi's legs and pulled him underground. Then Sasuke popped out of the ground looking satisfied with himself with two bells in his hands.

"Well done Naruto," Sasuke said.

"Took you long enough, you know how nerve racking it is to fight a Jonin?" Naruto said.

"My bad, I'm not that good with Earth style ninjutsu." Sasuke replied.

"Well, maybe you should train more instead of brooding so much." Naruto said.

"Keep that up and I won't give you a bell." Sasuke said.

"My bad, my bad, now give it here." Naruto said.

"Here." Sasuke said, throwing a bell to Naruto.

"And that's how it's done," Naruto said, looking over at where Kakashi was. But he was gone, "Wait, where is he?" Naruto said.

"Naruto...." Sasuke said.

"What!" Naruto snapped his head back towards Sasuke. He immediately go nervous at what Sasuke was holding. Slowing looking down to confirm his suspicions, rather than a bell in his hand there that a pebble.

"Damn it, he played us. That was genjutsu, when did he get us?" Naruto exclaimed, looking around on guard.

"Let's get out of here, you go and find Sakura. I'll see if I can find and distract Kakashi." Sasuke said.

"Okay," Naruto said.

Kakashi POV

'They're better than I thought, Naruto and Sasuke have incredible teamwork. They were able to silently communicate and plan an attack. Naruto acted dumb and hotheaded to try and catch me off guard while Sasuke stayed hidden and sneak attacked me from underground. I might have to put off finishing my book if things keep going like this.'

I saw Sakura walking around the forest looking for Sasuke.

'Hehe, I have an idea.'

"Sasuke! Where are you?" Sakura said.

"Sakura, behind you." I said.

"Huh?" She looked at me, before she could do anything I cast her in a genjutsu and made Sasuke appear injured behind her, "Sakura," He said.

"Sasuke!" She turned around and saw Sasuke with many kunai and shuriken sticking to his body and blood seeping from his injuries.

S-Sakura! H-help me, please help me!" Sasuke said in the genjutsu.

"AHH!" She screamed and went unconscious.

"I think I over did it a bit. But, she's gotta learn to see through these things." I said, while looking at an unconscious Sakura. 'Now to look for the other two.'

Third Person POV

Naruto was jumping around the forest on the branches of trees. Following any signs of Sakura he could find, and it was pretty simple as she didn't seem to even be trying to hide.

Naruto noticed something on the forest floor and went to check it out.

'Footsteps, and they're pretty recent. I should be close.' Naruto thought.

Naruto kept following Sakura's tracks which lead him to a clearing. There, he saw Sakura lying unconscious. Instead of freaking out, he calmly looked around for any other signs of people. Once the sight was clear he approached Sakura and turned her over to check her condition. When he turned her over he saw a paper bomb on her chest.

"Shit," Naruto said. He grabbed Sakura's dress and ripped it off her while running in the opposite direction. The bomb blew up but he was fine, looking down he noticed Sakura's body covered in paper bombs.

"Fuck, more!?" Naruto exclaimed. He threw Sakura's body and ran even farther away. Sakura's body exploded, Naruto cleared the smoke away with a wind jutsu and ran to check if what he saw was real. There in the center of the explosion was the remains of Sakura.

Immediately upon seeing that he sighed and said, "Kai!"

Looking around, the explosion was still there but the remains on the floor disappeared and chunks and splinters of wood appeared all over the forest floor a couple of meters away from the center of the explosion.

Suddenly Naruto hardened his gaze, pulled out a kunai and turned around with his guard up. Many kunai and shuriken zipped past the tree line heading straight towards Naruto. Naruto quickly dodged and parried the attack and made some hand signs and blew wind out of his mouth. Many blades of wind formed from the wind and flew at break neck speed towards the direction the attack came from.

Then suddenly, blasts of water appeared behind Naruto. He couldn't react fast enough and was hit by the attack. The water hit him square in the chest, which caused him to fly back and hit a tree. Strings then quickly wrapped around the tree and tied Naruto to it. Once the water attack ceased Naruto was tied to a tree.

Kakashi suddenly appeared in front of Naruto and said, "You know, you really shouldn't let your enemy get behind you all the time."

"Sigh, yeah I know, my brother said the same exact thing. I'm working on it," Naruto said.

"Good, mistakes like these can cost you your life on missions and in the battlefield." Kakashi said.

"Now, time to get your friend." Kakashi said.

"You still haven't caught Sasuke? Damnit, he's never gonna let me forget this," Naruto said.

"Anyway, I didn't expect you show up on your own Sasuke. I guess that saves me the time of looking for you." Kakashi said.

Looking past Kakashi, Naruto saw Sasuke appearing from the trees carrying Sakura in his arms.

"Hehe, I didn't expect you to be such a ladies man Sasuke." Naruto yelled, trying to tease Sasuke.

"Shut it, loser." Sasuke yelled back. He then gently put Sakura on the floor.

"Look at you, this is the first time I've ever seen you be so gentle with anyone." Naruto continued to tease.

"Gasp! This is just like in Make-Out Paradise..." Kakashi started to mumble to himself, looking at the book, his hand on his mouth while slightly blushing.

Sasuke and Naruto looked at him weirdly, slightly judging him. Kakashi then snapped out of it and said, "Cough, let's get this over with."

"Yeah, let's." Sasuke said.

His eyes turning blood red with two tomoe in each eye.

Kakashi looked at Sasuke with slight surprise, "Hmm, I guess I'll have to get a little serious." He said, and put his book away.

Sasuke attacked first, throwing kunai and shuriken at Kakashi, he dodged to the side. But that gave Sasuke enough time to approach and attack with taijutsu. Sasuke attacked with high kicks and punches which Kakashi easily blocked.

Kakashi grabbed Sasuke's leg when he kicked but Sasuke turned his body and went for a punch to the face. Kakashi grabbed that punch. Sasuke countered with another kick, this time going for the head.

Kakashi let go of Sasuke's arm and blocked the kick, now Sasuke is handing upside down, Kakashi had both arms occupied. So Sasuke reached for a bell, he barely managed to touch one before Kakashi backed away.

"Well, that was close," Kakashi said.

Sasuke performed quick hand signs and thought, 'Fire style: Fireball Jutsu!'

Sasuke spewed fire from his mouth that formed into a massive ball of flames that flew towards Kakashi at high speed.

Once the fire died down, he was nowhere in sight.

'Where did he go?' Sasuke looked around in all directions, by the time he looked down...

"Too late," Kakashi said. His hand burst out of the ground and pulled Sasuke down.

"You're not very good at using your Sharingan." Kakashi said.

"Fuck," Sasuke cursed.

"Well, I'm gonna go and enjoy and early lunch. If you guys don't wanna get tied to those posts then you better hurry and free yourselves before the time runs out. Later," Kakashi said.

"Naruto, are you just gonna stay there? How about you do something?" Sasuke said.

"Yeah, give me a sec," Naruto said.

Naruto then took a couple of deep breaths, his heartbeat got faster, and faster. Suddenly, Naruto's nails got longer, his whiskers got thicker and his teeth turned into fangs. Naruto looked up, his eyes a deep red and a black slit down the middle. Kakashi was shocked, he could feel the ominous chakra just oozing out of Naruto's body.

The strings tied around Naruto snapped, Naruto then disappeared and reappeared next to Kakashi in the air. Kakashi quickly moved to the side to block. He put his guard up to block the attack but he was still sent flying from the force of the kick.

Naruto followed up with many more punches and kicks. Kakashi needed to end the fight by noon so he decided to step things up. "I guess I have no choice then," he said. He grabbed his headband and pulled it up to reveal a scar and a Sharingan.

Kakashi then ran to the pond, stood in the middle of it and started to perform high speed hand signs. Naruto did the same.

"Water Style: Water dragon Jutsu!"

"Wind style: Great Breakthrough!"

Both of the jutsu's collided and the entire training ground was covered in mist. It settled quickly and as Naruto approached and got poised for another taijutsu bout the bell went off.

"Phew, that was close." Kakashi said. "Okay, gather round."

Team 7 can be seen sitting next to the posts.

"I have an announcement about this exercise. I've decided, I won't send any of you back to the academy."

"What? All three of us? Yes!" " I passed! Woohoo!" Naruto and Sakura celebrated.

"Yes, all three of you, are being dropped from the program." Kakashi finished.

"What!" Naruto and Sakura yelled.

Sasuke got pissed but managed to keep his anger under control. 'I can't even do anything to change his decision, I need to get stronger.'

"It would be better if you guys just give up, you don't have what it takes to be ninja." Kakashi said.

Sasuke's anger reached a boiling point, he got up and attacked. But before he could make a move, Kakashi took him down, sat on him, grabbed his arms and put his foot on Sasuke's head.

"Don't step on Sasuke! Get off of him!" Sakura yelled.

"Are you trying to make fun of Shinobi with your behavior?" Kakashi asked, but no one could respond.

"Did you even stop to consider for one minute why you were split up into teams?" Kakashi asked.

"Excuse me?" Sakura said, looking extremely lost.

"So you missed the entire point of this exercise." Kakashi continued.

"It had a point?" Sakura asked.

"Of course, it's what determined whether or not you succeed." Kakashi said.

"But you haven't explained to us what it is." Sakura said.

"One of you boys tell her." Kakashi said.

"What you guys knew? and you didn't tell me?" Sakura said.

"Sorry, there wasn't enough time." Naruto said.

"Well, tell her," Kakashi said.

"I-it's teamwork," Sasuke said.

"Exactly! If the three of you had come at me together, you might have been able to take the bells." Kakashi said.

"But wait a minute! There are only two bells, how are we supposed to work as a team if one of us will fail anyway. You preach about teamwork but you're pitting us against each other." Sakura said.

"Of course, this task was made to pit you against each other." Kakashi said.

"What!" Sakura exclaimed.

"The situation was set up to reveal which of you would set aside your individual interests for the good of all. But instead you, Sakura, ignored Naruto who was right Infront of you and focused on Sasuke even though you didn't know where he was.

Naruto and Sasuke you both are full of surprises. Your teamwork is impeccable but this is a three-man squad. You both focused on trying to take me on and didn't even bother to let Sakura in on your plans. Then for some reason you decide to split up instead of moving together to better handle any situation you come across.

Making a play as an individual is bad for the team and exposes your comrades to unnecessary danger. You might as well kill them yourself. Here's an example, Sakura kill Naruto or Sasuke dies." Kakashi said while putting a kunai to Sasuke's neck.

"The day could come when one of you make be taken hostage, and you're forced to make such a choice. When you are on a mission your lives will always be on the line," Kakashi continued.

"Give me a heart attack why don't you?!" Sakura exclaimed.

"See the names carved on this marker? These are heroes of our village, ninja."

"OH! That's awesome, that's where I want my name to go. I'm not gonna throw my life away! I want to be like them- a hero!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Ahem, but the ones listed there aren't just any heroes..." Kakashi said.

"Really? What kind of heroes are they?" Naruto said, really excitedly.

"The dead kind, they died in the line of duty." Kakashi finished.

Naruto immediately deflated after hearing that. The horrors of shinobi life finally sinking in. The same expression painted on the faces of the other team members.

"This is a memorial, it includes the names of my best friends." Kakashi said, he turned around to look at the team and said. "Pay attention! I'm giving you all on last chance. One that will be far more difficult than our last little game with the bells. Eat lunch now to build up strength, but Sakura doesn't get any as she was the worst performer on the team. If either of you feeds her, that person will immediately fail. I make the rules, you follow them. Understand?" Kakashi said, then he disappeared.

Sakura could be seen sitting on the floor, leaning on the post, hugging her knees. Her stomach then rumbled really loudly.

Naruto then looked over to her and said, "Okay, you're gonna have to eat if we wanna have any chance at passing the test."

"It's fine Naruto, I'm on a diet so I don't need to eat. You go ahead and enjoy," Sakura said.

"Here," Sasuke said, while giving his bento box to Sakura.

"Bu-but Sasuke, Kakashi-Sensei told us-!!" Sakura said.

"I'm not worried. he's probably long gone by now, and we'll need all the strength we can get if we're going to work together. You're no good to me if you're just going to be a liability." Sasuke said.

Sakura got a little blush on her face when he said that.

Iruka POV

"Th-This is..." Iruka stuttered.

"Yes, there's no denying that Kakashi is extremely strict, and when his students come to him, they are utterly naive." Hiruzen said.

"I can see that, but, no one? No one at all?" Iruka asked.

"Yes. Kakashi never passes anyone. Ever." Hiruzen said.

Back to team 7

Once Sakura took the bento box and started eating, a big explosion erupted in front of the team. Out of the smoke a very angry Kakashi stepped out.

"YOU!..." Kakashi started.

"AAGHK--!" Sakura screamed. While Naruto and Sasuke got up, ready to fight.

"Pass!" Kakashi finished, he had a big smile on his face. Or at least from the raised cheekbones that could be seen, one would assume that he's smiling.

"We pass!? But, why?!" Sakura asked.

"You three have just taken a giant step forward." Kakashi said, seeing the confused looks on his teams faces, he continued. "Up until now, all any of you have done is listen to everything I say without question, like mindless little drones.

A true shinobi seeks for the hidden meanings within hidden meanings. In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum, that's true. But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum." Kakashi said.

'That's kinda cool!' Naruto thought.

"The exercise is over, team 7 starts it's first mission tomorrow!!!"

"I did it, believe it! I'm a ninja! ninja! ninja!" Naruto yelled.

'Cha, I did it!' Sakura thought.

Sasuke just chuckled.

"Let's go home," Kakashi said.

Kakashi and team 7 then left the training field, putting a closure on their last lesson as academy students and starting their journey as full-fledged ninja.

__________

Hey guys, new chapter dropped. What do you think? I know I could have put more detail in the fight scenes but most of the fights are short bouts that don't last longer than 5 minutes. At least in my head. Most of the time they're doing ninja things, hiding, being stealthy, setting up ambushes. All that jazz.

Anyway, next chapter, a new character is coming to this fanfic. I'm sure you all know who I'm talking about, Bell won the poll. I had a poll on Scribble Hub and Webnovel and the voters on Webnovel didn't specify whether they wanted a new Sylph or the same one. So I'm just gonna use the same one. Sorry to those on Scribble Hub.

Please leave a review if you enjoyed the story. Thank you for reading.