"Wait a minute! Qualification bells? Why weren't these ridiculous rules explained before we started?!"
Satsuki suddenly stood up from the ground, shouting in panic. She was completely unaware that what Kakashi was using at this mont was an ultimate tactic called "we reserve the right to interpret the rules"—practically playing dirty.
Rules could be supplented by the maker at any ti, and were always thrown out at the most crucial monts.
"Unfortunately, but this is reality."
Kakashi put his hands in his pockets, appearing cold and unfeeling as he rcilessly rejected Satsuki's protest. "Mission briefings for ninja also often don't specify all potential dangers and variables—you need to judge and respond on your own."
Though speaking these rciless words, Kakashi's heart was actually full of anticipation and nervousness. His deep gaze swept over the three people before him.
In fact, the core purpose of this exercise had nothing to do with snatching bells from the beginning. Its true aning was to test—test whether they possessed the foundation to beco a real squad: teamwork.
Naruto's performance far exceeded his expectations. Truly worthy of being sensei's child, not only had he shown excellent strength and leadership in battle, but more importantly, he had actively taken on the leader's responsibility from start to finish.
As the strongest in the squad, he hadn't had the slightest thought of abandoning the weakest Sakura who might even drag them down. This persistence in never abandoning any comrade was exactly the quality Kakashi most hoped to see.
As for Satsuki... as a genius of the Uchiha clan with amazing talent and pride, her performance surprised Kakashi while also feeling sowhat subtle. She actually showed almost absolute trust and obedience toward Naruto?
This was Kakashi's first ti seeing an Uchiha so compliant, even willing to cooperate with actions led by soone from another clan. Though this "compliance" seed a bit overly focused on Naruto alone, in Kakashi's view, this was just a minor issue needing slight guidance. The core—willingness to cooperate with recognized comrades—was very precious.
As for Sakura... she was indeed much weaker, lacking combat experience and battle awareness. But throughout the process, she hadn't developed the negative attitude of "since I can't help, I might as well give up." She had consistently tried hard to keep up and attempt to contribute. Kakashi had also noticed this effort and struggle.
Therefore, this final, seemingly extrely harsh rule was the real ultimate test. Kakashi held his breath waiting for their reaction. How much he hoped that this ti, he could finally have subordinates who were worth entrusting his back to and truly understood the value of cherishing comrades...
He absolutely had to pass down that will called "comrades" that his deceased best friend had passed on to him.
Watching Satsuki clench her fists and grit her teeth yet be powerless to refute, Sakura with completely despairing eyes, and Naruto whose face was filled with surprise and confusion, Kakashi knew the ti had co to finally present his real test.
"But you don't need to despair so early."
This sudden statent made Satsuki and Sakura almost simultaneously look up sharply, hope rekindling in their eyes.
Kakashi maintained his surface calm and continued, "Given that aside from Sakura, your overall performance in tracking, cooperation, and combat was fairly comndable, Satsuki... Therefore, I can make an exception and give you two another chance."
His gaze moved between Satsuki and Sakura. "This afternoon's bell-snatching battle will be more intense and more brutal than this morning's. Understood? This is your last chance."
Then he changed his tone, proposing a condition that seed relaxed but was actually more harsh. "I'll even allow Naruto to help you. After lunch, the exercise continues."
However, he imdiately pointed at Sakura tied to the wooden post, his voice suddenly becoming stern. "But—you two are absolutely forbidden from sharing your lunch with Sakura. Not even one bite."
"Eh?" Sakura was stunned, sowhat surprised to hear this rciless directive aid at her.
"This is punishnt for her naive and reckless behavior!"
Kakashi's voice was cold and hard as he bluntly pointed out Sakura's mistakes. "Clearly lacking the strength to handle the danger before her, yet just because her teammates created too much commotion and she thought they had achieved overwhelming results, she recklessly left her hiding spot and charged out—this kind of behavior showing complete lack of self-awareness and carelessly exposing one's position is not only stupid on a real battlefield, it's fatal! It won't just kill you, it'll drag down the entire squad!"
Sakura suddenly recalled how she had instinctively run out from her hiding place after seeing that amazing combination jutsu bombardnt, thinking Kakashi had been killed... Intense regret instantly overwheld her, making her lower her head deeply once again.
Kakashi delivered his ultimatum: "Listen well, these are the rules. If either of you two—Satsuki, or you, Naruto—dare violate the regulations and secretly share your lunch with Sakura..."
"Then the violator will be imdiately eliminated! And you, Naruto, don't think getting the bells ans everything's fine. If you dare violate the rules, I'll imdiately revoke the ninja status you just obtained and make you return to the academy too!"
"These are the final rules. There won't be a second warning."
---
Naruto ate small bites of the lunch Kakashi had prepared. The taste was decent, but not as good as his own cooking.
Looking at Satsuki beside him, heavy-hearted and barely tasting her food, and Sakura tied to the wooden post without even a lunch box, Naruto hadn't expected Kakashi to ultimately conduct this classic test...
So according to the "plot" developnt, next Satsuki should risk everything to share her lunch with Sakura, right?
His thoughts drifted. Thinking back, in the original tiline, it was himself who was tied to the post. And that outwardly cold Uchiha Sasuke had bet his ninja future to share his precious lunch with the "dead last" he was back then.
It was precisely at that mont that Sasuke's ice-like exterior first showed cracks, allowing him to glimpse the gentleness and kindness hidden beneath.
Such a good child... yet later was driven step by step by Uchiha Itachi and hatred into that state...
Naruto felt a complex mix of emotions. Perhaps it was from that mont of sharing lunch that he truly began trying to understand and grew to like that cold-outside-warm-inside Uchiha.
On the other side, Sakura, tightly bound to the wooden post, felt empty, gnawing pain in her stomach. Though she had eaten the sandwich Naruto prepared in the morning, by noon the hunger was irrepressibly surging up.
She thought bitterly, hoping that being hungry wouldn't affect her performance in the afternoon bell-snatching... This ti, I really can't drag everyone down again!
However, the body is often honest.
Growl~
The sound ca extrely inappropriately from her abdon, standing out particularly in the relatively quiet venue.
This extrely embarrassing scene happened right in front of the person she admired... Sakura's face instantly turned bright red, wishing she could find a crack to crawl into as she lowered her head deeply once again.
Just then, a hand holding a lunch box suddenly appeared before her.
"Here, eat."
Sakura looked up in surprise to see Satsuki had sohow stood up and was offering her own lunch.
"Hurry, while that guy isn't back yet." Satsuki added, her gaze scanning the surroundings.
"W-wait! You don't need to!" Sakura was pleasantly surprised but quickly shook her head in refusal. "If Kakashi-sensei sees, you'll be eliminated! I... I can't drag you down..."
"Don't overthink it." Satsuki interrupted her. "I just don't want you going weak in the knees from hunger this afternoon and dragging us down. If that happens, I won't forgive you."
"Satsuki... you're really..."
Looking at this black-haired girl who was tough on the outside but soft inside, Sakura's eyes couldn't help but moisten with emotion.
Really, that Ino girl saying Satsuki was dangerous and scary... that was completely a misunderstanding! She's obviously so kind!
Naruto, silently observing nearby, felt quite relieved seeing this scene. She really is... still that Uchiha Sasuke.
So Naruto also smiled and picked up his own lunch, saying, "Yeah, Satsuki's right, you can't fight on an empty stomach. In that case, I'll share my lunch with you too..."
"Absolutely not!"
Before Naruto could finish, he was interrupted by Satsuki's unusually firm, even sowhat urgent shout. That sudden forceful attitude even startled Naruto.
Satsuki seed to realize her loss of composure too. After a mont of silence, she spoke again, her tone gentler but still carrying an undeniable aning.
"How about this... I'm not very hungry at noon today, so I'll give my lunch to Sakura." She pushed the lunch in her hands closer to Sakura, then turned to Naruto with a proposal that sowhat surprised him.
"Naruto, yours... let's share it between the two of us."
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