Naruto: Shadows of the Divine Flame

I arrived at Training Ground Three before dawn, standing beneath a tree as I watched the sky shift from deep blue to soft orange. The air was cool, a light mist rolling through the field. The only other sign of life was the trio of wooden training posts in the center of the clearing.

Sasuke arrived next, his expression impassive as always. He gave me a nod before leaning against a tree.

Naruto, predictably, was the last to show up, yawning loudly. "Maaaan, I'm starving," he complained, rubbing his stomach.

I exhaled through my nose. "Kakashi did warn us."

Naruto groaned. "Yeah, yeah. But what kind of crazy teacher tells his students not to eat?"

Sasuke crossed his arms. "A weak stomach isn't an excuse for failure."

Naruto scowled. "Who said anything about failing?! I'm gonna pass this test no problem!"

Before Sasuke could fire back, Kakashi finally arrived—an hour late.

"Yo," he greeted casually.

Naruto twitched. "YOU'RE LATE!"

Kakashi hummed. "Maa, I got lost on the path of life."

Sasuke scoffed. "Liar."

Kakashi ignored him and pulled out an old-fashioned alarm clock, setting it on a nearby stump. "Alright, let's begin. This test is simple: you have until noon to take one of these bells from me."

He held up two small silver bells, and instantly, I spotted the problem.

Naruto frowned. "Wait… there's only two."

Kakashi's eye crinkled in amusement. "Exactly. The one who doesn't get a bell… fails and goes back to the Academy."

The air tensed. I glanced at Sasuke, who had narrowed his eyes, clearly thinking the same thing I was. This wasn't just about skill—it was psychological warfare.

Naruto, of course, took the bait immediately. "WHAT?! That's not fair!"

Kakashi shrugged. "Life's not fair. Now, come at me with the intent to kill."

I watched him carefully. Kakashi Hatake was a shinobi of terrifying skill—the youngest to ever join the ANBU, rumored to have copied over a thousand jutsu with his Sharingan. And he was challenging us to fight him?

Naruto, undeterred, immediately lunged forward. "ALRIGHT! GET READY, SENSEI!"

Kakashi didn't even move.

He just flicked out a book.

Make-Out Paradise?

Naruto stopped mid-charge. "…Are you seriously reading right now?"

Kakashi turned a page. "Mm? Oh, don't mind me. Go ahead."

Naruto twitched violently. "YOU'RE MOCKING US!"

I sighed. This idiot.

Sasuke was already gone, having vanished into the trees the moment Naruto charged in. Smart. I followed suit, leaping into the foliage and masking my presence.

Naruto, on the other hand, attacked head-on.

Kakashi dodged every punch and kick with ease, not even looking up from his book. When Naruto went for a wide swing, Kakashi simply grabbed his wrist, twisted it behind his back, and kicked his feet out from under him.

Naruto crashed face-first into the ground.

"Too slow," Kakashi commented.

Naruto flailed. "Ow! Ow! Let go!"

I took that moment to observe. Kakashi isn't taking us seriously yet. That meant he was confident enough to toy with us. I needed to use that to my advantage.

I focused my chakra, blending further into my surroundings. Kakashi had one uncovered eye, which meant his blind spots were wider than he let on.

Meanwhile, Naruto had broken free and was now launching himself forward again. "Take me seriously, you masked bastard!"

Kakashi sighed and vanished.

Naruto's eyes darted around. "Where'd he—"

A hand shot out from beneath the earth, grabbing Naruto's ankle.

"Wha—?!"

And then Naruto was yanked underground, buried up to his neck in dirt.

"The Hell?!" he shouted, flailing his head.

Kakashi casually dusted off his hands. "Shinobi rule number one: always look underneath you."

Naruto fumed.

Sasuke took that moment to strike. He came from Kakashi's right, shuriken flashing in his hand. Kakashi tilted his head at the last second, dodging the attack with ease—only for Sasuke to appear behind him, launching a kunai.

Kakashi spun, barely blocking with his own kunai. "Oh? That was actually pretty good."

Sasuke didn't respond, instead pushing forward with a series of precise attacks. I moved at the same time, striking from the left.

Kakashi dodged my first kick, but I expected that—I spun midair, using the momentum to launch a kunai at his blind spot.

He twisted just in time, deflecting the weapon.

I landed, watching him carefully.

Kakashi lowered his book slightly. "Interesting. You two actually have some coordination."

Naruto, still stuck in the ground, sputtered. "HEY! DON'T IGNORE ME!"

Kakashi turned a page. "Maybe if you weren't buried."

I tuned them out, focusing on the bigger picture. Two bells, three people. But Kakashi doesn't actually want us to fight each other for them. That was too simple.

Which meant the answer was…

I glanced at Sasuke. He caught my look, but his expression was unreadable.

I sighed. Of course, he wouldn't go along with it. Not yet, anyway.

For now, I needed to test something.

I raised a hand, forming the seal for a basic jutsu. Kakashi's visible eye flicked toward me, reading my intent instantly. So, he's actually watching me more closely than the others…

Good to know.

I smirked slightly, then lunged forward.

The battle continued.