Naruto: Shadows of the Divine Flame

Sasuke and I moved in sync, attacking from different angles to force Kakashi into a defensive position. He evaded with ease, his body language still relaxed.

I feinted a high kick while flicking a kunai toward his ribs. He dodged both without effort, twisting midair and landing a few feet away, still holding that damn book.

"You're coordinated," Kakashi noted. "But you're hesitating."

I didn't reply, already adjusting my stance. I was calculating every move, analyzing his patterns, but Kakashi was too experienced. He knew I was analyzing him, and he was countering that.

Sasuke dashed forward, his Sharingan-less eyes locked onto Kakashi, and for a brief moment, our gazes met. I saw the determination there—the unspoken frustration of constantly being compared to Itachi.

Sasuke struck fast, forcing Kakashi to block, and I took the opportunity to move from behind. I focused chakra into my legs, enhancing my speed as I closed the distance.

At the last second, Kakashi shifted.

I saw the flicker of his counterattack before it happened—his hand shot toward me in a blur, fingers aimed for a pressure point. I barely dodged, rolling to the side, and for a split second, Kakashi's gaze lingered on me with mild curiosity.

He knew.

He knows I'm not just some average Uchiha.

Before I could fully process it, Naruto burst free from the ground with a shout.

"YOU BASTARD!" he howled, charging forward recklessly.

Kakashi sighed, finally closing his book. "Alright. Playtime's over."

Naruto swung his fist, but Kakashi caught it effortlessly. In the same motion, he twisted Naruto's arm and flicked his wrist.

Poof.

Naruto vanished in a cloud of smoke.

"A clone?" Sasuke muttered.

From the trees, the real Naruto lunged down, kunai in hand. "GOT YOU!"

Kakashi side-stepped at the last second.

Naruto's kunai struck air, and before he could react, Kakashi grabbed him by the collar and tossed him into the river.

Splash!

Naruto resurfaced, sputtering. "COOOOLD!"

I sighed. "Idiot."

Kakashi dusted off his hands. "You all lack teamwork."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Teamwork? There's only two bells."

"Exactly."

I glanced at the bells again. If the test had been about skill, there would have been three. But Kakashi had deliberately set this up to pit us against each other.

And that meant…

I exhaled. So that's what this is about.

Sasuke was still tensed, clearly trying to find an opening. Naruto pulled himself onto the shore, shivering. I turned to them both.

"...We need to work together."

Naruto blinked. "Huh?"

Sasuke frowned. "You expect us to just give up on the bells?"

I shook my head. "This test isn't about taking the bells. It's about proving we can function as a team."

Sasuke was silent, but I could see the wheels turning in his mind.

Naruto, on the other hand, was less convinced. "Wait, so we're supposed to share? But Sensei said—"

"When has any ninja mission ever been fair?" I interrupted. "Think about it—if this was real, and we were sent on a mission where one of us had to die, would you just let that happen?"

Naruto flinched. "Of course not!"

"Exactly."

Sasuke crossed his arms. "If that were true, he would've just told us from the start."

I gave him a look. "Would you have listened?"

He scowled but didn't argue.

Naruto scratched his head. "...So what do we do?"

I glanced at Kakashi, who was watching our conversation with mild amusement.

"We go at him together. If we fail, we fail as a team."

Naruto grinned. "Oh, I like this plan!"

Sasuke remained silent for a moment before exhaling sharply. "Fine."

I smirked slightly. "Then let's move."

Without another word, we attacked.

Naruto charged first, drawing Kakashi's attention with a barrage of clones. Sasuke and I used the distraction to strike from opposite sides, forcing him to split his focus.

Kakashi dodged, moving fluidly between attacks, but I noticed it—his body language had changed. He wasn't toying with us anymore.

Good.

Sasuke went low, sweeping his leg. I aimed a kunai at his blind spot.

Kakashi caught the kunai midair.

But in that Fsame instant, Naruto's clone leapt from behind, grabbing onto his arm.

Sasuke and I didn't hesitate—we lunged for the bells.

Kakashi flicked his wrist, dispelling the clone, but by then—

Jingle.

The bells fell into my hand.

There was a beat of silence.

Then Kakashi sighed. "...You pass."

Naruto cheered. "YES!"

Sasuke exhaled, tension leaving his shoulders.

Kakashi placed his hands in his pockets. "So, you finally figured it out."

I tossed one of the bells to Sasuke and handed the other to Naruto. "It was never about the bells."

Kakashi's visible eye curved in amusement. "Exactly. A shinobi must always look underneath the underneath." He paused. "But tell me—why didn't you keep a bell for yourself?"

I met his gaze evenly. "...Because this wasn't about me."

For the first time, Kakashi seemed genuinely interested.

Naruto clutched his bell like it was a prize. "SO WE REALLY PASSED?!"

Kakashi smiled slightly. "Yeah. Welcome to Team 7.