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Chapter no.32 Bell Test part 3
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Kakashi crouched on the surface of the lake, his visible eye narrowing as he stared at Naruto's unconscious form sprawled on the dirt. The moonlight cast a pale glow over the clearing, glinting faintly off the massive Zweihander embedded in the ground nearby. Kakashi wasn't looking at the sword, though. His focus was entirely on Naruto, as if trying to piece together a puzzle that didn't quite make sense.
The fireball. The Zweihander. That short-range space-ti ninjutsu. The boy's erratic fighting style.
One by one, Kakashi replayed the battle in his mind, scrutinizing every detail, every movent. His hand absently toyed with the small orange book he wasn't reading, his mind far too preoccupied with unraveling what he had just witnessed. The way Naruto fought—it wasn't like any Academy-taught shinobi Kakashi had ever seen. His movents lacked polish, his footwork was unrefined, and his attacks were overcommitted. Yet sohow, there was a kind of brutal effectiveness to it, like a beginner who had been thrown into the deep end of a battlefield and had clawed his way to survival.
Kakashi's brows furrowed beneath his forehead protector. Raw, aggressive… improvised. Naruto fought like soone who had recently acquired new tools and was still figuring out how to use them. But there was sothing else, sothing that gnawed at Kakashi as he replayed the fight.
The power Naruto displayed wasn't natural.
The fire technique alone told Kakashi that much. And then there was the Zweihander. That sword wasn't just a weapon—it was a statent. The sheer size and weight of it made it unsuitable for anyone who wasn't monstrously strong, yet Naruto wielded it with startling ease, albeit clumsily. And that space-ti ninjutsu…
Kakashi frowned, his visible eye narrowing further. Space-ti ninjutsu. It was the rarest and most dangerous branch of jutsu, the kind of technique that could shift the tide of wars. His Sharingan had confird it—it wasn't a substitution jutsu Naruto had used earlier. It was a short-range space-ti displacent. And while it didn't appear as refined or versatile as the Flying Thunder God, the fact that Naruto could use it at all was deeply troubling.
Kakashi's sharp mind, honed through years of ANBU missions and political intrigue, began piecing together possibilities. Had Naruto stumbled upon so ancient artifact or forbidden scroll? That might explain the fire technique and the sword. Or was it sothing else? Sothing… darker? Kakashi's mind flickered briefly to the Kyuubi, the demon sealed within Naruto. Could its chakra be bleeding into him more than before? Was this power a manifestation of its influence?
No. That didn't feel right. The Kyuubi's chakra would've been wild, destructive, but it wouldn't have taught Naruto how to use a space-ti jutsu—or that strange shockwave technique. Soone, or sothing, had given Naruto access to power and knowledge far beyond what he should have.
Kakashi's eye softened slightly as he glanced at Naruto's unconscious form. The boy's body was slack, his face hidden by the helt he'd insisted on wearing. Despite everything, Kakashi couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. Whatever had happened to Naruto, he was clearly struggling to control it. His movents were too raw, his techniques too experintal. This wasn't the work of a boy growing into his strength; this was a boy thrown into the deep end, desperately trying to stay afloat.
Before Kakashi could follow that train of thought further, the sharp whistle of a shuriken cut through the air. His body moved on instinct, his hand shooting up to intercept the spinning tal. The shuriken landed neatly in his fingers, its cool surface biting into his skin.
"Hmm?"
Standing at the edge of the lake was Sasuke, his crimson Sharingan glowing faintly in the moonlight. The boy's face was calm, but his eyes were anything but. They were sharp, focused, dissecting every detail of Kakashi's posture, his stance, the way he held the shuriken. Kakashi recognized it instantly—the Eye of Insight. Sasuke wasn't just looking at him; he was analyzing him.
"Oh? What's this, Sasuke? Feeling inspired after watching Naruto?"
Sasuke didn't respond. His hands moved in a blur, forming a rapid series of seals. Kakashi's eyebrow rose slightly in interest. He recognized the sequence imdiately.
"Water Style: Call of the Siren!" Sasuke's voice rang out as the water near the shore began to ripple and rise. The liquid twisted upward, attempting to take the form of a humanoid figure. A woman, just like Kakashi's earlier technique. But sothing was off.
The construct was sloppy. Its form wavered, unsteady, like a candle fla in the wind. The shimring figure barely held together, its edges flickering and shifting as if it might collapse at any mont.
Kakashi sighed softly. He doesn't have the control.
Before the elental genjutsu could even activate, Kakashi flicked his wrist, sending the shuriken spinning through the air. It sliced cleanly through the watery construct, dispersing it instantly. The siren dissolved back into the lake with a faint splash, leaving nothing behind.
Sasuke's eyes widened briefly, the surprise clear on his face. He quickly schooled his expression, but Kakashi had already seen the crack in his composure.
"You almost had it," Kakashi said, his tone casual but with a teasing edge. "Almost."
"What did I do wrong?"
"Do you even know how my jutsu works?"
Sasuke's scowl deepened, but he didn't answer. Kakashi continued, his voice calm but pointed. "The Sharingan gives you the blueprint—the hand seals, the chakra flow, the elental manipulation—but copying a jutsu isn't as simple as watching it. You need mastery over chakra control and elental nature. You can't just mimic it. You have to understand it."
He paused. "And you, Sasuke… you haven't trained in Water Style, have you?"
Sasuke's silence was answer enough.
Kakashi sighed, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Raw talent can only take you so far. You've got the Sharingan, sure. But without proper training and discipline, it's just a tool. And tools can't win battles on their own."
"I'll get it eventually."
"I'm sure you will. But rember, Sasuke—raw power and skill an nothing without balance. And balance starts with humility."
Kakashi thought back to the conversation he'd had with the Third Hokage not long ago. Sasuke's psychological profile wasn't hard to read—he was a boy consud by a singular goal, a goal that had beco his identity. He wasn't just Sasuke Uchiha; he was the last scion of the Uchiha, the avenger of his clan. That pride gave him strength, but it also made him brittle. Pride without humility, without balance—it was a weakness as much as it was a strength.
And Kakashi had seen where that path led.
If he doesn't learn humility, he'll self-destruct long before he reaches his goal. Kakashi's visible eye softened for a brief mont, but then he snapped back to focus as Sasuke's glare deepened.
"You think this is a joke?"
"Oh no, not at all. I think you're taking it very seriously. It's adorable."
Before Kakashi could sink fully into his faux-relaxed deanor, the faint whistling of shuriken sliced through the air. Without missing a beat, Kakashi tilted his head slightly, the shuriken spinning harmlessly past him. But then—he felt it. A second wave. This ti, kunai. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glint of tal and moved instinctively, leaping backward onto solid ground.
The mont his feet touched the dirt, Sasuke was on him. The boy moved with speed and precision, his body spinning as he launched a roundhouse kick aid directly at Kakashi's head. The kick was fast, well-executed, and had a surprising amount of force behind it. Kakashi ducked under it easily, squatting low as Sasuke's leg whipped through the air above him.
"Hm, nice form," Kakashi said, straightening up as Sasuke landed a few feet away. "A little predictable, though."
Sasuke didn't reply, his eyes narrowing as he settled into a new stance. That's… interesting. It was the sa stance Naruto had used earlier when he'd conjured that chaotic fire jutsu. Sasuke's body tensed, and for a mont, Kakashi felt the subtle ripple of chakra gathering in the boy's hands.
But nothing happened.
Sasuke frowned, glancing down at his hands like they'd betrayed him. The frustration on his face was obvious, and Kakashi couldn't help the soft laugh that escaped him.
"What's so funny?"
Kakashi let out a long sigh, lowering the book to et Sasuke's glare. "Fire jutsu isn't as simple as mimicking hand signs, Sasuke. There's a reason most fire techniques are created using breath. It's about the chanics—chakra as fuel, elental nature providing the heat, and the air from your lungs acting as the dium. Naruto's… unique approach doesn't use air at all. So, naturally, copying it wouldn't work."
"Naruto's not special," he spat, his voice low, clipped. "He's just—" He stopped short, the words dying on his tongue. His lips pressed into a thin line as if admitting anything more would hurt his pride.
Kakashi watched him carefully, his visible eye narrowing slightly. He was reading not just Sasuke's words, but his body language—the tension in his shoulders, the defiant tilt of his head, the sharp, almost panicked way his Sharingan glowed. Pride was fueling Sasuke, but sothing darker simred underneath. Kakashi could almost see it—a gnawing desperation that Sasuke himself probably didn't fully understand.
"I'm not the sa as them!"
The statent hung in the air, heavy with aning.
"Say that after you've actually done sothing."
The challenge landed, and Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Without another word, he blurred through a rapid sequence of hand signs and disappeared in a burst of speed with a Shunshin. Kakashi barely had a second to register the boy's movent before Sasuke reappeared, launching himself forward like a missile. His knee was aid straight at Kakashi's head, the force behind the attack impressive for soone his age.
Huh, Kakashi thought, sidestepping effortlessly. Guess he picked that one up from Naruto.
Sasuke's montum carried him past Kakashi, but the boy adjusted mid-air, twisting his body to land gracefully several ters away. His Sharingan spun furiously, scanning Kakashi for any hint of an opening.
Kakashi moved his fingers casually, almost lazily, forming the seals for a Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. But before he could release it, a trio of kunai flew toward his arms. He paused, catching the kunai mid-flight with practiced ease. He glanced up, spotting Sakura landing lightly between him and Sasuke.
"Do you really think you can stop ?"
Sakura straightened, determination flickering across her face despite the obvious fatigue from hunger. Her eyes darted to Sasuke, who was now standing in the shallow waters of the lake, his expression unreadable. Kakashi saw the mont in her eyes—she wasn't moving out of strategy; she was moving because Sasuke needed her to.
Sakura raised her hands in a familiar seal, creating two identical clones beside her. The three of them charged forward together, their movents fast but uncoordinated. Kakashi flicked the kunai he was holding with a snap of his wrist, aiming for the clones. They popped imdiately, disappearing into puffs of white smoke.
"Too obvious," Kakashi muttered under his breath.
But then, he felt it—the faintest shift in the air above him. He glanced up just in ti to see the real Sakura, descending with a kunai poised to strike. Clever, Kakashi admitted silently. She's learning.
Before Sakura's attack could connect, Sasuke burst forward with another Shunshin, combining his speed with a flying kick aid directly at Kakashi's chest.
With one hand, Kakashi blocked Sasuke's kick, feeling the force ripple through his arm. Using Sasuke's montum, Kakashi twisted, throwing him aside like a ragdoll. Sakura landed a mont later, trying to follow up with a stab from her kunai. Kakashi sidestepped her easily, letting her overcommit to the strike. She stumbled forward, but quickly recovered, flinging a set of kunai in his direction.
Good follow-up, Kakashi noted, but not good enough.
He deflected the kunai with a casual swipe of his ever-present book, his eye glancing over at the duo. Both Sasuke and Sakura looked increasingly frustrated, their breathing heavy from the effort.
"Below you."
Their eyes widened in realization, but it was too late.
Arms burst from the ground, grabbing both Sasuke and Sakura by the legs. With a firm tug, he dragged them both into the earth using the Earth Style: Head Hunter Jutsu. The ground swallowed them up until only their heads remained visible above the dirt.
Kakashi dusted his hands off and looked down at the two of them, his tone light and almost amused. "Well, that was fun," he said, as though he hadn't just neutralized two of his students with minimal effort. "You know, for a couple of rookies."
Sasuke glared up at him, his Sharingan burning with frustration. Sakura, on the other hand, looked too stunned to respond. She blinked, trying to process what had just happened, the cool, damp dirt pressing in around her making her itch. The indignity of it all stung worse than the failure itself.
Kakashi turned and started walking away as if they weren't even worth his ti anymore. "Now, don't go anywhere."
Sakura clenched her jaw, struggling to maintain so semblance of composure. "Why did I get caught up in this?!" she muttered under her breath, her voice tight with frustration. She wiggled her fingers uselessly, trying to pull herself free, but the dirt held firm. Her inner voice wasn't much help either, screaming indignantly about how unfair this whole situation was. This isn't how it's supposed to go!
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "Kakashi-sensei is really strong."
Sasuke, still breathing heavily from exertion, didn't bother responding. His face was set in a rigid scowl, his eyes fixed on the horizon like he was ntally replaying every mistake he'd made. He refused to et her gaze, his silence sohow making her feel even worse.
Sakura turned her attention to him anyway, hoping for so reassurance. Instead, she caught sight of his Sharingan fading away, the light in his eyes dimming into sothing darker. He clawed his way out of the dirt first, his movents sharp and angry. When he was free, he didn't pause to help her, instead standing stiffly with his back to her, his jaw tight with unspoken frustration.
Sakura sighed and scrambled out after him, far less gracefully. She brushed at the dirt clinging to her arms and legs, trying to maintain so shred of dignity. "Ugh, this is so gross," she muttered. Her inner voice was in full ltdown mode, ranting about how her hair was probably ruined, how her clothes were filthy, how— shut up, just focus.
"Well, it looks like we failed, huh?" she said, forcing a small laugh. She hoped it might break the tension.
Sasuke's head snapped toward her, his frown deepening. His eyes were sharp, almost accusatory, as though he couldn't believe she'd even said that.
"What are you talking about?"
"What do you an?"
"I've been keeping track," Sasuke replied. "We've got maybe a minute left before the test ends."
"Wait… there's still ti?"
Without answering, Sasuke's Sharingan flared to life again, his crimson eyes scanning the area with laser focus. His body tensed like a coiled spring, ready to move at the slightest provocation.
"Sasuke-kun, you're really going after the bell?"
He ignored her completely, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Inside, her inner voice scread louder: It's useless, Sasuke-kun! There's always next ti, right?
Sakura bit her lip, brushing off the dirt clinging to her uniform and hair. "Sasuke-kun," she said tentatively. "How do I look?" She attempted a small, playful smile, hoping it might pull him out of his funk.
Sasuke turned to her, and for the first ti, she caught a glimpse of what lay beneath the surface. His eyes weren't just angry—they were haunted. There was a weight to them, a heaviness that made her stomach twist.
"Shut up," he muttered. "I just have to find that man."
The words sent a shiver down her spine. He wasn't talking about Kakashi anymore. She could feel it in the way his voice trembled, in the way his fists clenched. This wasn't about the test—it was about sothing much bigger. Sothing she didn't understand.
"Sasuke-kun…" she whispered, but the words stuck in her throat. She didn't know what to say. What could she say?
And then, the alarm went off.
The shrill sound cut through the clearing, signaling the end of the test. Sasuke froze, his body stiff, his gaze locked on the horizon. For a mont, Sakura thought he might explode, the tension radiating off him like a storm.
But then, he laughed.
It was a short, bitter sound—more of a scoff than anything else. He let out the faintest, humorless chuckle, his lips curling into a smirk that didn't reach his eyes.
Sakura flinched at the sound. It wasn't like him. Sasuke-kun…
Without another word, Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking away. His movents were slow, deliberate, like he was trying to contain sothing threatening to spill over.
Sakura stood frozen, watching him leave. She wanted to say sothing, to call out to him, but the words wouldn't co. Maybe it was the look in his eyes. Maybe it was her own lingering sense of failure. Maybe it was because, for the first ti, she realized she wasn't enough—not compared to Sasuke, not compared to Naruto.
"I'm disappointed."
The words ca out of nowhere, and Sakura spun around to see Kakashi standing behind her.
"W-What do you an?"
Kakashi's visible eye curved into a smile, but it wasn't warm. It was the kind of smile that made her feel like she'd missed sothing important. "Why don't you take so ti to reflect," he said evenly.
"Reflect on what?"
"Think about it while being tied to the log," Kakashi finished, turning away.
I don't deserve this. I saved Sasuke-kun's life, I—
Even her inner voice went quiet. Sothing about the way Kakashi had said it made her pause. For the first ti, she began to wonder if maybe she did have sothing to reflect on. Maybe… this test wasn't just about the bells.
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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are aweso. Now, if you're interested in supporting on P treon, let just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 17, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.
To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comnt! Honestly, your comnts make my day, and they let know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!
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