The Perils of Team 7

As soon as Sasuke raised the mysterious ruler in his hand, a black backpack suddenly flew towards him. Reacting instinctively, he swung the weapon in a wide arc, knocking the bag away. Unfortunately, it soared straight towards the camp the three of them had painstakingly set up.

The next second, two explosions roared through the air.

Boom--

Boom——

All three, who had been poised to attack Naruto, turned stiffly toward the camp, only to find it reduced to ruins. The veins on Kakashi's forehead and around his eyes bulged with irritation.

"That camp... we built it with so much effort..."

Kakashi's voice was tense with barely contained anger. "It took me a day and a night of hard work! And we only just got settled!"

He shot a glance at Naruto, and with a slow, deliberate motion, lifted his headband to reveal his Sharingan. As he began forming hand seals, his fury was palpable.

"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"

A massive wall rose from the ground, blocking Naruto from view. Several dog heads were carved into the surface, their fine lines suggesting a skill in carving far superior to that of the Hokage Rock.

Uzumaki Naruto, who had taken on the persona of "Giggs" in this particular Shadow Clone, found himself staring up at the imposing wall. On the other side, the three advanced toward him with dark expressions.

They knew Naruto well enough to realize something was off.

After all...

Under normal circumstances, Naruto would've bolted the moment we started moving.

And this... this Naruto was obviously a clone.

Kakashi approached first, his voice cold and commanding, "Tell me, where's your real body?"

Kakashi was truly angry this time. They were all supposed to be training together to help Sasuke unlock his full potential. But instead, Naruto had sent out a clone and left the team, leaving Kakashi to bear the brunt of Sasuke's temper.

This kind of behavior couldn't be allowed to continue. Today, it was a minor incident, but what if Naruto pulled something like this on a mission outside the village?

Kakashi's worry deepened as he thought about the future.

Meanwhile, Uzumaki "Giggs" stood tall, his expression resolute. He was channeling his inner martyr, envisioning himself as a tragic hero. In his mind, the wind howled, the water turned icy, and he felt like a warrior marching to his inevitable demise.

With a righteous gleam in his eye, Naruto's clone declared, "Don't even think about getting any information about the real me! Even if I perish here today, I'll remain Uzumaki Giggs!"

With those dramatic words, the clone launched himself at the wall beside him.

Bang——

With a puff of smoke, the Shadow Clone dissipated, vanishing before the group's eyes.

The entire process took less than three seconds, leaving Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura momentarily stunned.

What the hell was that?

Sasuke and the others found their anger diffused by the bizarre encounter. It was as if Naruto's antics had sapped them of any desire to pursue the matter.

But still... they couldn't let him get away with this.

Kakashi sighed, turning back to face the forest. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets as he called out in a resigned tone, "Naruto, stop fooling around. Come out. It's time to start training."

Naruto, having just received the memories of his clone, winced internally. This wasn't because of the usual Shadow Clone feedback, but because "Giggs" had been a bit... much.

What if the next clone I create develops an even weirder personality?

He sighed deeply, scratching his head as he emerged from the trees with a sheepish grin.

"Ah! Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, Sakura," Naruto greeted them cheerfully, though there was a nervous edge to his voice. "What a coincidence, hahaha! A few days ago, I suddenly remembered that I might have left the gas on at home…"

Kakashi's eyes twitched. He knew perfectly well that Naruto's house didn't even have gas. And this excuse... it was even worse than the nonsense the clone had spouted earlier.

Sasuke glanced at Naruto, unimpressed, before snorting and slinging the mysterious ruler onto his back. Despite unlocking the Sharingan's full power, Sasuke couldn't bring himself to enjoy the victory. The memory of how it happened was too humiliating. But Naruto's space-time ninjutsu was annoyingly difficult to counter... at least for now.

Sasuke resolved to deal with Naruto later, when he was strong enough to crush him for good.

Sakura, seeing that neither Kakashi nor Sasuke were willing to pursue the matter, decided against making a fuss herself. She was, after all, the weakest member of the team, and picking a fight with Naruto seemed like a death wish. The most she could do was glare at him in frustration.

Seeing that the situation had calmed down somewhat, Naruto sidled up to Sasuke and whispered, "So, how does it feel to have... you know, three tomoe?"

Sasuke's eye twitched. Wasn't that what Naruto had been trying to say earlier?

The Uchiha activated his Sharingan once again, giving Naruto a death glare that could've leveled a mountain. It should've been a moment of triumph—his Sharingan finally reaching full maturity. But all he could think about was the ridiculous way it happened, and the fact that his own teammates had played a part in it.

"That's right, Naruto," Kakashi interrupted before the two could come to blows again. "Haru came looking for you yesterday."

Naruto's curiosity was piqued. "Haru? What's going on?"

Kakashi continued, "After Zabuza and Haru gave up on their mission, Kado's men attacked them. They managed to take down Kado and his thugs without getting hurt. Afterward, they stayed in the Land of Waves to recover. Haru came by yesterday to thank us for sparing them, and, well... to invite us to a meal."

Naruto's face lit up with a mischievous grin. "Oh? So, does that mean Haru and Zabuza are... you know..."

Kakashi's expression remained neutral, but Naruto could tell he was rolling his eyes internally. "I suppose they're doing well together, yes."

Naruto snickered. So, Haru and Zabuza are a thing now, huh? He could already imagine them tying the knot.

What a guy! Zabuza's the real deal, marrying a man like that!

Lost in thought, Naruto began to clear up the ruins around the camp. Within half an hour, he had constructed a new shelter from the debris. Even after seeing Naruto's abilities in action so many times, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura couldn't help but marvel at how useful he was.

That night, Team 7 finally got some much-needed rest.

The next morning, they set out to find Haru. After several hours of searching, they finally spotted him in a small village. He was holding a basin of water and washing clothes—Zabuza's and his own.