16 Chapter 15

*Beep Beep Beep*

A steel snake gently presses the snooze button on the alarm.

*Yawn*

It's 4 am an hour before our gather time, Kakashi our Jonin leader, or I guess examiner today, said we couldn't eat but who even eats this early in the morning.

Whipping out my steel threads, it grabs, my clothes, headband and tools, placing all of them on my bed.

While I was getting I look into the mirror, my eyes were noticeably red because of waking up so early. Still, I leave the house not too long after.

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.

.

In the forest, was a training grounds, The third training ground, used to develop young shinobi and where we will do this survival exercise. As I spot the meeting point, I also see Naruto and Sasuke heading over as well.

The sun was barely visible as it was coming out from behind the horizon, 5 am, the meeting time. I walk over to Sasuke and Naruto and await Kakashi's arrival.

Sasuke looked ready to go clearly preparing his sleep schedule in advance on the other hand Naruto was barely sleepwalking over as he groaned tiredly.

"Morning" I call out

Naruto groans in response. Well, I didn't expect much for a half-asleep man.

.

.

.

The afternoon sun shines peering into our skin, we've been standing in the same spot from early morning to noon. While waiting for Kakashi our mentally prepared looks slowly turned into a boring appearance, poking sticks into the dirt.

Suddenly from behind us, we hear a voice

"Hi, folks, good morning" a casual voice speaks out

Turning around we realised it was the Jonin Kakashi and without a second to waste Naruto yells out in an annoyed tone

"You're late!!"

The survival trial starts with starving for half a day with barely any sleep for some of us, something tells me he planned it to be like this and we fell for his trick being none the wiser.

"Well, a black cat crossed my path, you see" Kakashi makes an excuse that wouldn't even fool a child

Looking at Naruto's annoyed look, he awkwardly coughs and starts talking like nothing happened.

"Okay, it's set for 12:00," He says while patting the clock resting on a log

A pair of bells make a gentle ring as he dangles them from his hands clearly trying to show them to us.

"Today's assignment is to take these bells away from me by noon, those who can't do it won't get lunch, they'll be tied to that, and I'll eat my lunch before your very eyes" he continues while pointing at a vertical standing log.

Sasuke and Naruto look in realisation as to why he told us not to eat lunch, Naruto showing it on his face more. I could wave his mouth around to catch fish. I still looked visibly surprised not expecting my wild guess to be on the mark.

"Only two?" I ask cautiously, expecting an answer that would be displeasing

"There are only two, so at least one of you will be tied to the logs, at that point he will fail the mission and be disqualified, returning to the academy." He says smilingly but with a cold aura

A serious look runs over all three of us. This is my path to fight against stronger shinobi and learn through battle. If I don't get this chance my only hope would vanish or even force me to go rogue in order to find strong opponents.

For Sasuke and Naruto, the situation is even worse, without a proper teacher their progress to getting stronger will be halted in their earliest and best growth years.

I grimace at the expectation to come, do I have to take the harder route to give way to these young kids, considering I'm the one with the least to lose waiting another year because my growth isn't dependent on my limited chakra capacity. While for Naruto and Sasuke It could cause them to be mediocre their entire lives.

Naruto, he's been alone without anyone for as long as I remember from the academy and even glimpses of him before that, His path to shinobi requires him to gain the acknowledgement of others through his own strength. His life might come to a halt if he fails this. Never gaining others acknowledgement forever suffering alone.

On the other hand, Sasuke is out for revenge on a certain someone probably the one who killed his family, someone strong enough to wipe out the entire Uchiha clan with centuries of history. If he fails and becomes mediocre he'll likely die on the path to revenge.

I strain my brain trying to think of an alternative. I want to be the strongest as fast as possible.

But stepping on the future of two kids isn't how I want to do it.

Even if I did get strong it would be a stain on my conscience and reputation.

I know what I have to do.

"It might be one person at the very least, or it could be all three," he says snapping me out of my own mind

"You can use your shuriken, you won't be able to take the bells unless you have the intent to kill me," he says emotionlessly

A Jonin wouldn't even get a scratch fighting against not even genin, so what he said seems reasonable to bring out our full capacity.

"You couldn't even dodge a chalkboard eraser," Naruto says confidently with his hands around his head while giggling

Kakashi explains to Naruto

"In this world, those who aren't skilled enough tend to complain more. Well, just ignore the loser"

As if those words set off an explosion in his head Naruto clenches his teeth to them. Almost bursting a vein while being blinded by his thoughts

"Begin when I give the ready-go sign"

Before Kakashi could even give the go sign, Naruto unholstered his kunai from his leg and charged straight at Kakashi.

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