Naruto stood at the edge of the Hokage Monument, the wind tugging at his orange jacket. Below him, Konoha bustled with life — shopkeepers shouted prices, ninja darted along rooftops, and children played without a care. But Naruto's blue eyes were fixed far beyond the rooftops.
> Main Quest Updated: Become a Genin
Objective: Pass Team Assignment
Reward: 300 XP
Optional Bonus: Build a Bond with Your Team (+10% XP from Team Missions)
He exhaled. The system had been quiet for the past few days since the Mizuki incident, only displaying the occasional passive notification when he trained. Still, it was like a fire had been lit inside him. The grind had already begun.
In secret, Naruto had been spamming Shadow Clones in the forest at night — not just to train his jutsu, but because each clone that vanished seemed to feed some small amount of experience into him.
He hadn't told anyone about the system. Not even Iruka.
A few hours later, inside the Academy, Naruto slouched at his desk, his arms behind his head, grinning lazily while his eyes scanned the classroom for a certain pink-haired kunoichi.
There she was. Sakura Haruno. Sitting two rows ahead.
He tried to catch her eye. She didn't notice.
Or maybe she just didn't care.
Whatever. He'd get stronger. Then everyone would notice.
---
"Alright," Iruka announced from the front of the class, holding a clipboard. "Here are the genin team assignments."
Groans, sighs, and whispers echoed through the room as he began listing names. Naruto tuned out most of it until he heard:
"Team 7 — Naruto Uzumaki… Sakura Haruno… and Sasuke Uchiha."
Naruto jumped to his feet. "YES!"
Sakura let out a groan. "Why do I have to be on the same team as him?"
Naruto turned to look at her with hope.
But her eyes weren't on him.
They were locked on Sasuke, who hadn't reacted at all, brooding silently in the back corner of the class like a walking statue of cool indifference.
> New Party Formed: Team 7
Members: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno
Bonus: XP gain from Team Missions +10%
New Hidden Objective Unlocked: Gain Respect of Rival (Sasuke)
Naruto blinked. Hidden objective?
Interesting…
---
Hours passed. Other teams left to meet their jonin instructors. Team 7 remained behind.
Naruto grew more restless with each passing minute, drumming his fingers on the desk.
"He's late," he muttered.
Sakura sighed. "We should've known this team would be a disaster."
Sasuke didn't say anything. He didn't need to. His silence was its own judgment.
Finally, the door slid open with a soft shhk.
A silver-haired man in a flak vest stepped inside, reading from a small orange book. His headband covered one eye, his posture relaxed, almost bored.
"Yo," he said simply. "You're Team 7?"
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
> New Character Identified: Kakashi Hatake
Rank: Jonin
Title: Copy Ninja
Relationship: Neutral
Hidden Trait Detected: Unreadable
Kakashi blinked once at the floating names above the trio's heads. "Hmm… interesting chakra signatures."
Naruto sat up straight. "Wait, you can see this stuff?!"
Kakashi gave him a lazy side glance. "Let's go somewhere private."
---
The training field was quiet, save for the breeze and the occasional chirp of birds.
Kakashi stood before them, hands in his pockets. "Before I decide whether I want to train you… we're going to do a little test."
"A test?" Naruto repeated. "Didn't we already pass the exam?"
Kakashi's eye crinkled. "That was to see if you could become genin. This is to see if you'll stay that way."
He reached into his vest and pulled out two small bells.
"There are two bells. Whoever gets one passes. The other… goes back to the Academy."
Sakura's jaw dropped. "But there's only two!"
Sasuke's gaze sharpened. "So one of us is guaranteed to fail?"
Naruto stood. "That's not fair!"
> Quest Activated: Bell Test Trial
Objective: Retrieve a Bell from Kakashi
Difficulty: High
Reward: 1000 XP, Promotion to Official Genin
Optional Objective: Complete Without Shadow Clones (Bonus 200 XP)
Naruto's hands clenched. Without Shadow Clones? That was like asking a dog not to bark.
Kakashi set a timer on a nearby stump. "You have until noon. Begin."
And then he vanished in a blur.
---
The training field exploded into motion.
Naruto rushed forward recklessly, fists clenched. "I'm not going back to the Academy!"
Kakashi reappeared behind him in an instant, kicked his feet out from under him, and sent him flying into a bush.
"Ow!"
> -20 HP
Status: Slightly Dazed
Tip: Don't rush. Observe. Adapt.
Sasuke and Sakura had already scattered. Naruto sat up, groaning, rubbing his head.
Okay. He needed a better plan.
He reached into his jacket and focused.
> Skill Activated: Chakra Sense (Level 1)
Nearby Chakra Signatures: 2 detected
Moderate chakra, moving northeast (Sasuke)
Massive chakra, stationary, 40 meters west (Kakashi)
Naruto's eyes narrowed. Kakashi was just sitting there?
He thought for a moment… then grinned.
---
Ten minutes later, a bush rustled near Kakashi's location.
Kakashi raised a brow. "Not subtle."
But instead of attacking, a clone stumbled out, coughing and groaning.
"Help… snake bite…!"
Kakashi narrowed his eye. "You're not fooling anyone."
"I wasn't trying to!" shouted the real Naruto from the trees above. He dropped down with a flying kick.
Kakashi sidestepped, grabbed Naruto mid-air, and flipped him over onto the ground.
"Creative. But sloppy."
Naruto wheezed as he hit the dirt. "Oof…"
> -35 HP
Chakra: 75/100
XP: 210 / 400
Tip: Try distraction plus misdirection.
Meanwhile, Sasuke had crept behind Kakashi using stealth and shuriken. He launched three projectiles. Kakashi caught all of them between two fingers without looking.
Sakura peeked from behind a tree, trembling. She hadn't even moved yet.
---
By the time noon rolled around, all three sat on the ground, panting, bruised, and bell-less.
Kakashi stood over them, arms crossed. "Not one of you got a bell."
Naruto scowled. "You didn't say you could be that fast…"
"Life doesn't wait for instructions," Kakashi said calmly. "But you all failed for a different reason."
He nodded toward the bells.
"There were only two bells. But the real test wasn't about taking them. It was about teamwork."
Sakura blinked. "What?"
"Look at yourselves. Naruto charged in alone. Sasuke didn't share his plan with anyone. Sakura barely moved. A shinobi team that doesn't function as a unit… dies."
Naruto's scowl deepened. "So… this was a trick?"
Kakashi smirked. "No. This was a lesson."
He paused, then sighed.
"But… I'll pass you."
All three heads shot up.
"Wait, really?" Naruto said, confused.
"You showed potential. You tried different tactics. And most importantly—" Kakashi's gaze fell on Naruto "—you didn't give up."
> Quest Complete: Bell Test Trial
+1000 XP
Level Up!
New Trait Gained: Tenacity (+10% resistance to mental debuffs)
Chakra Pool Increased
System Note: Skill Point Available
Naruto felt a warm buzz rush through his chest. Another screen appeared:
> Congratulations! You are now a Full Genin.
New Feature Unlocked: Skill Tree
Elemental Affinity Scan Recommended.
---
After the test, Kakashi called Naruto aside.
"I know about your system."
Naruto's heart stopped. "Y-you what?"
Kakashi shrugged. "Your chakra flares in strange patterns. I've seen something like this before. You're syncing with some external force — likely tied to your lineage."
"My lineage…?" Naruto whispered. "You mean… the Nine-Tails?"
Kakashi's eye crinkled. "Not just that."
He handed Naruto a scroll.
"Come back tomorrow. We'll begin real training. Until then… use this. It'll help you understand your chakra nature."
> Item Received: Chakra Affinity Paper
Use: Reveals elemental affinity
Warning: Instability possible if Kurama interferes
Naruto stared at it in awe.
> New Quest: Discover Your Element
Reward: Unlock First Elemental Jutsu
Bonus: Fuse with Shadow Clone Training (x2 XP)
---
That night, Naruto sat alone in his apartment, the city lights casting shadows on the walls. He rolled the chakra paper between his fingers.
He took a breath… and poured his chakra into it.
The paper wrinkled, then split straight down the center — and the two halves crumbled to ash.
Naruto's eyes widened.
> Primary Affinity: Wind
Secondary Trait Detected: Unknown Dark Chakra Signature
Warning: Tail-Beast Energy Interference Detected
He sat in silence, mind reeling.
"Wind…"
And something else… something darker.
He didn't fully understand it. But one thing was clear.
This power inside him — this system — it wasn't just a gift.
It was a challenge.