While Sakura's body trembled under the weight of Kakashi's Genjutsu and Naruto's head stuck comically out of the dirt, only Sasuke remained free to fight.
But he did not move. Not an inch.
Hidden in the brush, his eyes glared forward as thoughts whirled like a storm.
Why is he using that eye? Is he an Uchiha? No, impossible. But then how…
The sound of footsteps snapped him back. Soft, almost mocking. Kakashi moved toward his position with unhurried steps, as if the entire fight were nothing but a stroll in the morning breeze.
Sasuke's chest tightened. His instincts screamed that Kakashi had already found him.
"Tch."
His single tomoe spun to life, scarlet against the black. The world sharpened, colors brightening, lines becoming crisp. He exhaled, cut the tripwire he had set, and leapt aside.
From the treetops, a bundle of sharpened logs came crashing down, aimed perfectly for Kakashi's head.
The impact never came.
Kakashi's body puffed into smoke. A clone.
Sasuke's eyes widened just as a shadow loomed behind him.
"Secret Konoha Technique, One Thousand Years of Death!" Kakashi's voice teased, low and sing song.
Sasuke turned, catching the tiger hand seal. His mind jumped to the most dangerous conclusion, Fire Release. His body stiffened in panic.
But instead of a roaring flame, Kakashi lunged forward with two rigid fingers extended, a ridiculous attack meant only for humiliation.
Sasuke's Sharingan spun faster, catching the motion at the last instant. He twisted, stumbling out of the way. The poke missed by a hair.
His heart hammered. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
"You bastard…" he hissed, trembling with fury. "You disgusting pervert!"
Kakashi shrugged lazily, his single eye curving in amusement. "Oh? I thought it was funny."
"You will regret that!" Sasuke snarled.
Kakashi tilted his head, his playful tone never wavering. "Between the three of you, you have performed the worst so far."
Sasuke froze, the words cutting deeper than any blade.
But Kakashi's visible eye flickered faintly serious as he muttered under his breath, too soft for Sasuke to hear. "Self control, the most fatal pillar of a shinobi."
"Shut up!"
Driven by anger, Sasuke dashed forward, his Sharingan tracking Kakashi's movements with heightened clarity. Their clash rang sharp and fast. Punches, kicks, parries, feints, each exchange tighter and cleaner than the last.
Naruto, buried and helpless, could only watch in awe. His mouth hung open as his eyes darted between the two.
Sasuke's speed was not as explosive as Sakura's, but the complexity of his movements was overwhelming. His counters came almost before Kakashi's strikes, his dodges so sharp it felt like he was reading seconds into the future.
From Naruto's perspective, Sasuke fought as though the world moved in slow motion.
"What the hell… Sasuke's this strong?!"
Kakashi's body bent and twisted effortlessly, parrying without a care. But Sasuke's fury pushed him faster and harder, until his lungs burned.
"Too slow," Kakashi said again, his tone like a teacher grading a lazy essay.
Then, with a sweep of his leg, Kakashi knocked Sasuke off balance. The Uchiha hit the dirt, breath knocked out of him. In the same motion, Kakashi pinned him, one knee pressing into his back, one hand holding his wrist down.
From above, it looked almost casual. Like a man sitting down to rest, not a Jonin immobilizing a prodigy.
"End of the line," Kakashi said, voice light but final.
In the location of the three stumps, Naruto and Sakura were seated on the grass while Sasuke was tied firmly to one of the posts. Just beside him, two untouched bento boxes lay hidden, placed deliberately where only Kakashi knew.
Kakashi stood before them, arms folded loosely, his single eye regarding them with calm amusement.
"You did well at the start," he began, his voice smooth but carrying weight. "Using the information I gave you, plus what you gathered from your own meeting yesterday, that was smart. Intel gathering is one of the most important pillars of a shinobi. Planning before acting, that is another."
The three of them shifted slightly, listening.
"Making use of the time before I arrived to set an ambush with shadow clones, then using them as a distraction for a follow-up attack, was also clever. Your combination was effective enough that together you could have defeated ordinary Chunin-level enemies."
Naruto's grin began to spread, but Kakashi's next words cut it off like a blade.
"Now, the mistakes."
Naruto flinched.
"You." Kakashi's single eye shifted to Naruto. "Ordering your clones out loud gave away your position. You lost the advantage of surprise for no reason. A mistake that could have cost your life."
Naruto wilted, scratching the back of his head.
"And Sakura. You did well with your ambush. Your strength is… unique. However, with that strength, you could have freed Naruto after he was buried. You ignored a comrade in trouble. That is a dangerous oversight."
Sakura lowered her gaze, lips tightening.
"As for you, Sasuke…" Kakashi's gaze shifted to the boy tied against the stump. "You were the worst. You lost control of your emotions, and you ignored your teammate entirely. Rushing head-on at a Jonin is suicide. That is why you are tied here now, in the place of shame, and why you will not be getting lunch."
Sasuke's face twisted. "Tch. If that idiot hadn't exposed himself, things would have—"
"Wrong." Kakashi's voice was steel. "Excuses will not change the fact that you failed. That is why you are tied to the stump of shame. You will not be getting lunch."
Sasuke grit his teeth and glared down at the ground.
Naruto clenched his fists. "What? That's too much!"
But Kakashi ignored him. "You all failed. There is one last chance. If you cannot take the bells by the end of the day, all of you return to the Academy."
Naruto's face drained of color. "N-no way! Back to the Academy? After all this?!"
Beside him, Sakura lowered her eyes, her jaw tight. A slow, angry burn rose inside her chest.
Kakashi continued. "Naruto. Sakura. You may eat. But you are forbidden from sharing even a grain of rice with Sasuke. If you disobey, all three of you fail."
He turned away. "I will be back in thirty minutes."
And then, in a puff of smoke, he was gone.
What they did not see was his figure perched high in the trees, watching quietly. His visible eye softened as he muttered to himself. "They worked together, but only because Sakura guessed the purpose of the test. That is not real teamwork. They need to choose it themselves, not have it handed to them."
On the ground, silence lingered.
Naruto opened one of the bento boxes and instantly began stuffing his mouth, but Sakura was slower, her eyes drifting to Sasuke bound against the stump. The ropes dug into his wrists, but his expression was as hard and sharp as ever.
She scowled suddenly. "Naruto. Why did you shout like an idiot to order your clones? Couldn't you have just made another clone to pass the message?"
Naruto froze mid-bite, cheeks puffed out. He swallowed with a cough and rubbed the back of his head. "I… uh… didn't think of that."
"Of course you didn't," she snapped, irritation flaring.
Naruto shot back quickly, pointing a chopstick at Sasuke. "At least I didn't abandon a teammate caught in Genjutsu! What kind of bastard leaves someone behind like that?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his voice sharp. "And what kind of brainless idiot throws away the element of surprise by shouting like a child? If you hadn't given us away, we could have used the Transformation Technique. Sakura disguised as you could have delivered a real strike. That would have ended it."
Naruto bristled, face reddening. "What did you say?!"
Their voices clashed, tension building between them. Sakura looked between the two, her stomach tightening. She bit down her anger and stayed quiet until their bickering died down.
Finally, Naruto stood.
Sakura blinked. "What are you doing?"
He turned to her, face firm. "If we're going to beat Kakashi, everyone needs to be at full strength. Don't you think so, Sakura-chan?"
Her lips parted, then closed. She exhaled, and pride flickered in her eyes. "Hmph. You're right."
Her gaze shifted to Sasuke. She lifted the bento box, eyes narrowing. "You may not be as strong as me, but if you collapse from hunger, you'll just be a burden. So… I'll feed you. Mouth to mouth if I have to."
Naruto's jaw dropped, his face turning bright red. "Wh-what?!"
Sasuke's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and he glared at her.
Realizing what she just said, Sakura coughed violently, her cheeks flushing scarlet. "I mean… with a spoon, of course."
Still, she scooped up some rice, brought it close, and held it out for Sasuke. His eyes lingered on her, and when he did not resist, she pressed it gently to his lips.
Naruto growled, glaring daggers. "Damn it… you bastard. You already look better than me, taller too, and now Sakura-chan's feeding you?!" His hands tightened into fists. "I swear I'll beat you one day!"
Sasuke exhaled faintly, his voice low. "…I was wrong earlier. Sorry. Next time, we'll defeat Kakashi together."
For a heartbeat, Sakura's chest fluttered. She quickly pushed another spoonful at him to cover her reaction.
The moment Sasuke swallowed his second bite, smoke burst beside them.
Kakashi appeared, aura dark and oppressive, his voice thunderous. "How dare you disobey my orders!"
The air chilled. Birds scattered from the trees. His single eye glowed with fury.
"A ninja who breaks the rules is trash!"
Sakura's blood ran cold, Naruto's hands shook, Sasuke grit his teeth.
"And that is why…"
The sudden pause made their hearts freeze.
"…you passed."
Kakashi raised his thumb, his eye curving into a smile.
"HUH?!" The three shouted together, confusion plastered across their faces.
Kakashi's voice softened, though still firm. "A ninja who breaks the rules is trash. But a ninja who abandons their comrades is worse than trash. You proved today that you won't abandon each other. That is why… you are true Genin."
Joy burst across Naruto's face. "We passed! We passed!"
Sakura laughed with relief as she and Naruto untied Sasuke. The Uchiha stood stiffly, pretending indifference, but the faintest curve of a smile betrayed him.
In a bold flare of pride, Sakura hugged Sasuke's arm tightly, grinning wide. "We did it!"
Naruto froze, his joy instantly replaced with jealous rage. "Hey! Get off him, Sakura-chan!" He rushed forward and pried them apart, grinding his teeth as Sasuke smirked faintly at his reaction.
The four of them gathered, and someone raised the camera.
The picture froze that moment in time: Sakura on the left, flashing a confident grin with a V sign, Naruto in the middle with Kakashi pressing down on his head while he glared at Sasuke, and Sasuke glaring back, aloof but amused.
The label beneath it read: Team 7's First Day.
....
The next morning, the wide double doors of the Mission Dispatch Hall creaked open as Team 7 stepped inside.
The place was already alive with movement. Chunin stood at desks handing out scrolls, scribes shuffled papers, and messengers hurried back and forth with errands. The air smelled faintly of ink and parchment, a heavy atmosphere of routine duty.
Naruto was practically bouncing on his heels, his headband shining proudly on his forehead. He tugged on Sakura's sleeve like an overexcited child.
"This is it, Sakura-chan! Our first mission as real ninja! I bet we're gonna get something huge, like escorting a daimyo or saving a princess!"
Sakura brushed his hand off with a scowl. "Idiot. Don't get ahead of yourself. Missions for new Genin are always small jobs."
Sasuke walked slightly behind them, silent as ever, hands shoved in his pockets. His eyes scanned the room but he didn't say a word.
When Kakashi finally caught up with them, he strolled in at his usual lazy pace, one hand holding his little orange book, the other raised in a casual wave. "Yo."
Naruto spun around. "Kakashi-sensei! So, what's our mission today? Bandits? Missing-nin? An invasion?"
Kakashi tilted his head as if thinking, then plucked a scroll from the desk of the duty officer. "Let's see here. Your first mission is…" He paused dramatically, his visible eye curving. "…babysitting."
The words hit Naruto like a kunai to the chest.
"Babysitting?!" he exploded, his voice echoing through the hall. "No way! There's no way Uzumaki Naruto is going to waste time on something stupid like babysitting!"
Heads turned across the hall at the outburst. A few older shinobi chuckled quietly to themselves.
Naruto stomped his foot and pointed an accusatory finger at Kakashi. "I'm gonna be Hokage one day, believe it! I should be saving princesses, defeating villains, protecting the whole village! Not changing diapers!"
Sakura slapped her palm against her forehead. "You're so embarrassing…" she muttered.
Sasuke gave Naruto a sideways glance, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Hn. Babysitting sounds about right for you."
"Shut up, bastard!" Naruto snapped.
Kakashi didn't even blink at the protest. "Well, believe it or not, this is what Genin missions usually are. Babysitting, shopping, catching stray animals, helping farmers with chores… Welcome to the exciting life of a low-ranked shinobi."
Naruto's jaw dropped. "You've gotta be kidding me!"
The Chunin at the desk sighed, rubbing his temple. "Stop yelling, brat. You should be grateful you're even on the roster."
Naruto puffed out his cheeks in outrage, ready to shout again, when Kakashi closed his book with a snap. His voice, though calm, cut sharper than usual.
"Listen, Naruto. The Hokage himself decides the missions assigned to new teams. These tasks may look stupid to you, but they teach responsibility, patience, and discipline. If you can't even handle this, how do you expect anyone to trust you with their lives?"
Naruto's mouth opened, then closed again. His eyes flicked toward Sakura, then Sasuke, then back at Kakashi.
Sakura crossed her arms, eyeing him like he was the dumbest thing she had ever seen. "Honestly, you should stop whining already. Babysitting is still a mission. If you can't do it, maybe you should just go back to the Academy."
"Wha—what did you say, Sakura-chan?!" Naruto wailed, clutching his chest like she had just stabbed him.
Sasuke gave a quiet snort of amusement, but his eyes flickered away before anyone could see the faint curve at the corner of his mouth.
Kakashi slipped the scroll into his pouch. "Alright, Team 7. Let's go meet your first client."