Kakashi gathered the four members of Team 7. They stood before him, though only Naruto was tied to a wooden post—punishment for being the first to fall.
"Time's up. Not one of you managed to take a bell."
"There's no need for you to go back to the Academy, either."
"We don't have to go back? Does that mean we passed?!" Naruto asked, a hopeful grin spreading across his face.
"No. It means you're all being dropped from the program entirely. You're finished as ninjas."
"What gives you the right to say that?!" Sasuke barked. The memory of Itachi's parting insults flashed through his mind, making him grit his teeth in fury.
This was it, the final stand! He lunged at Kakashi with everything he had left.
"Nii-chan!" Kanon cried out.
Sasuke charged, but as expected, he was pinned to the ground by Kakashi in a matter of seconds.
"Are you all looking down on what it means to be a ninja?" Kakashi's voice grew dark and somber as he looked at them. "Why do you think we divide you into squads for these exercises?"
"You haven't even begun to grasp the answer to this test!"
Before Kakashi could elaborate, Kanon stepped forward, her gaze fixed on him.
"Do you want to fight too?"
"Let go of my brother!" Kanon commanded. Seeing Sasuke humiliated like this, pinned so effortlessly to the dirt, ignited a protective fire within her.
"And if I don't? What will you do?"
"Then I'll have to..." Kanon's expression turned icy. Sasuke was her "reverse scale", her ultimate taboo and her only remaining family.
"Oh? Interesting." Kakashi stood up, releasing Sasuke, and turned to face Kanon fully.
Sasuke scrambled backward to catch his breath. Now, only Kakashi and Kanon stood at the center of the clearing.
"What exactly do you plan to do?" Kakashi asked flatly.
Kanon's long, silky black hair fluttered in the breeze. The very air around her seemed to distort; her aura had shifted completely. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke watched in shock—was this the same Kanon they knew?
Then, Kanon moved. Her hands became a blur of motion, moving so fast that even Kakashi's trained eye struggled to track the seals.
What?! Those signs! Did Fugaku-sama teach her that as well?! Kakashi's mind raced.
"Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
Kanon let out a sharp cry as light flickered deep within her throat. A sea of fire was on the verge of erupting, but Kakashi shouted a command.
"Enough! Do you intend to destroy this entire area?! Kanon Uchiha, snap out of it!"
"Sasuke-niichan is all I have left! Die!"
Hearing this, Sasuke finally screamed, "Kanon, stop!"
The sound of his voice acted like a physical shock. Kanon froze, her body trembling as she slowly came back to her senses. The freezing coldness in her eyes gradually thawed back into a calm clarity.
"I..."
"I'm sorry."
Her rage on Sasuke's behalf had pushed her to the edge. Now that she was thinking clearly, a wave of post-action fear washed over her. While that Jutsu was "only" B-rank, its destructive power couldn't be compared to a standard Fireball Jutsu. Had she unleashed it, half the training ground would have been reduced to a wasteland of ash.
Seeing her stand down, Kakashi let out a long, internal sigh of relief.
He walked over to a stone monument etched with the names of ninjas who had died in the line of duty for the village. He stared at the names, lost in thought.
"Fine. I'll give you one more chance."
"We'll resume the bell test this afternoon. Sakura and Sasuke can eat their lunch now."
"Naruto, you aren't allowed a single bite. If I catch anyone giving him their food, you'll be sent back to the Academy immediately!" With that, Kakashi vanished.
Kanon, Sasuke, and Sakura sat down near the tied-up Naruto. Sakura and Sasuke began to eat.
Kanon, whose stomach was also empty, felt a heavy sense of guilt. If she had truly released the Majestic Destroyer Flame, she might have destroyed the training ground and injured her brother or Naruto.
Watching the others eat while Naruto hung his head in dejection, Kanon reached out and offered her bento to him.
"Here... eat this. And I'm sorry..."
"Kanon... what about you?"
"What does it matter if I'm not a Genin? I'll just start over. Besides, I'm a year younger than you guys anyway!" she said with a forced cheer. "Just eat. If you're starving, you won't pass the test this afternoon."
Naruto didn't quite understand why she was apologizing, but he was deeply moved by her kindness.
"Take some of mine, too," Sasuke added, nudging his container forward. "Just don't hold me back this afternoon."
"Then you can have mine as well!" Sakura offered hers too.
"Thanks... thank you, everyone."
From behind a nearby tree, Kakashi watched the scene unfold with a hidden smile.
Minato-sensei... you were right.
He reached up and slid his headband aside, revealing his left eye: a crimson Sharingan.
Obito, are you watching? I'll never forget you or Rin as long as I live.
Feeling the metaphorical push of his old teammates and teacher, Kakashi stepped out into the clearing, putting on a front of staged fury.
"AH! You're still here!"
The sudden appearance of their instructor sent the four students into a panic. But then, Kakashi's expression softened into a gentle look they hadn't seen before.
"You pass!"
The students were so stunned that their lunchboxes hit the grass. A wave of pure joy began to wash over them.
"In the world of the ninja, those who break the rules and the iron laws are called scum."
"But... those who don't care about their comrades are lower than scum!"
"The one who understood the importance of comrades best in this test was Kanon."
Kakashi gave Kanon a thumbs-up. Whether it was abandoning her own plan to save Naruto or her reckless fury to protect Sasuke, every one of her actions was driven by a desire to protect her teammates.
In truth, Kanon had passed in Kakashi's heart long ago; he had only pushed the others to ensure they realized the same vital lesson.
"The exercise ends here. Everyone passes."
"Team 7 will begin its first mission tomorrow."
Naruto and Kanon grabbed each other's hands and started jumping for joy. "We did it, Kanon! We passed!" Naruto shouted.
"We did, Naruto! We really did!"
"We're ninjas! Real ninjas!" Naruto laughed, pulling Sakura and Kanon into a celebratory circle. Sakura joined in eagerly.
Only Sasuke stood to the side with a small smirk. Watching the three of them, he felt a sense of peace. This was the life he wanted for Kanon. She shouldn't have to carry the darkness of the Uchiha massacre. He would shoulder the burden; she only needed to live happily, without a care in the world, as the girl who loved to laugh.
Kakashi watched them and said simply, "Let's head back."
As the four students walked away, still buzzing with excitement, Kanon's stomach let out a loud growl.
"I think I'm actually starving," she admitted sheepishly.
"Kanon, let's go get ramen!" Naruto said, clapping her on the shoulder.
"Let's go! My treat today!" Kanon laughed.
After the four had disappeared into the distance, an Anbu ninja dropped down from a tree far across the field. He removed his fox mask. He was a member of Root. He had been too far away to hear their conversation, but he had carefully analyzed their combat capabilities.
Had he moved any closer, Kakashi would have detected him. He whispered to himself:
"I need to report the strength of the Uchiha siblings to Danzo-sama..."