Chapter 4: Chapter 3: Is This My New Journey?
Naruto: The Last Harbinger of Storm
Chapter 3: Is This My New Journey?
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Naruto's POV
Standing in front of the academy meeting room, my heart pounded with anticipation. This was it—the moment I would meet my jonin sensei, Kakashi Hatake, and truly begin my journey as a shinobi. I had heard countless stories about him, about his genius and legendary skills. Now, I was going to be trained by him. I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nerves.
The door slid open, and there he was, lounging against the wall with an air of nonchalance but a sense of power and assuredness. Ready, prepared, and on time like a true ninja should be. His silver hair stood out, and the mask covering half his face added to his mysterious aura. One eye was covered by his forehead protector, and the other observed us with a calm, assessing gaze.
"Welcome, Team 7," Kakashi greeted us, his voice calm and measured. "I'm Kakashi Hatake, your jonin sensei."
I glanced at my teammates—Ken, with his usual brash confidence, and Risha, who seemed calm but focused. We exchanged uncertain looks before turning our attention back to Kakashi.
"Before we start any missions, there's a test you have to pass," Kakashi continued.
Ken scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Another test? Haven't we proven ourselves enough?"
Kakashi's eye curved into what I guessed was a smile. "This test is different. It will determine if you're truly ready to be a team."
Risha raised an eyebrow, her voice steady. "What kind of test are we talking about?"
Kakashi's demeanor remained casual as he explained, "Meet me at Training Ground 3 at dawn tomorrow. And don't eat breakfast—you'll just throw it up."
I felt a jolt of surprise and curiosity. Another test? After everything we had already gone through at the academy? But I nodded along with the others, ready to prove myself.
Ken smirked, clearly unfazed. "Piece of cake. I'll show you what I'm made of."
Risha nodded thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing as she considered Kakashi's words. "We'll be there."
I looked at Kakashi, composed and focused. "I'll be ready, Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi nodded, his gaze lingering on each of us. "Good. Get a good night's rest. You'll need it."
As he turned to leave, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and curiosity. This was our chance to prove ourselves, and I wasn't going to let it slip away.
The next morning, we gathered at the academy and headed to the classroom where we would meet our jonin sensei. The room was buzzing with excitement as students met their sensei for the first time. I felt a surge of excitement as I scanned the room, looking for Kakashi.
Other jonin were already there, introducing themselves to their students and discussing their first missions. The anticipation in the room was palpable, and I couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline.
But as time passed, my excitement began to wane. Ken was pacing back and forth, his impatience growing with each minute. Risha sat quietly, her calm demeanor masking any frustration she might have felt. I tried to stay optimistic, but as the minutes turned into hours, my excitement gave way to anxiety and confusion.
"Where is he?" Ken muttered, his irritation evident. "This is ridiculous."
Risha glanced at the clock, her eyes narrowing. "He's three hours late."
I couldn't help but feel a knot of worry forming in my stomach. Had we been forgotten? Or was this some kind of test in itself?
Just as my anxiety was about to boil over, the door slid open, and Kakashi strolled in, his demeanor as relaxed as ever.
"Good morning," he greeted us, as if he wasn't three hours late.
Ken's face turned red with anger. "Good morning? You're three hours late!"
Risha crossed her arms, her voice laced with irritation. "We've been waiting here for hours."
Kakashi scratched the back of his head, his eye curving into an apologetic look. "Oh, did I say dawn? My bad. I must have gotten the time wrong."
I couldn't help but feel a mix of irritation and confusion. Was he serious? Or was this part of the test?
Kakashi's demeanor remained relaxed as he continued, "Alright, let's get started. Your task is simple. You have until noon to take these bells from me. If you don't get a bell, you go back to the reserve corps."
He held up two small bells, their metallic jingling almost mocking us. I felt my stomach tighten with determination. Ken cracked his knuckles, his eyes gleaming with excitement, while Risha assessed the situation quietly, her mind already at work on a plan.
"Only two bells," Ken noted with a smirk. "Looks like one of us is going back to the reserve corps."
"We'll see about that," I replied, my voice steady despite the nerves.
As the test began, Ken immediately charged at Kakashi with a ferocious battle cry. I could see his typical Inuzuka brashness on full display. Meanwhile, Risha moved cautiously, trying to gauge Kakashi's movements. I decided to watch for a moment, analyzing the situation before making my move.
Kakashi easily dodged Ken's attacks, barely moving from his spot. His relaxed demeanor was both impressive and frustrating. Ken's brute strength and speed were no match for Kakashi's agility and experience. I realized then that raw power wouldn't be enough to beat him.
Risha attempted a different approach, using her agility to try and catch Kakashi off guard. She darted in and out, testing his defenses with quick, precise strikes. But Kakashi remained unfazed, countering her every move with minimal effort.
I watched intently, formulating my own strategy. Kakashi's prowess was undeniable, but there had to be a way to outsmart him. I needed to find a weakness, something that could give us an edge. But first, I needed to understand his fighting style better.
As I continued to observe, I noticed how Kakashi seemed almost bored, his posture relaxed and his movements fluid. He was toying with us, testing our abilities without exerting much effort. It was both infuriating and motivating. If we were going to pass this test, we needed to step up our game and work together.
Initially, I fell for the ruse, thinking that getting a bell was the only way to graduate. I joined the fray, hoping to use my own speed and cunning to snatch a bell while Kakashi was distracted by Ken and Risha. But every attempt was met with the same effortless counter. Kakashi was always a step ahead.
"Ken, Risha, we need to coordinate our attacks!" I shouted, hoping to get their attention.
Ken scoffed, his pride clearly wounded from his failed attempts. "I don't need your help, shrimp!"
Risha glanced at me, her expression thoughtful but hesitant. "What do you suggest, Naruto?"
"We need to create an opening," I replied, my mind racing. "Ken, you keep him busy with your strength. Risha, look for an opening to strike. I'll find a way to distract him."
Ken grumbled but eventually nodded, realizing that brute force alone wouldn't be enough. Risha gave a small nod, her eyes focused and determined.
We moved into position, ready to execute our plan. Ken charged at Kakashi again, his attacks more controlled and strategic this time. Risha moved with him, waiting for the right moment to strike. I circled around, looking for an opportunity to create a distraction.
However, as soon as Ken's attacks missed and Risha moved in, Ken's frustration boiled over. "Get out of my way, Risha! You're just slowing me down!"
Risha shot back, "Your brute force isn't working, Ken! We need a different approach."
Their bickering continued even as they fought, making their movements uncoordinated and sloppy. I tried to intervene, but their tempers were too high.
"Both of you, stop fighting! We need to work together if we want to have a chance!" I pleaded.
But my words fell on deaf ears. Ken and Risha's pride and stubbornness overshadowed their ability to see reason. They kept trying to outdo each other, each one wanting to prove they could take down Kakashi alone.
Ken lunged at Kakashi with a flurry of punches and kicks, his movements wild yet powerful. Kakashi dodged and parried with ease, his expression never changing. Risha took advantage of the distraction, attempting to sweep Kakashi's legs out from under him. Kakashi jumped, avoiding the sweep, and landed lightly on his feet.
"Not bad," Kakashi remarked, his tone almost bored. "But you'll have to do better than that."
I took a deep breath, focusing my chakra. I needed to create an opening. Using the basic jutsu I had learned at the academy, I performed a few hand signs and launched a Henge no Jutsu, transforming into a kunai and positioning myself near Kakashi's feet. My plan was to revert back and grab the bell when he was distracted.
Kakashi's eye widened slightly as he engaged with Ken and Risha. Just as I was about to transform back, Kakashi kicked the kunai—me—into the air. I reverted back to my original form, flipping mid-air and landing awkwardly on my feet.
"Nice try," Kakashi said, his voice calm. "But not good enough."
Despite our best efforts, Kakashi remained untouchable. He countered Ken's attacks effortlessly and anticipated Risha's strikes with ease. It was clear that our lack of coordination and experience was holding us back.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, I felt a growing sense of frustration. We were running out of time, and our chances of getting those bells seemed increasingly slim. I had to come up with something, a new approach that could turn the tide in our favor.
"Ken, Risha, fall back for a moment!" I called out, retreating to a safe distance.
They joined me, both of them breathing heavily and looking frustrated. "What now?" Ken demanded, his eyes blazing with determination.
"We need to think outside the box," I said, my mind racing. "Kakashi-sensei is too strong for us to beat head-on. We need to find a way to outsmart him."
Risha nodded slowly, her eyes thoughtful. "What if we use the environment to our advantage? There are plenty of trees and obstacles we can use for cover and surprise attacks."
Ken grunted in agreement. "Fine, but we need to move fast. We're running out of time."
Despite our plan, it quickly became clear that neither Ken nor Risha were willing to truly cooperate. Ken, bristling with arrogance, believed he could overpower Kakashi with brute strength. Risha, on the other hand, saw me as too young and inexperienced, thinking she could outsmart both Kakashi and us to take the bell for herself.
As Ken and Risha argued, their voices rising in frustration, I tried to get them to see reason. "We need to work together if we want to have a chance!"
"Stay out of this, Naruto," Ken snapped. "You're just a kid. Let the real shinobi handle this."
Risha added, "Naruto, we appreciate your effort, but you should focus on not getting in the way."
Their refusal to work together left me feeling frustrated and helpless. I watched as they both charged at Kakashi again, their attacks uncoordinated and easily countered. Kakashi dismantled their efforts with minimal effort, his movements fluid and precise.
My frustration reached a boiling point. If they wouldn't listen, I had to take matters into my own hands. Gathering my chakra, I prepared to use the one advanced technique I had managed to learn from a pilfered scroll—Suiton: Teppōdama, the Water Bullet Jutsu.
As Kakashi easily deflected Ken and Risha's attacks, I took a deep breath and launched a high-powered water bullet directly at him. The force of the attack caught Kakashi off guard, and he was momentarily surprised. With slight difficulty, Kakashi managed to block the water bullet by summoning a very strong earth wall, which absorbed the impact of the water jutsu.
"Not bad, Naruto," Kakashi said, his tone showing a hint of genuine respect. "But you'll need more than that."
Despite my best efforts, it was clear that our lack of coordination and teamwork was our downfall. Ken and Risha's refusal to work together, combined with Kakashi's superior skills, left us struggling to make any real progress. The bells jingled mockingly at his waist, a constant reminder of our failure.
As the noon bell rang, signaling the end of the test, we stood there, panting and defeated. Kakashi's expression remained impassive as he looked at us, his gaze sharp and assessing.
"You didn't get the bells," he said calmly. "Which means you failed."
I felt a sinking feeling in my chest, a mix of disappointment and frustration. We had given it our all, but it wasn't enough.
Kakashi's gaze softened slightly as he continued. "But there's more to this test than just getting the bells. You all failed to work as a team."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "A shinobi who breaks the rules is scum, but a shinobi who abandons their comrades is worse than scum. Remember that."
With that, Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving us to reflect on our failure. As the weight of his words settled over us, we realized the true purpose of the test: teamwork. We had failed not because we lacked skill, but because we hadn't learned to trust and rely on each other.
"Why didn't you two listen?" I shouted at Ken and Risha, my frustration spilling out. "If we had just worked together, we might have stood a chance!"
Ken glared at me, his pride still stinging from his failure. "Don't blame this on us, Naruto. You were the one who didn't belong here in the first place."
Risha looked away, her expression unreadable. "We all failed, Naruto. There's no point in arguing about it now."
Despite the disappointment and anger, I felt a growing resolve. This was just the beginning of our journey, and I was determined to become stronger and prove myself. Together or not, I would overcome these challenges and rise to the top.
Thank you for giving "Naruto: The Last Harbinger of Storm" a chance,
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