Chapter no.16 Naruto

Chapter no.16 Bell Test Part 1

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Naruto found himself sitting in a strange public garden, perched on a rooftop. Trees were planted in neat little rows, with stone arches between the trees as if someone with an artistic streak had designed it. It didn’t really fit in with the rest of Konoha, but it’s not like Naruto had any say in the village’s layout. If he did, he’d definitely add more orange—a lot more orange.

He sat by one of the trees, leaning against the trunk to escape the blazing sun. As much as he loved Oscar’s armor, wearing that thing under Konoha’s sun felt like being trapped in a burning furnace. Sweat was already pooling underneath the metal. Next to him sat Sasuke, brooding as always, while Sakura was busy sneaking glances at the Uchiha, like he was the center of the universe. Their jonin instructor, Kakashi Hatake, leaned casually against the railing, observing the trio.

Naruto glanced at Kakashi, taking in the spiky silver hair that flopped lazily to one side, his visible dark grey eye seeming as disinterested as ever, and that ever-present mask covering most of his face. Somehow, despite only seeing one eye, it made Kakashi look even more mysterious.

Naruto wondered what he should even call the guy. Sensei didn’t feel right. That title belonged to Oscar. No one else deserved it. So, what? Cyclops-instructor?

Kakashi’s voice snapped Naruto out of his thoughts. “Now, I’d like you all to tell us a little about yourselves.”

Silence. Of course.

“You know, the usual. Your favorite things, what you hate most, dreams, ambitions, hobbies. Things like that,” Kakashi continued, trying to sound casual.

Naruto glanced at the others. Sasuke didn’t even bother to react, and Sakura—well, she was just blushing like an idiot, staring at Sasuke like he was her lifelong dream. Figures.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. “Why don’t you give us an example?”

Sakura chimed in, “That’s right… after all, you’re a complete stranger to us… a mystery.”

Kakashi’s eye crinkled into what Naruto could only assume was a smile. “Oh, me? My name is Hatake Kakashi. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t feel like talking about my likes and dislikes, my dreams for the future are none of your business… but anyway, I have lots of hobbies.”

Naruto sweatdropped. Seriously? That was the vaguest thing he’d ever heard. This guy was even more of a mystery now.

Sakura threw a glare at Kakashi’s Icha Icha book, clearly unimpressed with his ‘hobbies,’ but Kakashi just ignored her like she didn’t exist.

“Why don’t we start with you, blonde?” Kakashi pointed at Naruto.

Naruto took a deep breath. Alright, he’d give them something to think about. He pulled out his shield, placing it in front of him like it was a part of who he was—because it was.

“I’m Naruto Uzumaki, Squire of Oscar. I like ramen and pranks, and my dream is to ring the Bells of Awakening!” He said it with all the confidence he could muster, trying not to crack a grin at the confused looks around him.

The silence that followed was almost unbearable. A crow cawed in the distance, punctuating the awkwardness.

“Right…” Kakashi finally said, his one visible eye narrowing like he was trying to figure out what the hell Naruto was talking about. Bells of Awakening? Yeah, he wasn’t going to get it.

Sakura and Sasuke both stared at Naruto like he’d grown a second head. What? Did they think he was still the same dumb Naruto who chased after Sakura for no reason?

“Next,” Kakashi said, running his hand through his white hair like he’d already given up trying to understand Naruto.

Naruto smirked to himself, his arms crossed as he stood, the confident smirk clear on his face. Good, he thought. Let them wonder. It just makes me more mysterious.

Next up was Sasuke. He sat in his usual hunched position, arms crossed, a look of pure disinterest on his face.

“My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are plenty of things I hate, but I don’t see the point in talking about it. There’s almost nothing I like. It seems pointless to talk about ‘dreams,’ that’s just a word… but what I do have is determination.” His eyes flickered with a dangerous intensity. “I plan to restore my clan. And there’s someone I have sworn to kill.”

As he said that, his Sharingan activated, red eyes gleaming with silent rage.

Naruto, leaning back on his hands, raised an eyebrow. “Can you stop switching your eyes on and off like light bulbs?”

Sasuke ignored him completely, as if Naruto’s words weren’t even worth acknowledging.

Sakura, however, looked torn. She glanced between Naruto and Sasuke, clearly caught between defending her crush and… well, her fear of this new naruto.

“I think your eyes are awesome… light bulbs,” she said with a sheepish smile, hoping to make up for her hesitation.

Sasuke sighed deeply, clearly regretting being put on a team with, what he thought, were a bunch of clowns.

I’m so cringe, Sakura mentally screamed at herself, embarrassed by her own words.

“Lastly, pinky,” Kakashi’s voice cut through the tension.

Sakura flinched. Don’t call me pinky, you cyclops, she thought, but she kept the thought to herself. She composed herself as best she could.

“I am Haruno Sakura. My favorite thing is… well, it’s not a thing, it’s a person. A boy… and that boy is…” She blushed, trailing off awkwardly. “I hate… Ino-pig and my hobbies are…”

Kakashi paused, observing her closely. He could already see the danger with Sakura. She was more interested in love than being a serious shinobi. His original plan had been to scare her out of this phase, but after discussing it with the Third Hokage, he decided it would be better to try a different approach—get her more involved, make her take an active role in this world of shinobi. Hopefully, that would snap her out of her boy-crazy phase.

“Alright, now that introductions are done, let’s begin your final test as genin.”

Sakura’s eyes widened. “But sensei, we’re already genin,” she said, her confusion evident.

Kakashi chuckled lightly at that.

“Why are you laughing?” Naruto asked, suspicious.

“It’s hilarious that you think greenhorns like you are actually genin,” Kakashi replied, clearly enjoying this moment. “To be proper genin, you need to pass one final test. A survival test.”

“Survival test?” Sasuke’s interest was piqued.

Kakashi smirked. “Oh, interested, are we? I thought you’d chicken out.”

“Chicken out? Why would I?” Naruto asked, his brow furrowing.

“Well,” Kakashi said, his voice taking on a more serious tone, “out of the twenty-seven members of your graduating class, only nine will be accepted into teams. The rest will be thrown into the reserves—a life of mediocrity.”

Sasuke and Naruto both bristled at the challenge. Sakura, on the other hand, looked a little more nervous, but she tried her best to put on a brave face.

“Bring it on, Cyclops instructor!” Naruto shouted, the smirk returning to his face. After everything he’d been through—the Northern Asylum, that damn cemetery—nothing in Konoha scared him anymore.

“Meet me at Training Ground 7,” Kakashi instructed, glancing up at the fading light of the evening. “Oh, and bring some dinner for yourselves. Don’t eat it though… or else.”

Kakashi gave them a long, intense look, letting the weight of his words sink in before disappearing in a body flicker.

He had originally planned to do this training tomorrow, but the Third Hokage had insisted he finish the bell test today, not giving him the luxury of laziness.

Guess I’ll see how this turns out, Kakashi thought to himself.

[ Item: Firebomb ]

[ Description: Bisque urn filled with black powder. Explodes, inflicting fire damage.

Relatively powerful ranged weapon, especially in situations called for fire damage. A very precious item at low levels.

Many warriors use these to augment their strategic repertoire ]

Naruto sat at Training Ground 7, staring out at the wide-open field. The place was surrounded by trees, and the dirt beneath his feet had patches of stubborn grass sprouting here and there. Off in the distance, the giant lake reflected the sky, a perfect mirror of the blueish-black canopy overhead. A few stars were beginning to blink into existence as the sun set.

Perched on top of one of the three training logs, Naruto held the firebomb in his hand, turning it over, studying it. It was a simple urn-like thing, rough to the touch and wrapped in a net-like material that seemed like it was barely holding the whole thing together. The dark surface felt ancient, like it had seen some battles before landing in his hands.

The fact that his clones could access his inventory still blew his mind. One of them had found this thing on the third path of the firelink shrine. He hadn’t even noticed it at first.

Man, I should go back to that cemetery… He rubbed his chin like he had a beard to stroke. There were a ton of items he missed because of those stupidly strong skeletons. He smirked at the thought of going back, a plan already forming in his mind.

If only I could return to the other world.

Where was Kakashi anyway? Naruto looked around at Sasuke and Sakura, both of them looking as impatient as he felt. “Where is this guy?” he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.

“Wait it out, dobe,” Sasuke’s voice cut through his thoughts, his usual bored tone making Naruto blink. That was weird. The emo hadn’t changed at all compared to everyone else.

“He’s probably enjoying his book,” Sakura said, her face set in a firm expression, her eyes narrowed like she was imagining giving Kakashi a punch for keeping them waiting.

Naruto sighed, shrugging to himself. If Kakashi wasn’t going to show up, he might as well get some practice in. He summoned the Zweihander from his inventory, the massive blade materializing in his hand. The weight of it nearly threw him off balance. This wasn’t like the Astora straight sword he was used to.

Alright, let’s see what this baby can do.

Naruto shifted his stance, trying to find his footing with this beast of a sword. His legs spread wide, knees slightly bent. He gripped the hilt with both hands, the rough leather biting into his palms. The air felt different around him, like the weight of the sword was pulling gravity itself toward him. Yeah, this is definitely nothing like the Astora sword.

“Okay, let’s start with a weak attack.” He swung, trying to see how fast he could move with this thing. The blade cut through the air in a wide arc from right to left. It felt like he was dragging his arms through water. Each movement was slow, deliberate, like his body had to fight to even make the swing. His arms were already feeling like lead.

I need to increase my strength stat.

Naruto paused for a second, catching his breath. His arms were numb, trembling slightly from the effort of that one swing.

Alright, let’s go for a strong attack. Let’s see how much damage this thing can really do.

He raised the Zweihander above his head, his arms straining under the weight. The muscles in his shoulders burned, but he pushed through it, focusing on the target ahead of him. With all the strength he could muster, Naruto brought the sword down in a powerful overhand swing.

The blade smashed into the ground with a deafening THUD. The impact echoed through the clearing, dirt flying up in every direction. A gash split the ground where the sword had landed, the earth ripped apart like paper. His hands were vibrating from the shock, his whole body buzzing with the aftermath of the strike.

Naruto couldn’t move. The strong attack had drained everything from him. His arms felt numb, completely useless. He tried to flex his fingers, but they barely responded. He stood there, panting, sweat dripping down his face. The Zweihander was still embedded in the ground, too heavy to lift again right now.

This sword… it’s on a whole other level. He grinned through the exhaustion, his mind racing with possibilities. I’ll just have to get stronger.

Let’s try it with chakra.

Naruto clenched the Zweihander’s hilt, summoning his chakra into his arms and legs, letting the energy flow through him. Sweat mixed with the dirt on his armor, the weight of the sword pressing down hard. But with chakra enhancing his muscles, he could swing the thing at least ten times before feeling like his arms were made of cotton, and he could manage two strong attacks without completely collapsing.

“Naruto, where did you get that thing?” Sakura’s voice cut through the quiet.

“Oh, I picked it up in a cemetery while being chased by skeletons,” Naruto answered casually, his eyes still fixed on the sword. He didn’t bother looking at her or Sasuke. They wouldn’t believe him anyway. The skeptical silence from behind him confirmed it.

He stabbed the Zweihander into the ground, its blade sinking deep into the dirt with a satisfying thud. The thing was massive—easily two feet taller than him. He smiled at it, feeling a weird sense of pride.

This thing’s too big to even be called a sword. He ran a hand along the rough, worn blade. Too big, too thick, too heavy, and too damn rough. It’s like a giant hunk of iron, built to crush monsters, not cut them.

Suddenly, he felt it—the familiar rush of chakra from a Body Flicker nearby. It was subtle but unmistakable, like the air suddenly changing temperature. Going from a hot room to a cold one—it’s that immediate, noticeable shift.

Weird… why do I feel chakra like that now? Naruto thought, his brow furrowing. Is it my stats? Which one’s making me sense this so clearly?

Before he could dive deeper into that thought, Sakura’s loud voice snapped him back to reality. “You’re late!” she yelled, her tone sharp enough to cut through his focus.

Naruto turned his head and saw Kakashi standing there, as nonchalant as ever. His eyes immediately locked onto the two small bells dangling from the man’s waist, their metallic jingle catching his attention like a shiny distraction.

Kakashi ignored the looks they gave him, like he couldn’t care less that they were practically burning holes through him with their stares. He calmly set up an alarm clock in the dirt, like this was just another day.

“Okay, you three have six hours to get these two bells from me.”

Six hours? Naruto blinked, glancing at Sasuke and Sakura. They all exchanged confused looks but said nothing. How is this a survival test? And why six hours?

Kakashi’s voice snapped Naruto back to attention. “Those who don’t have a bell by the end… get no dinner.”

Naruto’s stomach growled loudly, and, judging by the looks on Sasuke and Sakura’s faces, so did theirs. So that’s why, they all thought at the same time. Of course, he’d use food as motivation.

“I’ll also tie the loser with no bell to one of those stumps,” Kakashi continued, pointing to the training logs behind him, “and I’ll eat right in front of you.”

Naruto sweatdropped. This guy… that’s comically evil. He glanced at Sakura, and she looked just as freaked out as he felt.

“And,” Kakashi added, his voice suddenly lighter, “the loser isn’t going to be on the team this time.”

The jonin’s smile was so casual, but the threat in those words was real.

“Let’s begin!”

Immediately, Sasuke and Sakura had already jumped into the trees.

Hiding was a Shinobi’s first move. Meanwhile, Naruto just stood there, brushing the dirt off his armor and closing the visor on his helmet with a satisfying clink.

“You know, the most important thing for a shinobi is to be able to hide themselves,” Kakashi said, casually cleaning his ear with his pinky finger.

Naruto paused, turning to face him. “This is a survival test, right?”

Kakashi nodded, as calm as ever.

“Then you’re the monster.” Naruto let the words hang in the air.

Kakashi gave a small shrug. “You could say that.”

Naruto grinned beneath his helmet. “So, the best way to survive… is to kill the monster.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at that. “That’s one leap of logic.”

“It’s a perfect leap of logic!” Naruto yelled back, grabbing the Zweihander in both hands. The weight of the sword felt good, solid. He flooded his body with chakra, feeling the surge of energy course through him. In an instant, he activated Shunshin no Jutsu, his body blurring as he appeared right in front of Kakashi.

Naruto swung the Zweihander in a wide, sweeping arc from right to left, the massive blade cutting through the air like a hurricane. But the white haired cyclops—of course—dodged by casually sitting down. What the hell? He didn’t even flinch, still reading that stupid orange book.

Alright, you want to play like that? Naruto gritted his teeth, chakra flooding into his arms as he stopped the swing mid-motion. He could feel the strain, his muscles screaming at him, but he pushed through it. Without hesitation, he reversed the momentum and brought the sword down in a powerful diagonal slash aimed right at Kakashi.

Kakashi moved like a frog, leaping up just as the Zweihander slammed into the ground with a deafening CRASH. Dirt and rocks flew everywhere, and the impact shook through Naruto’s arms, but his eyes stayed locked on Kakashi. He landed effortlessly on the flat side of the blade, still reading his book.

Are you kidding me?! Naruto’s arms felt numb from the force of the strike, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him. I’m not going to lose to this guy!

Naruto glared at Kakashi, his hands gripping the hilt of the Zweihander tighter. I’ll get those bells, even if I have to rip this whole field apart.

Kakashi’s voice cut through the air. “Your fighting style isn’t suited for stealth at all.”

Naruto smirked behind his helmet, the adrenaline pumping through his veins. “Well, your form of stealth is different from mine,” he replied, feeling a plan form in his mind.

“Do tell?”

“It still counts as stealth if there are no witnesses left to tell about what happened.”

Without waiting for his reaction, Naruto lunged forward, aiming for a headbutt, the metal of his helmet shining in the moonlight.

Kakashi reacted instantly, channeling chakra into his headband. Metal met metal with a deafening CLANG, the force of the collision reverberating through Naruto’s skull. For a moment, everything rang in his ears, but he pushed through it, grinning beneath the visor. Heh, good block, but I’m not done yet.

In an instant, Naruto dismissed the Zweihander back into his inventory, leaving Kakashi to fall slightly as his balance was thrown off. Naruto’s left hand shot out, now holding an axe. He swung it with all the speed he could muster, aiming for Kakashi’s side.

The jonin moved like lightning, his feet planted solidly on the ground as he shot his hand up to intercept the swing.

CLANG.

Sparks flew as Naruto’s axe collided with the metal plate on Kakashi’s glove. The force of the block sent a shockwave through Naruto’s arms, the metal grinding against metal. Damn, he’s fast.

Naruto immediately jumped back, his heart pounding, and thrust his palm forward. The familiar warmth of the pyromancy flame ignited in his hand, a small orb of fire gathering between his fingers. He could feel the heat crackling, the air around him shimmering from the intensity.

Kakashi didn’t show it, but he was shocked to sense Naruto’s fire jutsu. The chakra behind it felt wild, chaotic—like an uncontrollable fire that could consume anything in its path, even its user. It wasn’t the refined, precise technique he expected; it was raw and dangerous.

Yet despite the chaotic nature of Naruto’s jutsu, Kakashi’s eye remained fixed on the boy. The helmet hid Naruto’s expressions, but his body language told a different story. This wasn’t just a spar or a test for Naruto. His posture, the way his muscles tensed, the intensity in every movement—Naruto was treating this like a real battle. A battle to the death.


I need to take this more seriously, Kakashi thought, his usual casual demeanor slipping just a little. He didn’t want Naruto to injure himself, pushing too far. But as he gazed at the growing fireball in Naruto’s palm, flickering with that dangerous energy, Kakashi reconsidered.

Better yet… I don’t want to injure myself.

With a sharp breath, Naruto launched the fireball straight at Kakashi. The orb sailed through the air, small and deceptively harmless-looking at first. But as it neared, the fireball exploded with a blinding flash. The shockwave hit Naruto first, sending a rush of hot air past his face. The explosion itself was massive. The ground beneath them shook as the orb erupted into a roaring firestorm, dirt and debris flying in all directions.

Whoa!

The sheer force of the explosion pushed Naruto back, his feet digging into the earth to stay grounded. His eyes widened as he took in the destruction—flames flickering in the aftermath, smoke curling up from the impact zone.

Naruto panted, his heart racing, but his eyes stayed locked on the smoke. Did I get him?

Suddenly, a cold shiver ran down Naruto’s spine. The Way of Focality screamed at him, pulling his attention behind him. Kakashi! His heart raced. He could feel Kakashi there—his hands forming the tiger seal. A jutsu?! Naruto had no time to think.

In a flash, he swapped his axe for the talisman in his left hand. His lips moved quickly, muttering the prayer to Allfather Loyd. The words came out in a rush, but with each syllable, Naruto felt something inside him calm. Peace.

The white energy finally formed in his hands, swirling gently before bursting outwards in a wave of pure force. The shockwave hit Kakashi just as his hands moved to strike with the Thousand Years of Death. The jutsu was stopped, his form stunned mid-motion.

It worked!

He finally performed that damn miracle.

Without thinking, Naruto’s hand shot forward, not towards Kakashi—but towards the bells. He should’ve attacked! But his hand closed around the bells, and for a second, he thought he’d won. Then—

Puff!

The bells disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Shadow clone. His teeth clenched, frustration boiling up. His hand gripped the Zweihander again as he prepared himself, eyes darting around, waiting for Kakashi to strike. He could be anywhere.

Naruto turned sharply at the sound of a faint giggle, his head snapping towards the lake. There Kakashi stood, on the water under the moonlight, like it was the most natural thing in the world. His book was closed now, his visible eye trained on Naruto. And then—his hands blurred. Naruto couldn’t even fathom how fast Kakashi performed the hand signs.

The surface of the lake rippled and bulged. Naruto watched in stunned silence as the water began to rise, twisting and churning, forming the shape of… a woman. Her body was made entirely of water, shimmering under the moon’s pale light. Her long, liquid hair flowed around her like tendrils, and her face was eerily beautiful but cold, emotionless.

What the hell is that?!

“Water Style: Call of the Siren.”

The words left Kakashi’s mouth, and the siren opened hers. In that instant, a sound—no, a tunnel of sound—hit Naruto with such force that his body froze. The noise wasn’t just loud; it was like a physical pressure, crashing into him. His legs buckled, and before he knew it, he felt like he was being sucked underwater.

I… I’m drowning!

Naruto gasped, but no air came. His lungs burned, his chest tightening as if invisible hands were squeezing the life out of him. He couldn’t breathe. Panic set in. His mind raced, desperate for a solution, but everything felt slow, distorted. His limbs wouldn’t respond. He tried to scream, but his voice was lost in the torrent of sound.

This isn’t real. It’s a genjutsu. This isn’t real… But it didn’t matter. His body thought it was real. He was suffocating, and no amount of logic could stop it. The world around him began to darken, the edges of his vision blurring as the sensation of drowning overwhelmed him. His thoughts grew muddled, and in those last moments before he blacked out, an image flashed in his mind.

The Stray Demon… That hulking beast from the other world. Naruto had faced monsters before, things that shouldn’t exist, but this… this was different.

Monsters in the flesh of humans… they exist. And maybe… maybe they’re even more terrifying than the beasts from the other world.

The last thing Naruto saw was Kakashi standing on the water, unmoved, unshaken, as he slipped into unconsciousness.