Naruto Uzumaki yawned and stretched in bed, rays of morning sunlight filtering through the slats of his apartment window. A glance at the wall-mounted calendar sent a jolt of excitement through him. Today was the day—Genin team assignments.
"Yes! Finally!" he cheered, springing out of bed. He ripped open his pantry and grabbed a brand-new flavor of instant ramen: "Spicy Miso Beef Tempura Explosion"—a rare limited edition. He'd been saving it for a special occasion, and this definitely qualified.
As the water boiled and the aroma filled his small apartment, Naruto imagined what kind of Jonin he'd get. Someone cool. Strong. Preferably with a tragic backstory and awesome jutsu. He grinned as he slurped the first bite. "Today's gonna be the day I take the first step to becoming Hokage."
Meanwhile, Team RWBY—Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang—were enjoying breakfast at a modest restaurant near the Hokage Tower. They were an odd sight in Konoha, but most villagers had grown used to them after their brief introduction by the Hokage. All four wore headbands with pride, their chakra signatures now in tune with the world of shinobi.
"I still think Weiss should've used more salt," Yang said, teasing as she poked her rice bowl.
Weiss shot her a glare. "At least I don't pour hot sauce on everything like some uncivilized brute."
Ruby giggled, stuffing her face with pancakes. Blake sat quietly, sipping tea and reading a book titled Ninja Strategies and Trap Avoidance: Beginner Edition.
They all felt it in the air—today was important.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the Haruno residence, Sakura shared breakfast with her parents. She tried to keep her excitement under control, but her fingers nervously tapped against her tea cup.
"You've got this, Sakura," her mother said with a warm smile. "No matter which team you're placed in, just do your best."
Sakura nodded, her mind secretly hoping she'd end up on the same team as Sasuke.
Elsewhere, the last Uchiha sat calmly, a bowl of steaming tomato soup before him. He dipped a piece of okaka onigiri into it, chewing slowly. His thoughts were on the future—on strength, on revenge, and on his clan. He didn't care who his teammates were. He just needed to grow stronger.
Soon, all the freshly graduated Genin were gathered inside the familiar academy classroom. The air was thick with chatter and nervous energy. Naruto sat with his feet on the desk, grinning, while Sakura scolded him to sit properly. Sasuke leaned against the wall, brooding. Team RWBY sat together, a quiet storm of confidence.
One by one, names were called. Students left in groups of three with their assigned Jonin instructors. But Naruto's group remained.
Time passed.
Then more time.
By the time nearly all other teams had left, Naruto had slammed his head on the desk. "This is torture…"
Just then, the classroom door creaked open.
Two figures stood at the entrance.
One was the ever-cool Kakashi Hatake, tall and silver-haired with one eye lazily closed behind his Konoha hitai-ate. The other was a striking woman with short black hair, a red scarf, and piercing gray eyes. She wore modified Konoha Jonin gear, complete with a custom sword sheath strapped to her back.
Naruto blinked. "Who's the hot chick?"
Sakura bonked him on the head.
Kakashi looked at the group. "Team… Seven? Or rather, the new Team Seven. You seven, come with us."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They were led to the academy rooftop, where the wind was crisp and the village spread out beneath them.
Kakashi leaned against the rail, his book nowhere in sight. Beside him, Mikasa stood quietly, her arms folded.
"Before we begin," Kakashi said, "let's introduce ourselves. Name, likes, dislikes, dreams, and anything else worth sharing."
Ruby went first, smiling as she spoke about weapons and becoming a hero. Weiss was more reserved, mentioning her family's expectations and desire to prove herself. Blake admitted her love for books and peace, a soft undertone of rebellion in her words. Yang's fiery energy radiated as she spoke about protecting her sister and punching hard.
Sakura gave a standard response, throwing occasional glances at Sasuke.
Sasuke's turn came. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't like much. I dislike many things. My goal… is to kill a certain someone."
Silence followed.
Naruto, not to be outdone, grinned wide. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen—especially miso from Ichiraku! I hate waiting and people who look down on me! My dream is to become Hokage and make everyone acknowledge me!"
Kakashi looked to Mikasa, who stepped forward. "I'm Mikasa. I like blades and… Kakashi." Her cheeks pinked slightly. "I dislike cowards. My goal is to protect those important to me."
The team blinked.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "Wait, what did she just say?!"
Kakashi ignored him. "Well then. Let me explain. Tomorrow, you'll all be taking a survival test."
Sakura raised a hand. "But we already graduated…"
Kakashi smiled beneath his mask. "This is different. Of the 27 graduates this year, only those who pass this test will officially become Genin. The rest… will be sent back to the academy."
Gasps echoed.
He pulled out a pair of small silver bells and let them jingle softly. "Your task is simple. Take these bells from us—me and Mikasa—by noon. If you fail, you don't eat lunch. We'll be the ones deciding who passes and fails."
Ruby raised her hand. "But there are only two bells."
"Exactly," Kakashi said.
Mikasa added quietly, "The most important skill for a ninja… is to hide really well."
Naruto's stomach dropped.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning…
All seven Genin arrived early at Training Ground Three, anticipation buzzing like chakra in the air. They waited in silence, some stretching, others planning.
To their surprise, Kakashi and Mikasa arrived on time.
Naruto blinked. "You're not late?"
"Thank Mikasa," Kakashi said, suppressing a yawn.
"No need for tricks," Mikasa added. "This isn't a game."
Kakashi held up the bells again. "Same rules. Take the bells by noon. If not, no lunch. Fail, and it's back to school."
"Ready?" Mikasa asked.
The seven nodded.
"Begin!" Kakashi shouted.
They vanished.
Ruby darted into the trees, her speed a crimson blur. Blake cloaked herself in shadows. Weiss formed an ice mist as cover. Yang hid her chakra while crouched behind a large boulder. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura also split, hiding in bushes and branches.
From above, Kakashi and Mikasa observed calmly.
"You go left, I'll go right," she said.
Kakashi nodded.
One by one, they were picked off.
Weiss attempted to trap Kakashi in a glyph-formed barrier—but a simple substitution trick left her tangled in her own ice.
Yang burst out to punch Kakashi, only to find herself locked in a genjutsu. Mikasa caught her before she fell, gently placing her behind a tree.
Blake's shadows were precise—but not against Mikasa's battlefield instincts. A well-aimed kunai forced her to move, exposing her position.
Naruto tried to brute-force the problem. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
A hundred clones exploded into the field. "Let's gooooo!"
But Mikasa calmly stepped forward, unsheathing two long blades from her sheath—her personal weapon, the sheath is embedded with storage seals which allow her to take out the blades sealed beforehand. With blinding speed, she tore through the clones one by one, slashing, spinning, evading, moving with grace that made even Sasuke pause in admiration.
Naruto's last clone disappeared. Mikasa parried and disarmed him, catching him by the collar. "Reckless."
He groaned. "Dang it…"
Time ticked by.
Sasuke attempted a sneak attack from above, shuriken flying in perfect arcs. Kakashi countered with precision, moving like water.
Sakura froze in fear during her ambush attempt, and was swiftly caught.
Ruby tried combining her speed with Blake's shadow clones, but Kakashi and Mikasa adapted too quickly.
When noon struck, all seven were tied to logs, looking defeated and hungry.
"You all failed to get the bells," Kakashi said. "But that's not why you're tied up."
"Huh?" Naruto asked.
"The real test was teamwork," Mikasa said.
"You all fought alone," Kakashi added. "Some of you coordinated a bit. But you didn't truly act as a team."
Naruto lowered his head.
"But," Mikasa said, her voice softer, "we saw potential. You trusted each other, even in chaos. That's rare."
Kakashi nodded. "So we'll give you… one more chance."
They untied the group, placing bento boxes in front of them. "Eat."
"But…" Sakura began, "You said—"
"Rules are important," Kakashi said, "but those who break the rules are trash. However…"
"Those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash," Mikasa finished.
The seven looked at each other… and smiled.