Chapter Text
The morning mist in Konoha’s Training Ground 7 was usually thin and ethereal, but today, it felt heavy, damp, and smelled faintly of sea salt. This wasn't natural weather; it was the leaking chakra of the Sanbi, the Three-Tailed Giant Turtle, resting uneasily within the gut of Kakashi Hatake.
Kakashi leaned against a wooden post, his hands buried deep in his pockets. He had the crushing weight of a Tailed Beast’s chakra to stabilize every single day.
"Listen up," Kakashi said, his voice muffled by his mask. "My name is Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate... I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future... never really thought about it. As for my hobbies... I have many."
"All he told us was his name!" Sakura Haruno whispered, visibly annoyed.
Naruto Uzumaki, however, wasn't looking at Kakashi’s face. He was staring at the faint, blueish ripples of chakra manifesting around Kakashi’s ankles. "Sensei... you're like me, aren't you? There's something big and grumpy inside you."
Kakashi glanced at Naruto, a flicker of genuine empathy crossing his gaze. "Something like that, Naruto. But mine is a bit wetter and likes to complain about the heat."
Before the Genin could ask more, a literal explosion of dust erupted from the forest path. A man wearing a high-collared blue jacket and orange goggles came sliding in, performing a dramatic, unnecessary pose.
"STOP RIGHT THERE, BAKASHI!"
Obito Uchiha was alive, well, and incredibly loud. His right side was perfectly intact, his skin unscarred, and both his Sharingan were spinning with indignant fury.
"Obito? You're late again," Kakashi sighed, not even moving an inch.
"Late?! I'm not late! I'm here to reclaim what is mine!" Obito marched up to Kakashi, poking him hard in the chest. "Minato-sensei had a lapse in judgment! He was probably sleep-deprived from all that Hokage paperwork! There is no way he’d give the 'Elite Team 7' to a guy who spends half his day talking to a turtle in a mental basement!"
Obito then turned to the students, his cape (which he wore just for the occasion) fluttering. "Kids! Look at me! I am Obito Uchiha! I have the eyes that see through everything! I am the man who will be the next Hokage! This guy? He’s boring! He’ll make you do water-walking exercises until you grow fins!"
Sasuke Uchiha stared at the older man with a mix of horror and secondhand embarrassment. "This... this is the pride of our clan? The hero of the Kannabi Bridge mission?"
"Don't look at me like that, Sasuke! I can hear your internal judgment!" Obito barked. He then leaned in close to Naruto. "Hey, kid, you're the Fourth's son, right? Tell your dad he made a mistake! Tell him you want the 'Cool Uchiha Sensei' instead of 'Gloomy Hatake'!"
"Actually," Naruto scratched his nose, "Kakashi-sensei looks kind of strong. And he has a turtle. Turtles are cool."
Obito looked like he had been stabbed through the heart. He slumped to his knees, radiating a dark aura of despair. "Even the brat likes the turtle... why does everyone like the turtle more than the Sharingan?"
Suddenly, a shadow fell over Obito. Rin Nohara stood there, her medical pouch strapped to her waist, looking as calm and radiant as ever. She hadn't died that day in the rain; Kakashi had taken the burden, and she had dedicated her life to ensuring he—and the beast—remained stable.
"Obito," Rin said softly.
Obito froze. "R-Rin! I was just... I was giving them a motivational speech!"
"You were throwing a tantrum because you wanted to be a sensei," Rin smiled, but it was the kind of smile that made Obito’s soul leave his body. "Minato-sensei gave you the reconnaissance team for a reason. You're better at tracking. Now, stop bothering Kakashi. He needs to test them."
She turned to Kakashi and reached out, placing a hand on his stomach, right over the seal. A warm, green glow emitted from her palm, soothing the turbulent chakra of the Sanbi. "Is he behaving today?"
"Isobu is just bored, Rin. Thanks," Kakashi replied, his posture relaxing significantly.
"Good. Don't push yourself too hard." Rin grabbed Obito by the ear. "Come on, Hero. We have reports to finish."
"Ow! Ow! Rin! My dignity! My students are watching!" Obito wailed as he was dragged away.
Once they were gone, silence returned. Kakashi pulled out two bells.
"Now," Kakashi's tone shifted. It became cold, professional. "The test is simple. Take these bells. If you don't have one by noon, you don't get lunch. And yes... I will be using the Sanbi’s chakra if I feel like it. Come at me with the intent to kill."
The atmosphere shifted. The water in the nearby river began to swirl violently. The game was over. The lesson had begun.
Training Ground 7 now looked like a war zone. The ground was cracked in places, and water from the nearby stream had overflowed, soaking the grass due to the small-scale Suiton manipulation Kakashi had unleashed.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were gasping for air. Sasuke had lost his arm guard, Sakura sat slumped with shallow breaths, and Naruto had fallen into the mud more times than he could count. They were battered. Kakashi hadn't used the full power of the Three-Tails, but with just a hint of Isobu's chakra, his speed had increased exponentially.
Rin, who had been watching from a distance with a still-pouting Obito, began to step forward. Her hands were already glowing with the green chakra of a Medical-nin. Her heart couldn't bear to see the children trembling from exhaustion.
"Kakashi, that’s enough," Rin called out softly. "Let me treat their wounds. Sasuke looks like he has a sprain, and Naruto—"
"No, Rin. Don't spoil them," Kakashi cut her off firmly. He glanced at his students with a sharp gaze he rarely showed. "Just look at them... they still have their pride. Let them try to stand on their own. If they want to be shinobi, they must know the pain of failure."
Obito snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're too hard on them, Bakashi! They're just kids! You almost fainted during our first training session with Minato-sensei!"
Kakashi ignored Obito’s rant. He checked his pocket watch. Ding! Time was up.
"It's over," Kakashi said coldly.
Without wasting a second, Kakashi moved like lightning. Before Naruto could protest, Kakashi had already tied the blonde boy to a wooden training post with thick rope.
"Hey! What's the big deal, Sensei?! Let me go!" Naruto screamed, struggling against the ropes.
Kakashi didn't answer. He walked to his bag and pulled out two bento boxes that smelled incredibly tempting—grilled fish and warm rice. He handed one to Sasuke and one to Sakura.
"There are only two bentos," Kakashi said flatly.
"Naruto, you're being punished because you tried to steal lunch before the test even started. Sasuke, Sakura... you may eat. But remember, don't give a single drop of food to Naruto, or all of you will fail instantly."
Sasuke stared at the bento, then glanced at Naruto whose stomach began to growl very loudly. The atmosphere turned silent, only the sound of hungry Naruto’s whimpering and the wind blowing through the trees could be heard.
Rin could only sigh, standing beside Obito. She knew this was the same test they had gone through years ago. A test about breaking the rules for the sake of a teammate.
"Kakashi-kun... you're really mimicking Minato-sensei’s style, aren't you?" Rin whispered softly with a thin smile.