A few minutes later, the group stood within the familiar Training Ground Three — the same wide clearing surrounded by trees, with the three weathered wooden posts still standing in the center.
The grass was greener, the air fresher, but the memories it held were exactly the same.
Naruto stood in silence for a moment, taking it all in. The sight tugged at something nostalgic deep inside him.
'So much nostalgia,' he thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips. 'I remember watching this part on Toonami after school… man, feels weird living it now.'
"Alright," Kakashi began, pulling the bells out again and letting them dangle before the two. The faint metallic chime echoed across the quiet training field. "Your goal is simple — take these bells from me, just like last time with Team Seven. Except, of course…" His voice softened slightly. "…we don't have Sasuke with us anymore."
At that name, Sakura's expression faltered — her hands tightening into small fists at her sides, eyes briefly falling to the ground. The ache in her chest was obvious, a familiar wound reopened by the sound of that name. The memory of Team Seven stung more than she expected.
But Naruto didn't flinch. His face stayed calm, focused. Almost… detached.
Kakashi noticed it immediately.
'So Jiraiya was right,' he thought, studying the young blond. 'Naruto's not obsessed with bringing Sasuke back anymore. He's changed — matured. '
Jiraiya watched from the sidelines with a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Guess it's time to see what I've been teaching him, huh, Kakashi?"
The Copy Ninja closed his book, slipping it neatly back into his vest pocket as he looked up at his two students — or rather, his equals now. The lazy air around him shifted. Even the faint breeze that brushed through the trees seemed to pause.
"Alright," he said, his tone gaining weight. "Since I'm sure you've both grown stronger… I'll have to take this seriously — or I'll lose."
He lifted a hand to his face, pulling down the edge of his forehead protector to reveal the familiar, swirling red Sharingan. The eye glinted under the sunlight, sharp and alive.
'Heh, still as intimidating as ever,' Jiraiya mused inwardly.
Naruto's blue eyes flicked toward it briefly, unbothered. Sakura, on the other hand, exhaled slowly — the pressure Kakashi emitted was real.
'God, those eyes…' Naruto mused to himself, feeling the faint tug of nostalgia. 'Kishimoto sure glazed them in mystery. Always wanted to know more about the Hyūga eyes too — but of course, he saved that for the last damn movie.'
Silence settled over the field. Birds that had been chirping moments ago had gone quiet, sensing the tension in the air. Even the rustle of leaves died down. Tsunade and Jiraiya moved off to the sidelines, taking positions near the edge of the training ground where the grass met the treeline.
"What did you teach that boy?" Tsunade asked, crossing her arms, eyes narrowed with intrigue as she watched Naruto closely.
Something about him had drastically changed — not just in his demeanor, but in his very presence. His chakra used to spill out like an open flame. Now it was steady, refined… hidden.
"Well," Jiraiya said with a grin, "as they say — a magician never reveals his tricks."
Tsunade rolled her eyes, ignoring his smug tone, but couldn't hide her curiosity.
'Back then, Naruto was like a beacon of chakra,' she thought, eyes narrowing slightly. 'You could sense him from a kilometer away. Now… he's different. Just like a true shinobi.'
Naruto and Sakura exchanged a brief glance — no words, just understanding. The kind forged from countless battles and heartbreak. Sakura's eyes gleamed with quiet determination; Naruto gave her a faint nod, confidence flickering behind his calm expression.
Kakashi saw it and smiled faintly beneath his mask. That unspoken teamwork — that was still there.
"Let's begin!" he called out, voice echoing across the clearing.
The bells jingled once in the wind — and then, in the blink of an eye, the two scattered away, vanishing into the dense tree line, surprising Kakashi. Though he didn't complain.
"So it begins."
Naruto crouched behind a thick bush, his breathing steady but his mind sharp. He already knew how the original Naruto had passed this test — by exploiting Kakashi's weakness for that pervy book. But this time, he didn't want to rely on cheap tricks. No, he wanted to win his way — through skill, through power.
'If I can't beat him straight on, then I'll make him take me seriously,' he thought, eyes narrowing with focus.
He crossed his fingers. "Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Poof!
A clone appeared beside him, already in sync with his thoughts. Without a word, the clone sprinted out of hiding, crashing through the bushes and charging straight toward Kakashi, who stood relaxed, one hand in his pocket.
The clone threw a sharp jab at his face — whoosh! — Kakashi tilted his head just enough to dodge, his Sharingan eye glinting faintly. Then came a kick aimed at his ribs. He sidestepped, the wind from the kick brushing against his flak jacket.
"Good form," Kakashi commented lazily.
Before he could counter, the clone formed another clone — poof! — now two Narutos were attacking in perfect rhythm. Their movements weren't wild like before; they were sharp, disciplined, almost like trained sparring partners.
One clone went high, throwing punches toward Kakashi's upper body, while the other swept low with fast kicks, forcing Kakashi to twist and block both sides at once.
'He's gotten better. He's reading my timing,' Kakashi thought, lowering his stance as he blocked another hook and backhanded one of them away.
But then —
Whirrr—!
Kakashi's eye widened. The second clone, crouched low, had formed a Rasengan, its swirling chakra humming in the air.
'So fast?!'
The clone lunged, driving the Rasengan straight toward his gut. Kakashi instantly reacted — grabbing its arm mid-thrust and slamming a kunai into it.
PING! — the clone burst into smoke.
Without hesitation, he spun and threw his kunai through the other one.
PING! — another puff of smoke.
The forest went quiet again. Only the faint rustle of leaves and the echo of Kakashi's breathing filled the space.
He exhaled through his mask and relaxed his posture. "They had a clear plan," he murmured to himself, eye curving slightly. "I'm impressed, Uzumaki Naruto."
Hidden somewhere in the trees, the real Naruto smirked. 'Good. Now it's my turn.'
While Kakashi was still brushing the last bit of smoke away from his vest, Naruto and Sakura were crouched behind a thick patch of trees, whispering quickly.
Naruto's brows were furrowed in thought, his hands moving slightly as he outlined the plan with quiet gestures. "Alright, time's up. You understand everything, right?" he asked, glancing at her.
Sakura nodded, though her expression carried a mix of nerves and focus. "Yeah, I got the gist of everything, I guess," she said.
Naruto gave a short, confident grin. "Good, now let's go."
He took a deep breath, forming the hand sign in front of his chest. The familiar rush of chakra flooded through his body. "Multi–Shadow Clone Jutsu."
POOF!
In an instant, the clearing erupted into a massive cloud of white smoke that rolled through the forest like fog. The ground trembled slightly as dozens upon dozens of Narutos appeared — around sixty of them, each cracking their knuckles, stretching, and smirking with the same determined expression.
Sakura blinked, half in awe, half in disbelief. "Sixty? You're crazy…" she muttered, covering her mouth to keep quiet.
Kakashi, meanwhile, stiffened the moment he sensed the sudden surge of chakra. His visible eye narrowed as he looked around, scanning the treeline. From every direction — front, back, left, and right — shadow clones began emerging from the smoke, stepping out from behind trees, bushes, and rocks.
They moved in unison, fanning out across the entire test field until Kakashi was surrounded completely. A solid wall of black and blue-clad clones, each one smirking, waiting for the signal to strike.
Kakashi sighed, "Oh boy…" he muttered under his breath, his hand reached for a kunai.
A small smile tugged beneath his mask. "This is gonna hurt."
TO BE CONTINUED