Naruto: Chakra System

Kakashi explained, "Your task is to take this bell from me. I will give you two hours for this. However, I don't want to see your skills alone. You all have to work like a team, and take it from me."

Naruto and Sakura didn't show much reaction to this, but Sasuke flinched a little. He thought, 'Work like a team, with this useless girl and dead-last?'

Kakashi noticed this but didn't say anything to him. He continued, "And this whole time, I will just dodge and wouldn't use any Jutsu or attack on you. However..."

He paused, his visible eye narrowing, making the three Genin gulp in anticipation of what he was going to say. Kakashi said, "However, if I don't see you three working like a team, then make your ass ready to get beaten till it's red."

Their jaws dropped, not because Kakashi said anything dangerous, but because of the language he used, especially Naruto, who growled and said, "Hmph, I won't even let you touch me, believe it!"

Sasuke asked, "But why do we have to work like a team in the first place?"

Kakashi chuckled and said, "You don't even understand this much and want to be a ninja? Do you think you can kill that certain someone of yours when you can't even understand such a simple thing?"

This was a blow to Sasuke's pride. He tried to retort, but Kakashi interrupted him. "You and all other 24 Genin were divided into teams of three. Why do you think it's arranged like this, what's the purpose behind it?"

They paused, starting to think about this, but couldn't come up with proper answers. Kakashi patiently waited, though he wasn't expecting them to answer anything about teamwork and development.

He thought, 'It's not just Sasuke, but the other two as well. Sasuke simply doesn't like being in a team, Sakura mostly cares about Sasuke alone and hates Naruto, and Naruto has a crush on Sasu—cough, I mean Sakura, and hates Sasuke. They couldn't understand such a thing unless I tell them directly.'

Kakashi waited for a few minutes; it was still early, so he wasn't rushing to begin the test. Sakura was the first to speak, but she only said what Iruka had told them.

She said, "It's to make a balance between the team, like Sasuke-kun is the strongest, and Naruto is the dead-last, and I am good support."

Kakashi narrowed his eye at her and asked, "Why are you telling me this? I didn't ask about how your team's arrangement was made. I asked what's the 'True' purpose behind it is? Sakura, sometimes you should try to use this thing between your ears rather than wasting your time day-dreaming about your useless future dreams."

Sakura's shoulders slumped. She was hurt by Kakashi's words, which made Kakashi feel a little sad, but he had already made up his mind to be tough on these three from early on.

This way, in the future, he wouldn't have to participate as much, and the Naruto-Sasuke duo could handle the Akatsuki and other calamities. Though he knew he would still have to participate in conflicts, if these three were strong early on, many problems could be resolved with much more ease of mind.

Even Sakura was very talented. After all, in the anime, out of all the Konoha 12, aside from Naruto and Sasuke, only she could be considered a proper Kage-level ninja during the Fourth Great Ninja War.

She was indeed talented, especially in Medical Ninjutsu and chakra control. Kakashi decided he would definitely have her focus on her strengths early on, and same for other two.

Then Naruto also gave a stupid answer, and Sasuke didn't say anything in response. Kakashi shook his head with a fake disappointed look at them.

He said, "Being part of a three-person team makes a ninja learn cooperation, communication, and reliance on others. This is crucial for the growth of any ninja. Not everyone can become strong by themselves. Every stronger ninja alive has once been part of a three-person Genin team."

He added, "And with time, you will understand each other, grow stronger, and in combat, also gain more tactical advantage and flexibility. So relying on others isn't always a sign of weakness."

The last line was specifically for Sasuke, who crossed his arms and snorted, clearly not going to be convinced so easily. Kakashi then took out a clock, set a timer for two hours at it.

He said, smirking under his mask, "Alright, now that you understand the test, show me your skills with teamwork, otherwise consider yourselves revisiting the same old classroom of the Ninja Academy once again. And you know the best part about it? If you fail and don't learn your lesson this year, then next year, you're still going to meet me."

They gulped a little, especially Naruto. Sakura stammered a little and said, "B-but, you'll be in danger if we use weapons and Jutsu during the test."

Kakashi laughed and said, "Stop overestimating yourself, with your current strength, you three combined can't even touch me, even if I just dodge. Now stop wasting time and start the test!"

As Kakashi expected, Sasuke was the first one to move, flickering onto a tree branch, hidden behind leaves. Sakura was momentarily dumbfounded and thought, 'If we can't even touch him, then how are we even going to take the bell from him?'

But she didn't dwell on it further and also flickered to hide. Only Naruto stood there, staring at Kakashi with a grin, rubbing his hands.

Kakashi sighed and, with blinding speed, kicked him in the guts. "As I said before," he spoke loudly, "If I don't see you working as a team, then I will also attack!"