Location: Konoha Shinobi Academy – Team Assignment Hall
The room buzzed with excitement. Whispers, high-fives, even a few victory dances as students were placed into teams. The final step before becoming real ninja.
Iruka stood at the front, reading names from a scroll as the students leaned in, eagerly awaiting who they'd be grouped with.
"Team 1… Haru, Kenta, and Mei."
"Team 3… Renji, Sora, and Nao."
"Team 5… Sasuke Uchiha… Ayame Nohara…"
Ayame blinked. "Wait— me and Sasuke?!"
"…and Naruto Uzumaki."
Silence.
Utter silence.
Then came the noise:
"WHAT?! No way! That freak with them?"
"Sasuke's the Kyuubi host, Ayame's a prodigy—why would they throw in him?"
"That's a death sentence."
Sasuke's Reaction:
He didn't speak.
Didn't flinch.
Just glanced at Naruto with those cold, Sharingan-less eyes.
But deep inside... the Kyuubi stirred.
"That boy. I don't like his scent."
"He smells like the edge of the world."
Ayame's Thoughts:
No… this is bad. Two unstable weapons on the same team?
Why would the Hokage allow this? Unless... he's planning something.
Naruto?
He didn't react.
Didn't even blink.
He walked toward them silently, slipping into the seat beside Ayame and Sasuke.
Iruka cleared his throat. "Team 5… your jonin-sensei will meet you in Training Ground 17. Dismissed."
Training Ground 17 – An Hour Later
The three stood beneath an old tree. No teacher in sight.
Ayame broke the silence.
"So, uh… this is awkward."
Sasuke crossed his arms. "I'll lead."
Naruto sat on a stump. "No. You'll die first."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"
Naruto turned his gaze upward. "The first to rush forward dies. The second gets blamed. The third gets forgotten."
"…I'm not rushing into anything, freak."
"I wasn't talking about the mission. I meant your future."
Before Sasuke could react—
A kunai embedded itself between them. A woman in a dark mask landed silently on a branch above.
Team 5's jonin-sensei. A legend in the ANBU.
Long black hair in a braid. A wolf-shaped mask. Voice like wind in dry leaves.
"You're all trash," she said bluntly.
"A monster no one wants, a beast no one can control, and a girl too soft to kill."
Ayame flinched. Sasuke scowled. Naruto just stared.
"Good," Kazane continued. "Because the Hokage gave me permission to do what other jonin won't."
She landed in front of them.
"If you pass my test, I train you."
"If you fail... I erase your names."
Naruto raised his head slowly.
"Finally," he whispered, "someone speaking truth."
Mission: Survival Test — "Only One Survives"
She tossed three scrolls into the dirt.
"You have until sundown. Only one of you will leave the forest with a scroll."
"No rules. No limits. The one who wins... lives."
Naruto stood.
So did Sasuke.
So did Ayame.
But in each of them…
A different resolve burned
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