The morning sun peeked over the rooftops of Konoha, casting a warm golden hue across the village. Haruto stood quietly on the training grounds where Team 11 had been ordered to gather. A gentle breeze tugged at the edge of his navy-blue cloak, the Uzumaki spiral stitched proudly on the back.
Beside him, Hana Uzumaki twirled a kunai in her hand with energy bubbling in her posture. Her crimson hair danced in the wind, echoing the fierce spirit of her mother, Kushina.
On the other side, Satshuki Uchiha leaned against a tree, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. Her obsidian eyes flickered toward Haruto now and then—calculating, but not hostile. She was curious. Not just about his strength, but about his past.
They waited. And waited.
Minutes turned to nearly an hour.
"Tch. Is this how they treat a 'special' team?" Satshuki muttered.
Hana huffed. "Maybe our sensei is just as lazy as Naruto's."
Just then—a loud thud echoed as a figure dropped from the tree above and landed in front of them in a crouch, kicking up a swirl of dust.
A tall, broad-shouldered man stood up. His flak jacket was worn and slightly torn at the edges. His left eye was covered by a black patch, and a long scar ran down his jaw. A strange aura of strength and battle-hardened experience clung to him.
"I'm not lazy," he said in a gravelly voice. "I just like to see how my students handle patience. Looks like two of you passed… and one of you failed."
His eye focused on Hana, who stiffened.
"Eh?! What did I do?!"
"You let your guard down," he said simply. "A shinobi never relaxes—especially when waiting."
He turned to the three of them and crossed his arms.
"I am Renzō Takeda. Former ANBU Black Ops, codename Gravewolf. I'll be your Jonin-sensei."
The tension in the air shifted instantly. Even Satshuki stood up straight.
Renzō continued, his voice sharp and commanding. "This isn't a normal Genin team. The Hokage hand-picked you three because of your bloodlines, potential, and temperaments. You won't be doing D-rank cat-chasing missions right away."
Haruto blinked. "Then what will we be doing?"
Renzō smirked. "A survival test. One that has a 66% failure rate."
He pulled out three black bells tied to a silver cord and held them up.
"Your objective is simple—take one bell from me by noon. If you don't… you're sent back to the Academy."
Hana's jaw dropped. "W-what?! But we already graduated!"
"You passed the Academy's standards," Renzō said, tying the bells to his belt, "but not mine."
Satshuki narrowed her eyes. "You're serious."
Renzō's smirk faded. "Deadly."
He stepped back twenty feet and dropped a single smoke bomb. "You have five minutes to prepare."
Then he disappeared.
---
Moments Later – Within the Forest Training Grounds
Haruto moved through the trees silently. His chakra was suppressed, his eyes scanning for movement. He wasn't panicked—he had trained under his mother, sparred with Naruto, and learned meditation with Jiraiya during his stay at Mt. Myōboku.
But this… this was different.
Suddenly—shhft!—a kunai flew past his head. He twisted midair, dodging the next barrage of shuriken. From the shadows, Renzō emerged with a speed that defied logic.
Haruto barely blocked a sweeping leg kick, stumbling backward.
"You think training at home makes you ready for real shinobi life?" Renzō barked. "Wrong!"
Haruto gritted his teeth and activated his chakra. "Then I'll show you my answer!"
---
Meanwhile – Satshuki's Perspective
She moved with grace and precision, setting up traps and clone diversions while using her Sharingan to track Renzō's movements. But even with her bloodline advantage, Renzō was a ghost. Fast, unpredictable, always one step ahead.
"He's testing more than strength…" she murmured. "He's testing our judgment."
---
Meanwhile – Hana's Perspective
Hana hadn't fared well. She was pinned behind a fallen log, panting, having triggered a smoke trap Renzō set up.
"I can't keep up with his speed…" she muttered, hands shaking.
But then she remembered Haruto's words: "Don't focus on the opponent's strength. Focus on your own purpose."
She steeled herself. "Okay, time to stop whining…"
---
Final Moments – Bell Test
With only two minutes remaining, the three found themselves standing together again—bruised, dusty, but not broken. The bells still dangled mockingly from Renzō's belt.
"You've got one shot," he said. "Only one bell left."
The three exchanged looks. Haruto stepped forward.
"I'm not taking the bell," he said.
Renzō raised an eyebrow.
"Neither are we," Satshuki added, surprising even herself.
"We'll fight together," Hana said. "Or fail together."
There was a long silence. Then, for the first time, Renzō smiled.
"…You pass."
They blinked.
"What?" Haruto asked.
"This was never about the bells," Renzō said, untying them. "It was about teamwork. Trust. Sacrifice."
He tossed them the bells.
"All three of you had the power to go solo—but you chose each other. That's what makes you real shinobi."