Chapter 27 – 25: Team 7 Had Naruto. We Have Garou (And a Working Braincell)

“So that last question was part of the test too?”

Tenten and Kasumi, now freed, looked at Kakashi with curiosity lingering in their eyes.

“That’s right,” Kakashi confirmed, slipping out his little orange book as he eased back into his usual relaxed demeanor. “Though I think Garou already figured it out, didn’t you?”

“I had a hunch,” Garou nodded. “The point was to test our understanding of teamwork, wasn’t it? Our coordination was solid enough, so you kept looping through the same routine.”

“Cough, cough!”

Kakashi choked mid-read, clearly not thrilled with that observation. “This wasn’t some basic trick. Very few people pass, you know.”

“That’s true,” Garou agreed calmly. “But I believe any exam worth giving should be passable. If you never intended to let us pass, you could’ve said so upfront.”

Kakashi paused, his expression unreadable behind the mask.

‘Reverse deduction…? This kid solved the test backwards from the outcome. No wonder he is hard to fool.’

“So we passed, right?” Kasumi asked eagerly.

“Yes!”

Tenten fist-pumped with joy. Their status as official genin was now secure.

But Kakashi wasn’t going down without one last jab.

“You called my test old-fashioned. Got a better idea, genius?”

“If it were up to me,” Garou replied smoothly, “I’d say there were only two spots available. After the exam, I’d have everyone vote anonymously on who they thought performed best in battle. The two with the most votes would be selected.”

Tenten and Kasumi froze.

That sounded… terrifying.

“That kind of system would tear most teams apart,” Kasumi muttered. “Even the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho trio wouldn’t survive that kind of competition.”

Kakashi rubbed his temple. “He’s not wrong, though. If all three just voted for each other, you’d still get a result.”

“But would anyone actually do that?” Tenten asked, hesitating. “I mean, we’re just kids…”

“Exactly,” Garou said. “Most genin teams aren’t strong enough to succeed based on teamwork alone. A test like the bell exam doesn’t do much unless you crank up the stakes.”

“You’re the same age as us,” Tenten snapped. “Why are you talking like some washed-up veteran?”

“…”

“Anyway,” Kakashi cut in, “you haven’t eaten all day, right? As a token of apology, I’m treating you all. Order anything you like. My treat.”

“Seriously?” Kasumi narrowed her eyes with suspicion. “You’re not messing with us again?”

Kakashi’s trust rating among the trio was somewhere deep in the negative.

“I don’t buy it,” Tenten added, eyeing Kakashi from head to toe. “Bet you’ll stick us with the check.”

Kakashi chuckled. “Come on, have a little faith in your teacher once in a while. Guy! You guys coming?”

A loud rustling followed, and Might Guy stepped into the clearing, his entrance as dramatic as ever. The wind whipped his green jumpsuit slightly as he struck a confident pose, his teeth gleaming.

Rock Lee and Nami raced up to Garou, eyes wide with admiration, while Neji hung back, arms crossed and face unreadable. He had clearly assumed Garou was just another bookworm.

But now…

Now he wasn’t so sure.

“Oi, Kakashi!” Guy stormed in, his bowl-cut flaring like a plume. “I agreed to cover dinner, but starving kids all day is just cruel!”

“Don’t sweat the details.”

“This is a detail, my wallet! You planned this, didn’t you?! That makes three times this week!”

Guy was practically hopping in frustration, his voice booming across the clearing.

Kakashi, meanwhile, remained unmoved. His mask covered his face, but one could imagine the impassive look underneath. He knew Guy too well. Outbursts, no matter how dramatic, were fleeting.

Garou glanced at Lee and Nami, one buzzing with energy like a firecracker, the other wide-eyed with wonder.

As for Neji, he had his face buried in one hand, visibly conflicted.

“Guy-sensei’s a bit much sometimes,” Garou commented as he casually stepped beside Neji, “but he’s a good man. His taijutsu is top-tier. You might not specialize in Gentle Fist forever.”

“Huh?” Neji turned, caught off-guard.

“I’m saying, you don’t have to follow a single path just because of your clan.”

“Mind your own business,” Neji snapped, sharp and defensive.

“You don’t strike me as the kind of person who obsesses over rankings,” Garou said with a shrug. “But sure, whatever you say.”

He walked on ahead to rejoin the others, hands tucked in his pockets.

Neji frowned.

Garou talked too much. He shared techniques like they meant nothing. He moved through the world like someone with nothing to prove. It made no sense.

He couldn’t understand the guy at all.

Lost in thought, Neji didn’t realize the group had moved on.

“Neji! Are you coming?”

Lee’s voice snapped him back to reality.

“…Yeah.” Neji followed, still confused.

…

Hokage’s Office

“Hahahaha!” The Third Hokage leaned back, belly laughing, his pipe trembling in his hand. “Kakashi really gave it his all this time, didn’t he? And still lost the bells! Marvelous!”

“Lord Hokage,” Shikaku said, scratching the back of his head, “should you really be laughing this hard? You need to take care of your health.”

“Right, right. Ahem.” The Third Hokage settled down, clearing his throat with a grin lingering in the corner of his mouth. “Anyway, what do you think of them?”

The Third’s expression turned serious. The weight of leadership settled into the lines of his face as he leaned forward.

“They’re strong,” Shikaku replied. “Garou in particular. He’s sharp, tactical, and physically capable. Aside from lacking mission experience, he’s almost flawless. Tenten’s mastery of ninja tools is exceptional, on par with specialists twice her age.”

“And Kasumi?” the Hokage asked, eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

“You originally wanted her for the Anbu, didn’t you?”

“Yes. That was Hayate’s plan, but I don’t think it fits her anymore.”

The old man took a long draw from his pipe. Smoke curled upward, wreathing his lined features.

“She’s quiet, yes, but she’s bright, and loves being around people. I don’t think she belongs in the shadows. I convinced Hayate to let her train under Kakashi and Garou. Let her decide for herself in time.”

Shikaku nodded slowly.

Through the crystal orb, they watched Kasumi laughing with Nami and Tenten, her smile wide and unguarded. Her shoulders were relaxed. There was a softness to her eyes not usually seen.

A stark contrast from her withdrawn, almost ghostlike demeanor at the academy.

She clearly didn’t belong in the Anbu.

And if even Kakashi struggled to keep up with them, it meant those three had already reached, or surpassed, the threshold for genin. Perhaps even stronger than some chunin, if not in raw power, then in potential and unity.

Give them another year… With one more experienced teammate, they’d be a formidable team.

The Third’s plan wasn’t just bold.

It was calculated.

“It makes sense,” Shikaku said after a pause. “Even if they can’t enter the Chunin Exams this year, they’ll be ready soon enough. Add one veteran jonin or elite chunin, and they’re more than complete.”

The Third raised a brow. “That high an evaluation?”

Shikaku smiled faintly.

It wasn’t just high praise. In his eyes, Garou and his teammates had the potential to reach chunin-level strength as a cohesive unit within a single year, maybe even sooner if circumstances demanded it.

“I trust Kakashi. And I trust Garou.”

_______________________

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