Naruto: SSS-Rank Romance System

Afternoon, Classroom.

The three were sitting in the classroom, bored and waiting for their Jonin instructor. Naruto was well aware of Kakashi's habit of being late, so he had already laid his head on the desk and was sleeping.

Sasuke sat by the window, his fingers crossed in front of him on the desk, his gaze wandering out towards the lush treetops outside.

Sakura stared at the desk, feeling a little lonely.

Though she had just received comfort from her teammates, once everything went quiet, she couldn't help but feel a sense of confusion and emptiness.

---

After an unknown amount of time, the classroom door finally opened.

The Jonin instructor for Team 7 arrived late, and as soon as he stepped into the classroom, a lazy voice came first.

"Yo, sorry, sorry, I was a bit late."

"I'm your instructor, Hatake Kakashi."

---

Kakashi, who claimed to be their instructor, looked young, barely in his early twenties. His silver hair stood up like leeks, and he wore a black face mask with his forehead protector slanted over one eye. He was dressed in a black combat uniform with a green Jonin vest, and when he spoke, his eyes squinted into crescent shapes.

---

When they heard the voice, Naruto had already woken up.

The three of them turned to look at Kakashi, their eyes filled with mixed feelings.

"Teacher, you're really late," Naruto complained first.

"Well, I was helping an old lady cross the street, so..." Kakashi scratched his head, offering a ridiculous excuse.

"You're lying!" Sakura exclaimed.

Kakashi was slightly embarrassed, awkwardly chuckling before quickly changing the topic.

"Anyway, follow me. Let's talk somewhere else."

With that, the three of them stood up in unison and silently followed Kakashi out of the classroom.

---

Kakashi had previously obtained some information about the three of them from the Third Hokage: one was the survivor of the Uchiha clan massacre night, and one was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.

Naruto Uzumaki, huh?

Life won't be easy from here on out.

Kakashi walked ahead, feeling a slight headache.

The high-ranking officials in this village made decisions that were hard to understand. They made such choices, and now they had to train these two children into ninjas.

Sighing internally, Kakashi took a deep breath and focused his attention.

---

The next day, before dawn.

Sakura, dressed in casual clothes, walked out of an alley and paused for a moment near a streetlamp, seemingly trying to figure out the direction.

"This way!" Naruto waved his hand at Sakura.

Sakura also waved back, smiling.

When she approached, she realized Naruto was standing in front of a small restaurant. The last time they had shared intel, it was at a barbecue restaurant, and this time, it was a small eatery.

"Kakashi-sensei said not to eat breakfast, didn't he?"

"He said it's better not to, or we might throw up," Naruto said nonchalantly. "But eat anyway, it's better to throw up than to be hungry."

Sakura was momentarily stunned and almost refused, but seeing that both Naruto and Sasuke had ordered, she nodded unconsciously and sat down.

---

After finishing breakfast, the three of them went to the agreed location and waited.

They waited for several hours until the sun was high and the heat was intense when Kakashi finally showed up.

---

"Uh... I found a little girl who was lost on the road," Kakashi laughed shamelessly, showing no sign of being guilty for being late.

"Geez, Kakashi-sensei, you're so mean!"

"Yeah! What a lame excuse!"

"Tch."

They had all eaten breakfast and, without needing to say it aloud, they all silently shared the same complaint. This, in turn, surprised Kakashi, who thought they didn't seem to be hungry.

---

The goal hadn't been achieved, but Kakashi didn't mind. He pulled out two bells from his pocket and waved them in front of the three.

"Well, let me explain the rules for this test."

"I only have two bells. Whoever grabs a bell before noon will qualify to become a ninja. In other words, one of you will be eliminated."

"Eliminated?" Sakura immediately became nervous. "Kakashi-sensei, what will happen to the person who gets eliminated?"

"Heh heh!" Kakashi's eyes crinkled into a crescent as he grinned. "It's very unfortunate. The eliminated person will fail the test and won't qualify to become a ninja. They'll be tied to a wooden post until sunset."

"If no one gets a bell, then all of you will be sent back for re-training."

"During this time, you can use any means necessary. Don't worry about hurting me. At your current level, it's just a dream to even touch me."

---

Kakashi paused for a moment and hung the bells back on his waist.

"Now, do you understand the rules clearly?"

---

The three of them didn't answer. Sakura's face had gone pale.

It was real combat? Her strength lay in theoretical analysis and intelligence gathering; practical fighting was her weak point. Not to mention taking the bells from Kakashi, it would be difficult just to get close to him.

If someone had to be eliminated, it was clear who...

---

Naruto stood there without much of an expression. After the previous day's barbecue, he hadn't shared any more intel. Some things were best left unsaid, and there was no need to spoil things too much.

The purpose of grabbing the bells was to test the team's ability to work together. But after their conversation yesterday, the bond between the three of them had already grown much stronger.

However, when it came down to a choice, Naruto wasn't sure.

That was why he hadn't shared any more intel. He chose to remain silent, letting them figure things out for themselves. He didn't want to make things easier for them, nor did he want to make things harder.

Besides, Naruto also wanted to see what attitude they would take when faced with a difficult choice.

---

Suddenly, the familiar mechanical voice rang out in his mind.

[Option One: Use all your strength to grab the bells, then give the bells to Sakura and Sasuke. Reward: Lava Style Ninjutsu]

[Option Two: Do nothing, lie flat in front of Kakashi and let yourself be tied to the wooden post. Reward: Wood Style Ninjutsu]

---

Looking at the panel that popped up, Naruto almost spat out blood.

Wood Style Ninjutsu and Lava Style Ninjutsu?

---

What the heck?!

Two different powerful options?

---

He couldn't decide! Lava Style from the Four-Tails was tempting, but if he got Lava Style... It might be a risk.

If he chose Wood Style, it was rare, but mastering it to the level of First Hokage Senju Hashirama was unlikely.

The system didn't specify the mastery level of Wood Style, so it might just be an entry-level chakra property.

---

Choosing Lava Style would allow him to show off his teamwork in front of Sakura and Sasuke, but grabbing the bells wouldn't be easy. It was quite possible he would fail.

However, if he just laid down and let the others fight Kakashi, there was hardly any chance for Sasuke to get the bells alone.

---

In his hesitation, Kakashi had already declared the test to begin.

---

Almost immediately after Kakashi finished speaking, two figures—Sasuke and Sakura—disappeared from their spots with a whoosh, leaving Naruto standing there, lost in thought.

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