Naruto: The Chosen Undead

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Chapter no.33 Team 7

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Naruto groaned as he blinked himself awake, his head pounding and his vision blurry. The world around him slowly came into focus, and the first thing he saw was Kakashi standing over him with his usual laid-back demeanor, holding his little orange book.

"Ah, Sleeping Beauty's awake."

"Ugh, what happened?" Naruto muttered, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head. He felt groggy, like he'd been hit by a bull—or maybe by Kakashi. He glanced around, taking in the scene. Sakura was tied to a wooden training log, her face flushed with embarrassment and frustration. Sasuke sat a few feet away, his arms crossed and his jaw tight, glaring down at a bento box like it had personally wronged him.

"You failed," Kakashi said flatly, snapping his book shut.

"What?"

"You three failed the test," Kakashi repeated, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather.

"Wait, what do you mean, 'failed'?! You knocked me out! I didn't even get a chance to—"

"You had plenty of chances," Kakashi interrupted smoothly. "And you all wasted them. Instead of working together, you were too busy showing off. So yes, you failed."

Naruto felt a rush of frustration bubble up, but before he could retort, Kakashi continued, his tone calm but firm. "In fact… I don't think you three should go back to the Academy."

Sakura perked up immediately. "R-Really? So we don't have to—"

"I think," Kakashi said, cutting her off, "that you should quit being shinobi altogether."

The words landed like a kunai to the gut. Naruto's breath caught in his throat. Sakura's eyes went wide with shock, and even Sasuke looked up, his usual stoic expression cracking for just a moment.

Kakashi didn't flinch at their reactions. If anything, his tone grew firmer. "None of you understand what it truly means to be a ninja. You were selfish, disorganized, and completely disconnected from each other. You're not ready for this."

"We weren't selfish!" he argued, his voice sharp. "We fought! We—"

Before he could finish, Sasuke moved. Fast. Faster than Naruto had seen him move during the academy. Sasuke's knee shot forward, aimed straight for Kakashi's head.

But Kakashi was faster.

With a flicker of motion that Naruto's Way of Focality couldn't even track, Kakashi sidestepped effortlessly. In the same motion, his hand shot out, gripping Sasuke's arm and twisting it behind his back. With a swift push, Kakashi forced Sasuke down, pinning him face-first to the dirt.

"Really?" Kakashi said, his tone almost disappointed. "This is your answer? Attacking your instructor?"

Sasuke growled, his voice muffled by the ground. "Get off me," he hissed, struggling against Kakashi's iron grip.

Kakashi didn't let up. Instead, he looked up, his voice carrying a sharper edge. "Why do you think you were divided into teams for this test?"

Sakura blinked. "What… what do you mean?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes, Kakashi's words stirring something in the back of his mind. Divided into teams. Two bells. Three of them. It didn't add up. His brain worked furiously, piecing the puzzle together. The bells weren't just about survival. The whole test wasn't about survival. It was about something else.

And then it hit him.

"It's teamwork," Naruto blurted out, his voice cutting through the tense silence.

All eyes turned to him, but he didn't care. He looked straight at Kakashi, conviction growing in his voice. "That's what this was about, wasn't it? It wasn't about the bells. It was about seeing if we could work together."

Kakashi's grip on Sasuke loosened. "Correct."

Sakura blinked in confusion. "What? But… there were only two bells."

Naruto turned to her, the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. "Exactly! They set it up so we'd fight against each other. So we'd focus on beating each other instead of working together as a team."

"And that's exactly what happened. You were so focused on yourselves that you missed the point entirely. Even when Sasuke and Sakura worked together, it was out of convenience, not trust."

Kakashi sighed, his voice softening just slightly. "I'll give you three one last chance. Two of you can pass. One of you must leave. Decide amongst yourselves." His tone turned sharp again. "And don't share the food. If you do, all three of you will fail."

With that, he vanished, leaving the three of them to grapple with his words.

Naruto stared down at his unopened ramen cup, his stomach growling, but the hunger felt distant compared to the storm raging in his chest. Sasuke sat in brooding silence, poking at the onigiri in his bento box, while Sakura remained tied to the stump, her head bowed.

The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating.

"Maybe… maybe I should be the one to leave." Sakura looked up, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I wasn't much help in the test anyway."

Naruto felt something twist in his gut. He couldn't stand seeing her like this—so defeated, so small. "No way," he said firmly. "You're not leaving."

"But—"

"I said no." Naruto's tone left no room for argument. He glanced between them, then smirked faintly. "If anyone's leaving, it'll be me."

Sasuke's head shot up, his glare sharp. "Don't be stupid, dobe."

Naruto shrugged. "I'm serious. You two can work as a team. I'll be fine." The words came easier than he expected. Konoha wasn't the source of his power. Lordran was. The Bells of Awakening are my real goal anyway.

But Sasuke's jaw tightened. He glanced at Sakura, whose stomach growled audibly. Without a word, he picked up an onigiri from his bento and held it out to her.

"Eat," he said gruffly, avoiding her gaze.

Sakura blinked, startled. "But Kakashi-sensei said—"

"You can't think straight if you're hungry," Sasuke muttered.

Naruto watched, a grin tugging at his lips. Guess the bastard has a heart after all.

Before anyone could say more, a puff of smoke appeared nearby.

"You three…" Kakashi's voice cut through the night like a blade, sharp and commanding. Naruto instinctively reached for his talisman, preparing to defend himself if needed. But Kakashi's next word made him freeze.

"Pass."

Naruto blinked, his brain halting mid-thought.

"Pass? We passed?" Sakura's voice broke the silence, trembling with disbelief. Her wide eyes darted to Kakashi, then to Naruto and Sasuke, as if looking for confirmation that she hadn't misheard.

"Of course," Kakashi replieds. "Many before you selfishly sacrificed each other to try to get on a team, but they didn't pass my test. Remember, a shinobi must see beneath the underneath."

Naruto froze mid-chew, his mind slowly connecting the dots. See beneath the underneath. He rolled the phrase over in his head, feeling the weight of the words.

Kakashi's tone grew firmer, more serious. "Those who break the rules of the ninja world are considered scum. But those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum."

The weight of their first lesson sank deeply into their hearts.

"Congratulations," Kakashi said. "You three are now officially Team 7."

He casually cut the ropes binding Sakura to the training post, and she landed with a soft "oof" before standing up, brushing dirt off her skirt.

"Now," Kakashi continued, "eat your dinner and get ready. We've got a team photo to take. Don't be late." With that, he wandered off, his orange book once again occupying his attention.

Sakura wasted no time. She snatched one of Sasuke's onigiri, holding it like she had just pilfered treasure. Sasuke's eyes narrowed into a glare, but he didn't say anything, simply resuming his meal as if nothing had happened.

"I-I was hungry…" Sakura mumbled, her face burning red, steam practically rising from her ears.

Naruto snickered but quickly became distracted by another thought. I wonder if I could boil water with my pyromancy flame… His eyes drifted to his cup of instant ramen. Maybe I could melt the lid right off. Hmm…

"Naruto." Sakura's voice broke through his daydream. He turned to see her looking at him with a rare, earnest expression. It wasn't her usual annoyance or frustration. There was something softer in her eyes, almost… gratitude.

"Thanks," she said simply.

"For what?"

"For offering to leave," Sakura said, her voice quieter now. "You didn't have to do that. You could've been a great ninja, but you were willing to give that up for us."

Naruto blinked, unsure how to respond. Leave? Lordran was harder than this. I'd have been fine. But seeing the sincerity in her expression made him realize it wasn't about what he thought—it was about what it meant to her.

Sakura extended her hand toward him. Naruto stared at it for a second, confused. "I know we had a lot of differences back in the academy," she continued, hesitating slightly. "But I think… we should put that behind us. Let's start fresh. As teammates."

Naruto's grin split across his face, wide and toothy. "You mean you're finally gonna stop calling me an idiot?" he teased, shaking her hand firmly.

Sakura smiled back. "Don't push your luck, Naruto."

Then Naruto turned to Sasuke, his smirk still firmly in place. "What about you? Got anything to add?"

Sasuke paused mid-bite, his dark eyes glancing between them. "You two are better teammates than most of the class," he muttered.

Naruto and Sakura exchanged a look, both sweatdropping at his half-hearted "compliment."

Sasuke ignored them, going back to his food. After a few seconds, he added, almost as an afterthought, "You're… alright."

Naruto burst out laughing. "Wow, such high praise from the almighty Sasuke! I'm honored!"

Sasuke scowled. "Shut up, dobe."

A few minutes later, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke stood side by side, ready for their team photo. The moon hung high above them, its pale light spilling over the quiet training ground like a soft blanket, bathing everything in silvery hues. In the middle stood Sakura, a girl who had started as a civilian but was now stepping cautiously into the demanding world of shinobi. Her resolve flickered like a candle, but it was there, burning steadily as she searched for her purpose beyond what she once thought defined her.

To her right stood Sasuke, his posture rigid, his dark eyes sharp and unyielding. The weight of his clan's destruction pressed heavily on his shoulders, but it was his fuel—the fire that drove him forward. His quest for vengeance burned within him, isolating yet propelling him, as though every step he took in the shinobi world was a step closer to avenging his family.

On her left stood Naruto, clad in his knight's armor that shimmered faintly under the moonlight. He stood tall, carrying not just the dreams of a mischievous ninja in training but also the burdens of a far darker world—the weight of Lordran, its monsters, and its endless battles. That world had shaped him, forged him in fire and shadow, and yet here he was, bridging the gap between two realms: one of shinobi and one of legends.

Behind them stood Kakashi, their enigmatic leader, leaning casually with his ever-present slouch. His white hair caught the moonlight like a faint halo, but there was no mistaking the shadows that lingered behind his lone, visible eye. A man shaped by fame, heartbreak, and duty, Kakashi carried the scars of a lifetime of battle and loss. And now, as he looked at his mismatched team, he couldn't help but feel the flicker of cautious hope, though his face betrayed none of it.

Together, they stood as Team 7. Different in every way imaginable—night and day, fire and water, iron and air. Yet, beneath the surface, they were connected by something deeper: a shared path, a shared potential, and the promise of what they could become. For better or worse, they were bound now—not just as teammates but as something more. Something that had yet to take shape.

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[ Personal Note: First off, thanks a ton to all of you for sticking with this story. Seriously, you guys are awesome. Now, if you're interested in supporting me on P treon, let me just say that over there, I post these massive 5k-word chapters. But heads up, if you're jumping to P treon, you'll need to start from Chapter 17, since that's where this chapter lines up with the content there.

To everyone here just reading along, please don't forget to leave a comment! Honestly, your comments make my day, and they let me know you're as invested in this story as I am. So yeah, thanks again, and I hope you have an amazing rest of your day!