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The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the training ground where Satoru stood, arms crossed and a frown etched across his face. His black sunglasses reflected the fading light, hiding the disappointment that flickered in his eyes. Before him lay Uzumaki Naruto, sprawled on the ground, clothes torn and body battered. A fresh crack in the earth marked where he had fallen, a testament to the force of Satoru's earlier attack.
"Stupid," Satoru muttered under his breath, stepping lightly on the ground as if to emphasize his disdain. The air crackled with an energy that was both palpable and foreboding.
Naruto coughed violently, spitting out blood onto the dusty ground. "Cough cough." Each sound was a reminder of his fragility, a stark contrast to the dreams he harbored of becoming Hokage. He struggled to push himself up but collapsed back down, pain coursing through his body like wildfire.
"Naruto!" Haruno Sakura's voice broke through the haze of despair that hung over the training ground. Her eyes widened in horror as she rushed to her teammate's side, kneeling beside him with trembling hands. "What happened? Are you okay?"
Sakura's heart raced as she took in Naruto's injuries—small cuts marred his skin, and blood oozed from various wounds. The sight filled her with dread, not just for Naruto, but for what this meant for their team. If Satoru was serious about their training, they were all in grave danger.
"Teacher Liu Sheng is serious," she thought frantically. "If we don't step up, we might not survive this."
Across from them, Uchiha Sasuke stood rigidly, his expression darkened by a mix of anger and fear. His Sharingan activated, swirling with intensity as he focused on Satoru. "What do you want?" he demanded, voice steady despite the turmoil inside him.
Satoru's lips curled into a smirk as he vanished from sight, reappearing behind Sasuke in an instant. The sudden shift sent a chill down Sasuke's spine as he felt a hand grip his hair and forcefully press his face into the dirt.
Bang!
The impact was jarring... Sasuke barely had time to react before he found himself pinned down. Pain shot through him as his pride was trampled along with his face.
"Haruno Sakura," Satoru began coolly, "kill Naruto or I'll kill Sasuke." His tone was casual yet laced with an underlying threat that sent shivers down Sakura's spine.
Sasuke's heart raced as he felt the weight of Satoru's presence above him. Blood trickled from his mouth as he struggled against the ground. "You think you can intimidate us?" he spat defiantly.
Satoru chuckled darkly. "Intimidation? No, this is merely a test of your resolve." He leaned closer to Sasuke's ear. "Choose wisely."
Sakura's heart sank as she looked between her two teammates—one pinned to the ground and the other barely clinging to consciousness. "Kill Naruto? How can I even think about that?" Tears welled in her eyes as she faced an impossible choice.
"Uzumaki Naruto," Satoru continued, shifting his attention back to Naruto, who lay helpless beneath him. "Swear to give up being a ninja and abandon your dream of becoming Hokage." He pressed down harder on Naruto's head, forcing it deeper into the dirt.
"Guk..." Naruto coughed again, fighting against the pain that threatened to overwhelm him. He could feel despair creeping in, but deep within him burned an unwavering flame of determination. "I… I won't give up!" he shouted defiantly.
Sasuke felt a flicker of something—admiration?—for Naruto's stubbornness. But could he afford to care? His mind raced with thoughts of revenge against Itachi... power was everything for him now.
"Kill them," Satoru urged Sasuke again, his voice dripping with malice. "I can give you enough strength for revenge."
Sasuke hesitated, fingers twitching toward a kunai at his side. Could he really abandon them? Memories flooded back—Naruto's goofy smile and Sakura's laughter echoed in his mind like ghosts haunting him from a happier time.
"I… we abstain…" Sasuke finally managed to say through gritted teeth.
The words hung heavy in the air as Satoru raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Interesting choice," he said slowly, studying Sasuke intently.
But it was Naruto who broke through the tension next. With every ounce of strength left in him, he lifted his head slightly from the ground and shouted defiantly, "I swear! I'll never give up being a ninja! I'll never give up being Hokage! If I can't save my friends, what right do I have to chase my dreams?"
Sakura gasped at Naruto's declaration... her heart soared despite her fear for their safety. This was who Naruto was—a beacon of hope even when darkness surrounded them.
"Even if I never become a ninja again," Naruto continued passionately, "I will work hard to earn everyone's approval! That's what it means to be Hokage!"
Shiratori Satoru paused for a moment, contemplating Naruto's words as if weighing their significance against some unseen scale. There was something admirable about this boy's stubbornness—something worth recognizing.
"Well done," Satoru finally said with a slight smile creeping onto his face. "You all are qualified."
The tension began to dissipate as he released Sasuke and stepped back from Naruto's head. The weight of fear that had enveloped Team 7 started to lift... they were still alive.
"Remember this moment," Satoru said softly but firmly as he chewed on a piece of candy nonchalantly. "Fear is not your enemy; it is your teacher."
"What?" Sakura asked incredulously, still reeling from everything that had just transpired.
"It was all an assessment," Satoru explained casually as if discussing the weather rather than the life-and-death stakes just mere moments ago.
"Passed?…" Sakura murmured weakly, still kneeling on the ground with trembling legs.
"Don't be shy," Satoru said cheerfully while summoning healing chakra into his palm and placing it gently atop Naruto's head. The wounds healed almost instantly; it was as if they had never existed at all.
Naruto blinked in disbelief as he felt warmth spread through him—he was whole again! "Bastard! You scared me half to death!" He glared at Satoru with red-rimmed eyes filled with anger and relief all at once.
After treating Sakura and Sasuke too, Satoru turned toward them with an inviting grin. "Now that we've had our fun… how about some barbecue?"
"Barbecue?" Sakura echoed incredulously while her stomach growled at the thought.
"Yes! Supreme barbecue! My treat!" Satoru declared enthusiastically.
"Long live Teacher Shiratori!" Sakura cheered despite herself, momentarily forgetting their earlier ordeal.
Sasuke remained stoic but couldn't help feeling slightly lighter after witnessing their bonds strengthen under pressure—even if it irked him that they were so easily swayed by food.
As they began walking away from the training ground together, Satoru paused briefly before turning back toward Naruto one last time. "You're going to need more than just determination if you want to become Hokage."
Naruto nodded earnestly... there was no doubt in his heart about that anymore.
"I'll make sure everyone sees me! Just watch!"
With laughter echoing behind them and hope rekindling in their hearts, Team 7 stepped forward into an uncertain future—'together'.
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