Naruto: Binding Uchiha Sasuke, Hundredfold Return

After witnessing Kazuki's skill, Soryu and Rika felt even less confident. But Kawano was still full of fighting spirit!

Kazuki gave them five minutes to rest. Seeing his teammates' downcast faces, Kawano scoffed,

"If you two think you can't pass this test, then quit now. I'll go get that bell myself. I don't need you two dragging me down!"

Soryu and Rika looked down, too ashamed to speak, feeling the weight of Kawano's words.

"Think about it: do you want to graduate, or go home in shame?"

"But…Kazuki-sensei's strength is terrifying," Soryu muttered, glancing at Kawano.

"That's because Sensei don't used Taijutsu. I've heard that Lady Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, has a special Jutsu called Chakra Enhanced Strength, which grants immense power! But in the upcoming exercise, Sensei won't use it."

"No Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Kenjutsu, or Genjutsu. Kazuki-sensei is refraining from it all," Kawano continued, speaking passionately to bolster his teammates' morale. "And it's three against one. The advantage is ours!"

With Kawano's motivating words, Soryu and Rika regained a bit of confidence.

"As long as he doesn't use those advanced techniques, we might stand a chance," Soryu murmured.

Seeing his teammates perk up, Kawano grinned. "Alright, we're going to work together. I have a plan…"

From their previous battle, Kawano understood he couldn't grab the bell alone. Even though Soryu and Rika weren't as skilled, they still added strength to their team.

"Understood?"

"Yes, understood!"

"Good! Let's execute the plan!"

As soon as five minutes passed, the three dashed into the dense forest, clearly deciding not to take an aggressive approach.

Kazuki scratched his head, feeling like a hapless NPC who knew someone was coming for his bell but still walked forward bravely. He dug into his weapons pouch and pulled out a book: Ninja Chronicles of Unyielding Will. It was Jiraiya's debut work and Kazuki's favorite among his books, narrating the journey of a boy named Naruto whose destiny was shaped by helping others. Many characters from the five Great Nations and various ninja villages came to life in the story, giving Kazuki a sense of knowing the world's ninjas without stepping outside the village.

As Kazuki walked and read, the sunlight filtered through the thick foliage, creating a dark, shady path. No one would have guessed that this dense forest was once destroyed in a battle between Kazuki and Jiraiya. Later, Kazuki had asked Yamato to restore it with Wood Release in remembrance. Although not an exact replica, it bore a striking resemblance.

"They're here!"

Hiding in the forest, Kawano and his team tensed as they watched Kazuki move towards them. After their earlier fight, they knew they couldn't win in a direct battle. Their best bet was to set traps and ambush him, applying the lessons from the Ninja Academy. They had set up multiple traps, hoping that if Kazuki fell into one, they could seize the chance to attack!

In the dim forest, Kazuki, engrossed in his book, paid no mind to the rope trap set in front of him, hidden beneath a pile of conspicuous leaves. The team assumed Kazuki would avoid the trap and head left, where a spring trap awaited to launch kunai at him. If he went right, he'd encounter a beehive trap that would fall in his path. They even considered that he might jump over, so they had dug a deep pit ahead filled with Explosive Tags. A single misstep could mean real danger!

Snap!

Kawano's heart raced as he heard a sound. Which trap had triggered? They peeked out and were shocked to see Kazuki caught in the least likely trap—his foot bound by a rope, leaving him dangling from a tree, swaying back and forth. And he was still calmly reading his book!

"Should we move now?" Rika whispered to Kawano, uncertain.

Kawano hesitated. Kazuki's easy capture seemed suspicious, making them doubt whether to attack immediately.

"Let's wait and see," he whispered back, but then noticed that Soryu was missing.

Soryu, thinking Kazuki was fully ensnared, crept closer to Kazuki's position. From his high perch, he spotted the bell hanging from Kazuki's waist and smirked.

"The bell is mine!" He carefully positioned himself, then leaped silently toward Kazuki.

Just as Soryu reached out for the bell, the rope swayed, and Kazuki swung to the side. Soryu missed entirely, tumbling into the beehive trap instead. Bees swarmed him immediately, and he bolted, running headlong into a barrage of kunai. Agile enough to dodge most, he barely escaped unscathed.

"Close call!" Soryu sighed in relief but froze as he saw the bees swarming toward him again. In his panic, he stepped into the pit trap.

"Ahhhh!"

With a series of explosions, Soryu's desperate cries echoed through the forest.

------------

The fanfic is finished on p@treon/tambeerg