SHINOBI EXAM

---

[Please pull the lever next to the machine to draw.]

[There is no time limit; you only have one chance. Please choose carefully.]

The mechanical voice interrupted everyone, and the photos of Konoha's fallen ninjas on the slot machine began spinning rapidly.

At first, the images were slow enough for everyone to identify familiar faces, but soon, the speed became a blur, making it impossible to distinguish who was who.

"There's no time limit? That could be useful." Kakashi raised his hand, adjusting his forehead protector to reveal his Sharingan.

Naruto grinned. "As expected of Kakashi-sensei!"

Sasuke, not wanting to be outdone, activated his own Sharingan. While it wasn't as advanced as Kakashi's, it was enough to discern details among the whirring images.

Minutes passed. Naruto, unable to sit still, wandered off and spotted Gaara nearby, standing silently with his siblings. Naruto, as enthusiastic as ever, jumped in front of him.

"Hey! You're Gaara, right? I heard you'll become the Kazekage someday!" Naruto thumbed his nose confidently. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! And I'm going to be Hokage! There's no way I'll lose to you!"

Gaara stared at him coldly. "Impossible," he said bluntly.

Naruto was momentarily taken aback but quickly recovered. "We'll see about that! Just you wait!"

"I'm not interested in weaklings," Gaara replied, turning away. His gourd nudged Naruto aside as if dismissing him.

Temari smirked. "You think you can beat Gaara? Not a chance."

Kankuro chuckled. "This kid doesn't know what he's getting into."

Naruto clenched his fists, muttering under his breath. "Always Sasuke! Agh, I'll prove all of you wrong!"

As Naruto sulked, whispers floated around the crowd.

"Is he stupid? Challenging Gaara like that!"

"Typical demon fox. He doesn't know his place."

"Maybe Gaara will crush him like that Grass ninja."

"Yeah, one less monster to worry about."

The words hit Gaara like a knife. Monster? Uzumaki Naruto? He turned to look at the blond boy, weak yet determined.

---

Back at the slot machine, Kakashi was fully focused. Sasuke, however, was struggling. One of his Sharingan bled from overuse.

"Sasuke, close your eye," his mother, Mikoto, urged gently, shielding him from further strain.

Kakashi continued studying the pattern of the spinning photos, his Sharingan darting from one to the next.

"The patterns are becoming clear," Kakashi finally said. "Most of the images are Genin, fewer are Chūnin, and even fewer are Jōnin. I've spotted one Hokage—Second Hokage Senju Tobirama."

The crowd stirred at the revelation. Many glanced at the Hokage Monument, their minds drifting to memories of Tobirama.

"There's a color coding," Sasuke added, still nursing his eye. "Genin have gray borders, Chūnin blue, and Jōnin purple."

"And Kage-level photos are gold," Kakashi confirmed.

Nara Shikaku, ever the strategist, observed quietly. He noted that the color coding resembled the ranking system in collectible cards. "Could this be a rarity system?" he muttered aloud.

Third Hokage Hiruzen nodded, stroking his beard. "It does seem to correspond."

The implications were unsettling. Whoever orchestrated this resurrection had knowledge far beyond the comprehension of the shinobi world.

---

By dusk, Kakashi had finally mapped out the slot machine's rotation pattern.

"Ready?" he asked Naruto.

Naruto pouted. "You're doing everything! What about my S-rank mission?"

"Your job is to trust your luck," Hiruzen chuckled. "But don't let this make you a gambler!"

Kakashi placed his hand over Naruto's on the lever, waiting for the right moment. "Just relax, Naruto. I'll handle the rest."

The tension mounted as the photos spun faster. Kakashi's Sharingan tracked them, and his breathing slowed.

"Now!" Kakashi commanded, forcing Naruto's hand down on the lever.

The slot machine slowed. Photo after photo clicked into place.

---

First, Haruno Rin appeared.

Kakashi's heart clenched. Behind Rin, he expected Uzumaki Kushina. He calculated that Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage, would follow her.

But the pattern broke.

A new image appeared, one Kakashi hadn't seen before.

The photo glowed with a red border that shimmered brighter than even the Kage-level images. The man in the photo had short white hair and a face half-covered in swirling scars. His pale skin on one side and a unique pair of Sharingan with a black sickle pattern left Kakashi frozen.

"...Obito," Kakashi whispered, his voice trembling.

"Sensei! The Fourth just passed!" Sasuke's voice jolted Kakashi back to reality, but it was too late. Namikaze Minato's photo had already clicked by.

---

Naruto, oblivious to the tension, frowned. "What happened? Did we get him?"

Kakashi stayed silent, his eyes fixed on the slot machine.

Danzo sneered. "You've failed. What a waste of time."

"Danzo," Hiruzen warned. "That's enough."

Danzo scowled, his frustration evident. "You had one task, Kakashi. To resurrect someone who could bring Konoha strength. Instead, you hesitated."

But Kakashi wasn't listening. His mind replayed the image of Obito's scarred face.

"Who is he?" Naruto asked, noticing Kakashi's expression.

Kakashi looked at Naruto, but the words caught in his throat. For once, the normally composed Jonin was at a loss.

The crowd murmured, disappointed that the Fourth Hokage wasn't resurrected. Yet amidst their chatter, a silent understanding passed between Kakashi and the slot machine.

He hadn't chosen Minato. He hadn't even chosen Obito.

---

For now, Kakashi swallowed his grief. "We missed the Fourth," he said softly, turning back to Naruto. "But there's still a lesson in this, Naruto. Always remember, every decision has its consequences."

Naruto tilted his head, confused by the cryptic remark.

But Sasuke, watching Kakashi's pained expression, said nothing.

--