Kakashi slowly stood up, then pulled out his Icha Icha Paradise from his pocket, flipping nonchalantly to the page he was on.
He walked to the center of the classroom, gaze sweeping over the three.
Naruto, clutching his butt and wailing.
Hinata, blushing crimson, not daring to look at him.
And Menma, shoulders shaking, seemingly stifling laughter.
A meaningful glint flashed in Kakashi's dead-fish eye.
The eraser prank was too simple, too obvious… he didn't even bother reacting.
But the Transformation Technique followed by the One Thousand Years of Death...
That was interesting.
'First, a Shadow Clone for distraction, the real body transforming into the eraser. When his attention was drawn to the three in the classroom, the eraser that had fallen behind him turned back into his body, crouching on the ground to perform the One Thousand Years of Death. That smooth combo, even an ordinary Jonin, if careless, could get hurt.'
'Such tactics didn't seem like something Naruto could think up.'
Kakashi's gaze lingered on Menma for an extra second.
'This year's top student? Interesting.'
'Perfect scores in theory, never lost a practical exam, even Sasuke with his Two-Tomoe Sharingan wasn't his match.'
"Well then—" Kakashi closed his book, tone returning to its lazy drawl. "Team 7, assemble."
Naruto struggled to get up from the floor, limping over to stand with Menma and Hinata.
The three stood in a row, facing Kakashi.
"First, self-introductions," Kakashi yawned, as if not fully awake. "Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future... that sort of thing. Starting with you."
He pointed at Naruto.
Naruto rubbed his still-throbbing butt, complaining, "Shouldn't the sensei introduce himself first?"
"Me?" Kakashi pointed at himself, shrugging.
He still spoke lazily: "My name is Hatake Kakashi. Things I like and things I hate, I don't feel like telling you. Hobbies... hmm, there are many."
Naruto protested: "In the end, all we know is your name!"
Kakashi waved his hand. "Don't mind the details. Alright, your turn."
"Fine!" Naruto took a deep breath, then puffed out his chest, a bright smile returning to his face. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! Things I like are Ichiraku Ramen and all food Menma-nii treats me to! Things I hate are waiting! My dream is to surpass all the Hokage and become the strongest Hokage! Then make everyone in the village acknowledge me!"
'His voice was loud, full of vitality.'
Kakashi, slightly exasperated by Naruto's volume, nodded without much reaction, then looked at Hinata.
Hinata's face turned redder. She lowered her head, voice soft but trying to speak clearly: "M-my name is Hyuga Hinata... Things I like... are... Menma-kun... and... sweets... Things I hate are... people who hurt their comrades... My dream is... to become a Ninja who can protect everyone and make everyone happy..."
By the end, her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.
'The new head of the Hyuga Clan? Said to have a second personality.' Kakashi nodded again, finally looking at Menma.
Menma raised his head, expression calm, voice gentle: "My name is Menma. There are many things I like. Things I hate are trouble. My dream is—"
He paused, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile. "—to change this world!"
Kakashi's dead-fish eye lifted slightly.
''Change the world', huh?'
'Not becoming Hokage, not protecting comrades, not like a typical twelve-year-old's dream.'
'Interesting.'
"Alright," Kakashi put away his book, hands sliding into his pockets. "Meet at Training Ground Three tomorrow morning at five. We'll be doing a survival exercise."
"Survival exercise?" Naruto blinked. "Didn't we already pass the graduation exam?"
"That was just the basics," Kakashi's tone was lazy, but the content made all three pay attention. "Tomorrow's exercise will determine if you're qualified to be my students. Fail... and you go back to the Ninja Academy for retraining."
After saying that, he waved a hand and turned towards the door.
At the doorway, he suddenly stopped, looking back. "Oh, right. Don't eat breakfast tomorrow."
"Why?" Naruto instinctively asked.
In Kakashi's dead-fish eye, a flash of malicious amusement appeared. "Because... you'll throw it up."
Naruto unconsciously touched his stomach, his face showing a conflicted expression. "No breakfast... will throw up? What does that mean...?"
Hinata also twisted her fingers uneasily, a trace of worry flashing in her pure white eyes.
But just as Kakashi, hands in pockets, was about to turn and leave the classroom...
"Kakashi-san."
Menma's voice sounded, not loud, but clear enough in the classroom.
Kakashi's steps halted.
He slowly turned his head, his single exposed right eye looking at the boy who had always seemed excessively calm.
Menma stood up from his seat, speaking slowly: "Since it's a survival exercise, why not start today? It also saves some time."
The classroom quieted for a moment.
Naruto was stunned at first, then his eyes lit up. "Yeah, yeah! We don't have anything else to do now anyway! Let's start today!"
Hinata also stood up, her cheeks still slightly flushed, but her gaze firm. "I... I have no problem either."
Kakashi's gaze swept over the three faces.
Naruto's eagerness.
Hinata's nervous but firm resolve.
Menma's calm and collected expression.
The lower half of Kakashi's face was hidden behind his mask, but a hint of playfulness flashed in his dead-fish eye.
"Wouldn't it be better to give you some preparation time?" Kakashi's voice was still lazy, but the probing intent was clear.
Menma's gaze met Kakashi's, carrying a nearly provocative meaning. "The path of a Ninja is destined to encounter many unexpected situations. If we can't handle a test that starts early, then we're not fit to be your students, right?"
Kakashi fell silent for a moment.
The single exposed eye, though still appearing scattered, was locked onto Menma, as if trying to see through the surface to the boy's true thoughts.
He could refuse, of course.
Using 'it's already scheduled for tomorrow' or 'you need to prepare' as excuses are easy.
But...
Kakashi's gaze swept over the three standing together.
Naruto was already excitedly clenching his fists, eager to try.
Hinata, though still nervous, had already stood by Menma's side, her stance clear.
And Menma, the boy who made the suggestion, was waiting for his response.
Their positions weren't random… they subtly formed a triangular formation.
Menma in front, Naruto and Hinata half a step behind on the left and right.
This wasn't a temporary, improvised reaction, but a trained, subconscious tactical stance.
Moreover, the eye contact between the three...
When Naruto looked at Menma, it was undisguised trust and reliance.
When Hinata looked at Menma, though shy, the meaning of 'I'll follow your lead' was clear.
Menma stood calmly at the front, like a shield, and also like a sword pointing the direction.
This kind of bond... was already beyond what ordinary classmates could have.
Many thoughts flashed through Kakashi's mind.
He remembered some scattered intel sent by Anbu, and Sasuke's evaluation.
This boy, in six years at the Ninja Academy, had never lost a single practical exam.
'This year's top student is really a bit interesting,' Kakashi suddenly chuckled softly.
Not a lazy chuckle, but one carrying a hint of amused interest.
"Since that's the case," He shrugged, putting his hands back in his pockets. "Follow me to Training Ground Three."
Konoha's outskirts, Training Ground Three.
This was an open area at the village's edge, backed by dense forests, with a tributary of the Naka River meandering through. The river water was clear, shimmering with ripples under the afternoon sun.
The center of the training ground was a flat grassy field, scattered with wooden posts and targets, clearly used by Ninja for practice.
Menma, Naruto, and Hinata followed Kakashi to the center of the training ground, standing in a row.
The afternoon wind blew across the grass, bringing the fresh scent of the forest and the dampness of the river.
Faint bird calls came from afar… further still was the indistinct hustle and bustle of Konoha Village.
Everything seemed peaceful and serene.
Kakashi stood about ten meters in front of them, hands still in his pockets, posture so lazy it seemed like he'd come for a stroll.
He took two small white bells from his pocket, strung together with a red cord, reflecting a soft luster under the sunlight.
"The test is simple," Kakashi's voice was especially clear in the open training ground. "Whoever manages to take these two bells from me can become my student."
He paused, weighing the bells in his hand, emitting crisp ding-dang sounds.
Hinata blinked, asking softly, "But Sensei... there are only two bells."
"Mhm," Kakashi nodded, tone still flat. "So only two can pass the test and become my students. As for the other one..."
He drew out his tone, gaze sweeping over the three faces. "Go back to the Ninja Academy for retraining."
"How can that be?!"
Naruto immediately protested, his face full of dissatisfaction. "That's not fair! We're all qualified Ninja! Why should someone have to go back for retraining?!"
Kakashi ignored Naruto's protest, simply tying the two bells to his belt near his ninja tool pouch.
Then, he added a sentence that instantly tightened the three's nerves: "Oh, and if you don't come at me with the intent to kill, you'll lose very badly."
After saying this, Kakashi pulled out his orange-covered Icha Icha Paradise, opening it one-handed, gaze falling on the pages, other hand still in his pocket.
"Then," His voice was lazy as if announcing afternoon tea time. "The test begins."
The moment his words fell, Kakashi's attention seemed completely captured by the book's contents.
He even turned a page, emitting a soft, interested 'Oh?' sound-
As if the three Genin before him didn't exist at all.
…
At the edge of the training ground, in the forest.
Three figures silently hid among the dense foliage, like shadows merging with the trees.
Sasuke crouched on a thick horizontal branch, leaning against the trunk, his Sharingan already quietly activated.
In his crimson eyes, two tomoes slowly rotated, taking in every detail of the training ground.
Slightly above him to the left, Yugao held onto a tree trunk with one hand, purple long hair gently swaying in the breeze, but her whole body was as still as a stone statue, even her breathing controlled to be extremely faint.
To the right, Sai crouched on another branch, calmly watching below, face silent and expressionless.
"Captain Kakashi's test..." Sai whispered. "So this is it."
Yugao slightly turned her head, glanced at Sai, but said nothing.
Sasuke stared intently at the center of the training ground, brow slightly furrowed.
In his estimation, facing a Jonin like Kakashi, the reasonable tactic should be to immediately disperse and hide, use terrain and environmental advantages, formulate a meticulous plan, then strike when the opportunity arose.
But the three on the training ground made the exact opposite choice.
The moment Kakashi said "The test begins," Menma, Naruto, and Hinata didn't even exchange glances before moving simultaneously.
Not retreating to hide.
Not dispersing.
But charging straight at Kakashi!
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Naruto's roar echoed across the training ground.
His hand seal speed wasn't particularly fast, but the Chakra Eruption was astonishingly massive.
With a series of poof poof poof sounds, over a hundred Naruto's shadow clones instantly appeared on the training ground!
Each wore the same orange tracksuit, each had the same spiky blond hair, each face had the same battle-ready grin.
"Wahahaha—!"
"Charge—!"
"Grab the bells—!"
The shadow clones let out chaotic shouts, surging towards Kakashi like a tide, instantly submerging the silver-haired Jonin who was still reading.
In the forest, Sasuke's pupils slightly contracted.
'Multiple Shadow Clone Technique?'
'And... this quantity?!'
As an Anbu who had long been on missions, Sasuke well knew the difficulty of the Shadow Clone Technique.
'Naruto can create over a hundred in one go?'
'Just how massive is this guy's Chakra?!'
But shocked as he was, Sasuke didn't think this tactic would work.
"Human wave tactics against a Jonin..." He murmured, shaking his head. "Too naive."
Indeed, on the training ground.
Kakashi, surrounded by shadow clones, didn't even put down his book.
He still held Icha Icha Paradise in one hand, gaze still on the pages, as if those howling, lunging shadow clones were just annoying mosquitoes.
Then, his body moved.
Not fast evasion, not complex Ninjutsu.
Just... casually raising a foot.
One kick, popped a shadow clone.
Another kick, popped another.
His movements looked lazy and casual, even somewhat careless, but each kick accurately hit the shadow clone's vital point. The struck clone instantly turned to white smoke, no chance to struggle.
One kick per clone, as easy as kicking aside stones on the road.
And Kakashi's gaze still didn't leave his book.