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"It's no secret that the bell test is a tradition in Konoha. If you asked previous graduates, you could've easily found out about it."
"As for how to distribute the bells—don't concern yourself with that right now. Hatake Kakashi is an elite Jōnin of Konoha, a former ANBU Captain. His accumulated mission time probably exceeds the amount of time we've spent breathing. If you think you can take him on alone, you're delusional."
Upon hearing this, Uchiha Sasuke furrowed his brows, clearly irritated that he hadn't thought it through. At the same time, he felt a subtle frustration—Ye Dou's words made it sound like he was being underestimated.
"So… you mean we're going to fight Kakashi-sensei together?" Naruto Uzumaki asked, still a little confused. But he caught the gist—Ye Dou didn't want to go one-on-one; he wanted a coordinated attack.
"Do you have a plan?"
"Direct assault," Ye Dou replied without hesitation.
If anyone tried to play tricks against Kakashi, it would be like performing parlor tricks in front of a grandmaster. Kakashi had mastered assassination, surveillance, defense, and concealment in ANBU. He could toy with them ten times over in all these fields.
So why bother?
A head-on clash suited Ye Dou's and Naruto Uzumaki's fighting styles far more.
After a pause, Ye Dou added, "Take out all the ninja tools you brought."
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glances, then took out the shuriken, kunai, and other basic tools they had on hand. Ye Dou did the same. After sorting through them, he kept only a small portion for himself and Naruto for emergency use and handed the rest to Sasuke Uchiha.
"Wait—Naruto and I will take the front. You hang back and cover us depending on how the fight unfolds."
This wasn't modesty. Even without using his Gravity Fruit abilities, Ye Dou wasn't as skilled at shuriken throwing as Sasuke.
The Uchiha clan was famous for their mastery of projectile weapons. Since the Warring States period, they had refined countless techniques for using hidden weapons like shuriken and wire threads. It was one of the reasons Sasuke consistently topped the Academy's rankings.
"Do you know the Shadow Clone Technique?" Ye Dou asked, turning to Naruto.
"How'd you know that? I never told you!"
"How many can you make?"
"Loads!"
Ye Dou: "…"
Sasuke: "…"
"Can you make ten?"
"Piece of cake."
"Good. Then use the Shadow Clones as a feint. I'll try to break through from the flank, and Uchiha's phantom over here will provide long-range support."
"Uchiha's phantom?" Naruto tilted his head in confusion.
Ye Dou glanced at Sasuke, who immediately felt a surge of embarrassment—and anger.
"I have a name."
"Second impression: not bad," Ye Dou said coolly.
Unbeknownst to them, Kakashi leaned silently against a tree nearby, eavesdropping with a slight smile hidden beneath his mask.
...
No one knew how much time had passed, but Kakashi finally appeared in front of them.
It was easily five hours past the promised 5 a.m. meetup.
The sun was already high in the sky, shining brightly—and Kakashi's grin matched its brilliance. Despite being incredibly late, he didn't look the slightest bit apologetic.
Ye Dou and Sasuke remained expressionless. Only Naruto Uzumaki was ranting loudly, accusing Kakashi of being a liar.
Kakashi led them to a large clearing.
It was spacious—at least the size of two acres. The field was surrounded by tall grass, trees, and a nearby stream. The scenery was pleasant, almost perfect for a picnic.
But more importantly, it was also an ideal ninja training ground, full of places to hide and launch ambushes.
"It looks like you've all come prepared—and you're aware of today's test," Kakashi said casually. "Then let's begin: the Bell Test!"
With a jingle, he pulled out two silver bells and held them up for everyone to see.
"He must've overheard us earlier!" Sasuke muttered, realizing that Kakashi had likely been spying on them the whole time.
"Eh?! What do we do now?!" Naruto panicked.
"Stick to the plan," Ye Dou said firmly.
Despite his laid-back appearance, Ye Dou knew Kakashi was far from lenient.
What had he said yesterday?
Show up at 5 a.m. And in a kind tone, he even suggested they skip breakfast to avoid vomiting.
But what happened today?
Kakashi strolled in hours late, dropped the bell test rules on them, threatened that failure meant going back to the Academy, and now expected them to fight him on empty stomachs. Step by step, he was breaking down their spirits.
Why?
To see their truest reactions.
Even now, Kakashi hinted that he'd heard their strategy, testing whether their still-forming team could adapt and function under pressure.
"Not bad, Guy," Kakashi thought to himself with a smile. "You raised a good one."
[Bell Test: Begin]
At the center of the field stood three wooden posts. Kakashi had just placed an alarm clock on the middle one.
"This will be the time limit," he said, adding even more pressure.
It was already late morning. They had barely two hours left until the noon deadline Kakashi had set.
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