Inside Konoha Hospital.
The harsh fluorescent lamps hanging from the ceiling rocked faintly, filling the corridor with an uncomfortable white glare.
The sharp odor of disinfectant lingered heavily in the air.
Kakashi sat quietly on a bench, a young boy seated beside him.
His single exposed eye looked unusually tired and lifeless.
Every so often, his attention would shift toward one of the hospital rooms nearby.
No one knew how much time had passed when the sound of footsteps suddenly came from inside the ward, echoing through the quiet hospital.
Kakashi immediately stood up.
“Are they all right?”
He asked anxiously as a medical ninja emerged from the room.
“They’re fine now.”
The medical ninja nodded, but his expression quickly turned reproachful.
“But, Senior Kakashi, you were way too rough on them! I know this is your first time serving as a jōnin instructor, but they’re still just kids!”
Kakashi’s breath caught in his throat.
He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to explain himself, but he couldn’t get a single word out.
“It was just an accident. You can’t blame Kakashi-sensei.”
The boy beside Kakashi stood up as well and spoke up in his defense.
He was around thirteen years old, with black hair and a clean, handsome face that naturally inspired a favorable impression.
He lowered his head and added quietly,
“Or, if someone has to take the blame, blame me instead…”
“…”
Kakashi’s expression became even more numb.
The medical ninja, however, couldn’t help sighing.
“What a good kid. Senior Kakashi, even if it was an accident, you should have the courage to take responsibility. And make sure you teach this child properly.”
With that, the medical ninja politely took his leave, leaving behind the dazed Kakashi and the boy.
“Kakashi-sensei, what do we do now?”
Only after watching the medical ninja leave did the boy turn toward Kakashi.
“And… did I pass the test?”
“Pass…?”
Kakashi almost laughed from sheer frustration.
He glared at the boy.
“There are three people on a team, and you’re the only one left. How exactly are you supposed to pass?”
Kakashi was genuinely depressed.
He had never imagined that his first time taking students after leaving the ANBU would result in such a massive blunder!
Of his three students, two had been sent to the hospital, and he had no idea what would happen to them afterward.
Only this little guy named Gen Hoshino remained.
For the first time, Kakashi wondered whether leaving the ANBU had been a mistake.
“Kakashi-sensei, even one person is enough.”
Gen Hoshino blinked and spoke with complete seriousness.
“I heard from Guy-sensei (Might Guy) that when you graduated, you were alone too. Teammates can always be put together later, right? Besides, we got the bells.”
“Please stop talking. And I deliberately let you get those!”
If anything, hearing that only made things worse.
Kakashi, who had already been wondering how he was going to explain this to the Hokage, finally couldn’t hold it in anymore.
Gen Hoshino and the other two had performed quite well, and their coordination had been pretty good too.
Especially this kid, Gen .
Although he wasn’t from one of the major clans, his abilities in practically every area were far superior to those of the other students.
So Kakashi had simply brought out his ‘trump card.’
He had deliberately allowed them to obtain the bells and then presented them with the final test:
There were only two bells.
What would the three of them choose to do?
And then everything had gone horribly wrong…
“Forget it. It’s over now…”
Kakashi sighed dejectedly and prepared to leave.
Seeing that Kakashi seemed to be considering ‘returning’ him, Gen immediately became anxious.
“I know. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to get the bells. And I also know the purpose of this test.”
“Hmm?”
Kakashi tilted his head but didn’t interrupt him.
Gen Hoshino immediately continued.
“The purpose of this test was to evaluate our strategies when facing an enemy, our individual abilities, and our teamwork. I’ve been telling them the whole time that we needed to cooperate. And as a matter of fact, we performed pretty well.”
“Your teamwork was decent…”
Recalling their earlier battle, Kakashi nodded despite his irritation.
But he quickly shook his head.
“But what did you all do after getting the bells?”
Kakashi had handed the bells to them and told them to decide among themselves.
The result?
Gen had immediately handed the bells to the other two and then stood there silently watching them.
If that had been all, it wouldn’t have been a big deal.
The problem was…
The other two boys had suddenly started fighting each other.
And judging by the way they attacked, it looked as if they were genuinely trying to kill one another!
Even Kakashi had been completely stunned by the scene.
For a moment, he had wondered whether he’d somehow encountered Root agents.
After all, Root seemed to have a certain…
tradition of this sort.
But seeing academy students pull something like this had completely caught him off guard.
By the time Kakashi intervened, both boys had already collapsed.
In the end, they had both been sent to the hospital.
“There were only two bells. Wasn’t the whole point to test ‘trust and sacrifice’ as part of teamwork?”
Gen looked aggrieved as he spoke softly.
“I voluntarily gave the bells to the two of them. Didn’t that already demonstrate my resolve? What else was Kakashi-sensei expecting me to do?”
“…..”
Kakashi was speechless.
He genuinely had no idea how to respond.
Gen Hoshino immediately pressed his advantage.
“I didn’t expect something like that to happen either. I really treasure them, because Guy-sensei once told me something.”
“What did he tell you?”
Kakashi rubbed the bridge of his nose, still looking troubled.
But he was also curious about what exactly Guy had said to this kid.
“Guy-sensei told me that his best friend once said it to him.”
Gen Hoshino’s expression became considerably more solemn.
He spoke with absolute seriousness.
“That friend once told him: ‘Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash!’
“I completely agree with those words.
That’s why I’ve been trying to persuade Chiyue and the others to work together.
I just never expected things to turn out like this.
“It was also my fault for not explaining what I was thinking, which led to this outcome.
But I really want to become a shinobi and protect Konoha and my comrades.
“I’m sorry, Kakashi-sensei…”
“…..”
For a brief moment, Kakashi genuinely wanted to slap himself across the face.
*What the hell have I done?*
He knew that Guy had a good relationship with this kid.
He had even seen the boy training with Guy before.
But what bothered him even more was—
*Why does Guy tell this kid absolutely everything?*
Still, Kakashi now had another idea.
Perhaps teaching this kid alone wouldn’t actually be a problem?
He couldn’t let those two brats ruin the future of such a promising talent, could he?
Kakashi really didn’t want to suddenly wake up in the middle of the night, remember everything that had happened today, and then smack himself across the face in regret…
“You should go home for now.”
“Huh?”
Kakashi pondered for a moment before speaking.
This left Gen momentarily stunned, but Kakashi soon added,
“Go home and get some rest. I need to report the current situation to the Hokage. But you should be mentally prepared.”
Kakashi paused.
Then he pulled out a copy of *Make-Out Paradise*, lowered his head, and began reading as he walked toward the exit.
“If nothing unexpected happens, your days ahead won’t be nearly as easy as they were at the Academy.”
“Y-Yes!”
Watching Kakashi’s departing figure, Gen looked increasingly excited.
*Finally…
finally…*
*After thirteen years of waiting, I’ve finally received my beginner’s reward!*
[Main Quest, Stage One Complete: Become a Shinobi]
[Beginner’s Gift Pack Obtained]
[Side Quest Complete: Become Kakashi’s Only Disciple Among This Year’s Graduating Class]
[Reward Obtained: Kakashi’s Swordsmanship]