After the brief blush faded, Sasuke realized his slip and extended his hand to Kamiki.
Trying to act cool while hiding his embarrassment, he said, “I’m Sasuke.
Nice to meet you.” Kamiki blinked, completely lost.
Could you not make a face like that?!
I’m genuinely terrified!
Kamiki was beginning to wonder if his theory really held water.
Could it actually be the female lead’s script?!
That would be way too dramatic!!
Seeing that Sasuke and Kamiki had broken the ice, Naruto leaned in too, greeting Sasuke with a bright wave: “I’m Naruto Uzumaki!” Even though Naruto didn’t like Sasuke very much because of Sakura, his naturally cheerful and optimistic personality meant he never dwelled on petty grudges.
He was easy to get along with.
While the three were chatting, the classroom door swung open.
A shinobi with spiky white hair, a forehead protector slanted over one eye, and a mask covering half his face strolled inside.
It was the Jonin instructor assigned to Team 7—Kakashi Hatake!
What a strange outfit, Kamiki thought, studying the newcomer.
He recognized him as Team 7’s teacher from the original anime, someone who was supposed to be quite formidable.
“Why is he wrapped up like that?
This teacher’s fashion sense is really weird,” Naruto grumbled under his breath after Kakashi entered.
Sasuke rested his chin on his hands, fixing his gaze on Kakashi, lost in his own thoughts.
While the three kids sized up Kakashi, Kakashi was sizing them up as well.
Naruto—the teacher’s son, famous throughout the village for his troublemaking.
Sasuke—the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan tragedy, quiet and intensely proud.
Finally, Kakashi’s single exposed eye settled onto Kamiki.
Kamiki—a war orphan brought back by a ninja from the battlefield, origin unknown.
Like Naruto, he had spent years as a dead-last.
Yet according to the academy records, Kamiki had graduated at the top of his class.
From dead-last to first place.
On top of that, before Kakashi took this assignment, the Third Hokage had pulled him aside specifically to warn him not to be shocked by anything Kamiki did.
Kakashi grew increasingly intrigued by this red-haired boy.
After a brief pause, Kakashi addressed the three.
“Starting today, I am your assigned Jonin instructor.” “However, to become official Genin, you still have to pass my test.” “If you fail, I will send you straight back to the Ninja Academy to repeat the entire curriculum.” “Huh?
Another test?!
What’s on this one?” Naruto groaned, dragging out his voice in sheer misery.
“There’s no study guide.
Tomorrow at five in the morning, meet me at the outdoor training grounds…
And one more thing: don’t eat breakfast.” Kamiki’s jaw dropped slightly.
He had worked so hard to graduate from the academy.
Getting sent right back would be mortifying.
But this teacher was springing a test without giving them a syllabus, making it impossible to prepare!
Kakashi pulled an orange book from his pouch, flipping through the pages as he spoke casually, “All right, everything else can wait until you actually pass tomorrow.” “Just a fair warning: not a single ninja assigned to me has ever passed my test.” The next morning, five o’clock sharp.
Facing their new teacher’s first test, Kamiki, Sasuke, and Naruto arrived right on time.
Following orders to the letter, none of them had eaten breakfast.
“Man, skipping breakfast really sucks,” Naruto groaned, clutching his stomach as he saw no sign of the teacher on the empty grounds.
“Maybe Sensei is late because he’s picking up breakfast for us?” Kamiki offered, clinging to a sliver of hope.
The teacher couldn’t actually be oversleeping, could he?!
Six o’clock.
Seven o’clock.
Eight o’clock.
…
Ten o’clock.
The three had been waiting since five in the morning—five straight hours!
Their empty stomachs were growling loudly.
“What is with this teacher?!
Is he standing us up on purpose?!” Naruto fumed, ready to storm home and boil some cup ramen.
He couldn’t hold out another second!
Just as Naruto took a step, Kamiki caught him by the sleeve.
“Hold on.
Sensei is here.” Naruto looked up.
Sure enough, Kakashi had finally sauntered onto the field!
“Where have you been, Sensei?!
You made us wait forever!” Naruto yelled, deeply annoyed.
Kamiki chimed in as well.
“Yeah.
You didn’t make us wait here early just so you could sleep in, did you?” A faint flush crossed Kakashi’s masked face, though he neither admitted nor denied it.
“Patience and endurance are part of the test.” With that, Kakashi pulled two small silver bells from his pocket.
“Now, for the details of today’s exercise.” “I have two bells here.
If you can take them from me before noon, you pass the test and get to eat lunch.” “If you fail to get one, you fail on the spot.
Your punishment will be getting tied to a log, forced to watch me eat lunch while you starve.” Once Kakashi finished laying out the rules, Kamiki noticed the glaring flaw.
“Sensei, there are only two bells, but three of us.” Kakashi yawned, utterly dismissive.
“Exactly.
That means at least one of you is guaranteed to fail today.” “What?!
That’s so unfair!
You’re completely unreasonable!” Naruto shouted, pointing an angry finger.
Sasuke frowned as well, troubled by the setup.
This Jonin seemed dead set on sending them straight back to the academy!
Kakashi pulled out his little book again and began reading with keen interest.
“All right, enough chatter.
Let’s get started.
I’m on a schedule.” Naruto’s temper flared at his teacher’s arrogant attitude.
“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” Naruto snapped his hands into a seal, summoning clones to surround Kakashi!
Kakashi didn’t even look up from his book.
With a few fluid side-steps and casual kicks, he dispersed all of Naruto’s clones in seconds.
“Holding back already, Naruto?
Afraid of hurting me?” Kakashi chuckled lightly, turning to the three of them.
“You’re just fresh graduates, and you’re about to get sent right back.
Unless you come at me with the clear intent to kill, you won’t stand a chance of taking these bells.” Hearing Kakashi’s confident words, Kamiki nodded with deep conviction.
Sensei is right!
His strength is far above a normal Jonin!
Meanwhile, I’m just a rookie fresh out of school who barely knows a few hundred ninjutsu.
On top of that, Lord Third strictly banned me from using Wood Release unless it’s a true emergency.
All in all, the gap between Sensei and me is massive.
If I don’t go all out with everything I’ve got, I’m definitely getting sent back to repeat the academy!