Beginner Gift Pack After Thirteen Years

Inside Konoha Hospital.

The glaring incandescent light swayed gently overhead, and the smell of disinfectant was so strong it was almost suffocating.

On a bench in the corridor, Kakashi sat there with a boy.

Only now, the dead-fish eye Kakashi had exposed looked somewhat numb, and his gaze kept drifting toward the ward beside them from time to time.

No one knew how long had passed before a burst of footsteps suddenly came from inside the ward, echoing through the quiet hospital. Kakashi, who had been sitting on the bench, instantly stood up.

"Are they all right?"

Looking at the Medical Ninja who walked out of the ward, Kakashi asked anxiously.

"They're already fine."

The Medical Ninja nodded, but soon his expression turned reproachful.

"But Senior Kakashi, you were way too harsh, weren't you? Although this is your first time as a Jonin Instructor, they're still just children!"

"."

Kakashi's breath caught. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to explain something, but he just couldn't get a single word out.

"This was just an accident. You can't blame Teacher Kakashi."

Just then, the boy beside Kakashi also stood up and defended him.

The boy looked about thirteen or so. He had black hair, and his delicate features easily made people feel fond of him.

He lowered his head and added quietly.

"Or if you have to blame someone, blame me..."

"..."

Kakashi's expression grew even more numb, but when the Medical Ninja heard this, he couldn't help sighing.

"What a good child. Senior Kakashi, even if it was an accident, you still have to have the courage to take responsibility. And teach this child properly."

After saying that, the Medical Ninja politely took his leave, leaving only a dazed Kakashi and the boy behind.

"Teacher Kakashi, what do we do now?"

Only after watching the Medical Ninja leave did the boy look at Kakashi.

"Also, did I pass the test?"

"Pass...?"

Kakashi nearly laughed from anger. He glared at the boy and said,

"A squad has three people. Now you're the only one left. How is that passing?"

Kakashi truly felt incredibly depressed right now. He had never expected that the first time he led students after leaving the Anbu, such a huge mistake would happen!

Three students. Two had gone into the hospital, and he still didn't know what would happen next. Only this little guy named Kitagawa Gen was left.

It made him wonder whether he should never have quit the Anbu at all.

"Teacher Kakashi, even one person should be fine."

Kitagawa Gen blinked and said with a completely serious expression.

"I heard Teacher Guy say that when you graduated back then, you were alone too. Teammates and stuff can be gathered later, right? Besides, we did get the bells."

"Please stop talking. And I let you have those on purpose!"

If he hadn't mentioned it, fine. But the moment he did, Kakashi, who had been thinking about how to explain this to the Hokage, immediately couldn't hold it in anymore.

Kitagawa Gen and the other two had all performed well, and their coordination with one another had been very good.

Especially this kid Kitagawa Gen. Although he wasn't the child of some major clan, his abilities in every aspect were far stronger than the other students', so Kakashi had simply thrown out a "big move."

He had deliberately let them get the bells, while also making them face the final test—the bells numbered only two. With three of you, how would you choose?

As a result, trouble broke out.

"Forget it. It's all over."

With a dispirited sigh, Kakashi was in no mood to continue and planned to leave. When Kitagawa Gen saw that Kakashi seemed to be considering "returning the goods," he instantly grew anxious too.

"I know. Otherwise, there's no way we could have gotten the bells. And I know the purpose of this test even better."

"Hmm?"

Kakashi tilted his head and did not interrupt. Kitagawa Gen immediately spoke.

"The purpose of this test was to test our strategy when facing enemies, our individual abilities, and our teamwork. I was telling them the whole time that we had to cooperate. The facts prove that we performed well."

"Your teamwork was all right."

Recalling the earlier battle, even though Kakashi was very displeased, he still nodded. But soon, he shook his head again.

"But after getting the bells, what did you all do?"

Kakashi had handed the bells to them and let them choose for themselves. In the end, this kid Kitagawa Gen had directly handed the bells to the other two, then watched without saying a word.

If that were all, it would have been fine. The problem was...

The other two brats suddenly started fighting on their own, and from the looks of it, they really seemed like they wanted to kill each other!

Even Kakashi had been stunned by that scene. For a moment, he had suspected that he had run into people from Root. After all, Root seemed to have such a fine tradition...

But students from the academy pulling something like that had truly caught him off guard. By the time he acted, both of them had already collapsed, and in the end, they had gone to the hospital together.

"There were only two bells. Wasn't the purpose to test 'trust and sacrifice' in teamwork?"

Kitagawa Gen looked deeply wronged as he spoke quietly.

"I had already taken the initiative to hand the bells to the two of them. Didn't that already show my resolve? What else does Teacher Kakashi want from me?"

"."

Kakashi was momentarily speechless. He didn't even know what to say, and Kitagawa Gen immediately pressed his advantage.

"I didn't expect something like this to happen either. I also treasure them a lot, because Teacher Guy once told me something."

"What did he say?"

Kakashi rubbed the space between his brows, still seeming troubled, but he was also very curious about what exactly Guy had told this kid.

"Teacher Guy told me that this was something his best friend once said to him."

Kitagawa Gen's expression also became much more solemn, and he spoke with incomparable seriousness.

"That friend once told him that people who don't follow the rules are trash, but people who don't treasure their comrades are worse than trash!

"I agree with those words very much, so I kept advising Chizuki and the others to cooperate with each other. But I never expected it to turn out like this in the end.

"It's also my fault for not explaining my thoughts clearly, which caused this result. But I really want to become a ninja, protect Konoha, and protect my other comrades. I'm sorry, Teacher Kakashi..."

"."

For an instant, Kakashi truly wanted to slap himself hard across the face!

What the fuck have I done?

Although he knew Guy had a good relationship with this kid, and he had even seen the kid training with Guy before.

What gave him an even bigger headache was, why did Guy tell this kid everything?

However, at this moment, he also had a new thought.

Perhaps teaching this kid alone wasn't a problem?

He couldn't ruin this excellent seedling just because of those two brats, could he?

He really didn't want to suddenly wake up in the middle of the night, recall everything that had happened today, and then slap himself hard across the face...

"You go back first."

"Huh?"

Kakashi pondered for a moment before speaking, which made Kitagawa Gen freeze for a second. But Kakashi quickly added,

"Go back and rest properly first. I need to report the current situation to the Hokage, but you should prepare yourself mentally."

At this point, Kakashi paused. He took out a copy of Make-Out Paradise, lowered his head, and walked outside while reading.

"If nothing unexpected happens, your days from now on won't be as easy as they were in school."

"Yes, sir!"

Looking at Kakashi's departing back, Kitagawa Gen's expression also became somewhat excited.

Finally, finally...

After enduring for thirteen years, he had finally received his beginner reward!

Completed Main Quest stage one: Become a ninja

Received Beginner Gift Pack

Completed Side Quest: Become Kakashi's only disciple among this year's graduates

Received reward: Kakashi's Sword Techniques