Naruto's Challenge

Kakashi decided not to hold back this time.

Though he was one of Konoha's top Elite Jonin, he deliberately avoided using his Sharingan and Genjutsu. But his Taijutsu alone was enough to overwhelm most opponents.

Naruto's relaxed attitude made it clear he wasn't taking this seriously.

This time, Kakashi truly had no intention of going easy on him.

Kakashi flashed forward, closing in on Naruto in an instant.

Every attack was sharp and forceful.

Every move targeted what appeared to be Naruto's weak points.

Of course, he kept his attacks within the bounds of "teaching him a lesson," rather than actually hurting him.

Even so, Kakashi's assault came like a sudden storm.

Sakura and Sasuke, hiding in the woods, were almost too stunned to speak.

Yet even with Kakashi giving it his all in Taijutsu,

Naruto's expression only grew slightly more serious.

He had the battle experience of countless cycles behind him, but this body was still as untrained as it had been at the beginning. He couldn't bring anything close to his full strength to bear.

But against Kakashi as he was now... it was enough!

Based on his past experience, a few Ninjutsu would be all it took to finish this.

Naruto focused, dodging every one of Kakashi's attacks by the narrowest margin.

Each time he blocked, he precisely deflected the force of the attack, and even managed to counterattack the moment Kakashi pulled back.

After a few exchanges, Kakashi grew more and more alarmed.

Was this really a Genin who had just graduated?

His seasoned responses and almost prescient dodges... Even Minato-sensei back then...

Probably hadn't had talent this absurd, had he?

Seeing that he couldn't gain the upper hand with Taijutsu, Kakashi decided to use Ninjutsu.

He leaped back to create some distance, then formed Hand Seals.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

A blazing fireball shot straight toward Naruto.

Naruto stood there, unruffled, and began forming Hand Seals too. His speed was every bit as fast as Kakashi's.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

The river was right beside them, providing plenty of water, and Naruto's Chakra reserves seemed bottomless.

He was practically a chakra tank!

A massive water dragon surged into the air, more than three times the size of the Great Fireball.

The enormous water dragon and the much smaller fireball collided with a thunderous crash!

"Hiss!"

Water met fire, and a cloud of steam billowed up.

The water dragon swallowed the fireball with overwhelming force and kept charging toward Kakashi!

Kakashi's pupils contracted. With no time to think, he quickly formed Hand Seals and slapped both hands against the ground.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"

A stone wall shot up from the ground.

Three dog-head statues had been carved into its face—because Kakashi never missed an opportunity to carve them.

"Boom!"

The water dragon slammed into the wall, splashing water everywhere and leaving several cracks in the stone.

Hiding behind the wall, Kakashi felt a storm raging inside him.

The report about Naruto defeating Mizuki had only said that Naruto had mastered the Shadow Clone.

How was he so proficient with a Ninjutsu like Water Dragon Bullet, too?

And how could he have so much Chakra?

Was this the power of the Uzumaki Clan?

Before Kakashi could recover, Naruto's next attack was already on its way.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

And this fireball...

Was several times bigger than Kakashi's!

Feeling the searing wind rush toward him, Kakashi had no choice but to use Earth Release and dive underground to escape.

He was screaming internally. What kind of monster is this Genin?!

But as soon as he'd burrowed underground, he clearly heard Naruto's voice from the surface, as if calling out a warning.

"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!"

"Bang!"

The ground exploded.

Kakashi was forced to leap out, only to find himself surrounded by a thick mist.

At some point, Naruto had quietly used the Mist Technique as well.

With his vision blurred, Kakashi heard only the rapid patter of footsteps closing in. He tried to react, but then felt a sudden lightness at his waist.

The two bells were gone.

The mist slowly cleared. Naruto stood where he'd been, bells in hand, his expression so calm it was as if nothing had happened.

Kakashi was rooted to the spot, at a loss for words.

Naruto had taken the bells from him that easily?

No, that wasn't even the point, was it?

Naruto's strength was a little too monstrous...

Yet Naruto didn't even glance at the bells. He called out Sasuke and Sakura, who had been watching from hiding, then casually tossed the bells toward them.

"Catch."

Sasuke and Sakura caught them without thinking, both looking utterly bewildered.

Kakashi finally recovered. His voice was tinged with confusion. "Naruto, what are you doing?"

"I got the bells. Now I've given them to Sasuke and Sakura, so they've passed the test," Naruto said casually.

"What about you?" Kakashi frowned. "Are you withdrawing voluntarily?"

"Interpret it however you want." Naruto shrugged. "I just thought your rules were unreasonable, so I'm protesting in my own way."

"Unreasonable?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly. "You mean the rule that three people have to fight over two bells?"

"That's right."

Kakashi was a little annoyed. "So you think it's unreasonable for three people to fight over two bells..."

"Then let me tell you the truth. I set those conditions so you'd understand that three Genin couldn't take the bells from an Elite Jonin like me by relying on their strength alone. You have to work as a team."

"Likewise, during missions, shinobi have to face all kinds of unreasonable situations, even the sacrifice of their teammates' lives!"

"That's why I have to select shinobi who understand the harsh conditions they'll face when they're pushed into a desperate situation. To push your bodies to their limits, I even made you come here five hours early and scared you by telling you not to eat breakfast..."

"Of course, there was one unexpected complication."

At the end, Kakashi glanced at Naruto, suddenly sounding awkward.

Naruto's strength was beyond the bounds of a Genin.

He was far stronger than an Elite Jonin—if anything, he seemed to have the edge even over Kakashi himself.

So now, Kakashi had laid out the true purpose of the test.

That meant he'd already made his final judgment about Naruto.

A genius who didn't follow the rules and ignored teamwork was dangerous.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

Kakashi's voice turned serious again, taking on the tone of a Jonin Instructor. "You're strong—far stronger than I ever imagined."

"But you haven't understood the true meaning of this test, and you've shown no spirit of teamwork."

"So you fail. Go back to the Ninja Academy and repeat the year."

Sakura immediately tensed, and Sasuke furrowed his brow.

But Naruto suddenly laughed, a hint of mockery in his smile.

"I figured it out ages ago, Teacher Kakashi. You just want us to learn all that 'teamwork' stuff, right?"

Having lived through countless cycles, Naruto naturally knew what conditions would make Kakashi let them pass and what wouldn't.

He remembered that in his first cycle, he'd gotten a little too cocky.

He'd taken the bells by himself, and Teacher Kakashi had failed him.

So this outcome was exactly what Naruto had expected.

After that, it had taken a great deal of effort to convince Kakashi that he could work as part of a team. Only then had they all graduated.

But none of that mattered now.

This time, Naruto had come to break the rules.

Kakashi didn't deny it. "If you figured that out, why didn't you play along?"

"Because I don't want to follow your rules this time." Naruto looked him straight in the eye, his voice clear and calm. "I already said it. I'm protesting this unreasonable rule—and... changing it!"

"Oh?" Kakashi folded his arms, finally looking interested. "Then tell me: what exactly is unreasonable about it?"

What did he mean by a surprise?

So this was what he meant by a surprise!

Kakashi wanted to see just what this surprise was.