The Tradition of Konoha is Stealing Bells

The voice of Hiruzen Sarutobi echoed across the vast training ground, clearly reaching the ears of Orochimaru and the other two.

"Grab the bells? How come I've never heard of this?"

Jiraiya widened his eyes, scratching his signature white hair with a look of utter confusion.

No one had told him about this part when he graduated.

"The point isn't the content of the test, Jiraiya.

The point is... there are only two bells, but there are three of us."

Orochimaru spoke up, his gaze sweeping over the clueless Jiraiya and the thoughtful Tsunade before finally landing on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

As expected...

Hearing this, the chin Tsunade had been holding slightly high tightened instantly, and her expression shifted abruptly.

She naturally realized the cruel implication hidden behind these seemingly simple rules.

Two bells, three people—this meant that one person would inevitably be eliminated!

Who was she? She was the granddaughter of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju!

With the blood of the Senju clan flowing through her veins, how could she possibly be weeded out in this initial test?

If she were actually eliminated, it would be a massive joke!

"Ah! So that's it! Sensei, you must have forgotten to bring one bell, right?"

However, Jiraiya beside her still hadn't caught on. He clapped his hands as if he had just had a sudden epiphany and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with a hint of naivety in his tone.

Pfft—

Hearing this, Tsunade nearly choked, snapping her head toward Jiraiya.

Her eyes were filled with disbelief, as if she were looking at a hopeless idiot.

She couldn't even be bothered to argue, silently labeling Jiraiya as "destined for elimination" in her mind.

This fool couldn't even grasp such a simple concept; it seemed he was fated to be sent back to the drawing board.

Orochimaru also struggled to keep his composure, completely unable to understand the way Jiraiya's brain worked.

Even the usually composed Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth upon hearing Jiraiya's "refreshingly unconventional" remark.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to rub his forehead, and explained with forced patience:

"No, Jiraiya, I didn't forget one. The rules are as they are; there are only two bells.

This means that even if some of you manage to grab a bell, only two people will pass the test and officially become genin.

And the person who fails to grab a bell, or rather... is judged as unqualified, will be sent back to the Ninja Academy to study again."

By the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone had become significantly sterner, even carrying a hint of killing intent.

Sent... back... to the Ninja Academy...

Hearing this, the smile on Jiraiya's face froze instantly, and he finally realized the gravity of the situation.

Because Hiruzen Sarutobi's words didn't sound like he was joking at all...

"The time limit is noon! Now, the test begins! Give it your all, and come at me with the resolve to... kill me!"

Seeing that his words had the desired effect, Hiruzen Sarutobi swept his sharp gaze over the three, taking in their varied expressions before announcing in a deep voice.

And almost the moment his words fell...

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh!"

Two figures vanished from their spots like ghosts, leaving behind only faint afterimages.

Orochimaru and Tsunade reacted almost simultaneously, instantly diving into the woods at the edge of the training ground.

Their presence was suppressed, disappearing from Hiruzen Sarutobi's sensory range.

Watching their reactions, a flicker of imperceptible approval flashed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, and he nodded with satisfaction.

This keen judgment and decisive action were the qualities a qualified ninja should possess.

Of course, with his current strength, let alone three six-year-old graduates, even an experienced jonin squad wouldn't be able to take anything from his hands if he didn't want them to.

This test was never meant to eliminate anyone.

His true purpose was to use this opportunity to gauge the personalities, potential, and individual strengths of these three children.

Simply put, it was to test the waters...

As for sending them back to the Ninja Academy? That was just a lie to make these three children take it seriously.

Not to mention anything else, given the current state of Konoha where there was a severe shortage of ninjas due to the war, it was impossible to turn away any potential combat power.

After all, if they didn't go out and take on missions, Konoha's finances would truly collapse!

When facing a powerful enemy that cannot be defeated by force, a ninja's primary duty is always to hide, preserve themselves, and wait for an opportunity to strike.

From this perspective, the performances of Orochimaru and Tsunade were undoubtedly excellent.

Especially Orochimaru...

Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes slightly, scanning the thicket where Orochimaru had vanished.

To his surprise, he discovered that the boy's presence was hidden perfectly, blending so seamlessly into the woods that even he could not immediately pinpoint his exact location.

Judging solely by this ability to conceal one's presence, even among the village's jonin, few possessed such a level of skill.

By comparison...

Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his gaze toward the center of the training ground, to the white-haired brat who was still standing there blankly, seemingly having no clue what was going on.

Watching the look of confusion mixed with a hint of eagerness on Jiraiya's face, the Third Hokage felt the veins on his forehead throb, his face darkening with frustration.

Noticing Hiruzen Sarutobi looking at him, Jiraiya finally snapped to his senses.

His eyes lit up; far from feeling uneasy about his companions' disappearance, he instead wore an expression of pleasant surprise.

Since those two had hidden themselves, didn't that mean if he alone managed to snatch the bell from his teacher, he would pass the test?

"Teacher! Take this!"

Having figured out the "key" to the situation, Jiraiya let out a loud roar, struck what he considered a cool charging pose, pushed off with his legs, and shot straight toward Hiruzen Sarutobi like a cannonball!

"..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was speechless. Had the teachers at the Ninja Academy not even taught the most basic common sense?

He couldn't even be bothered to weave hand signs, simply sidestepping casually to easily dodge Jiraiya's disorganized straight punch.

Then, he extended a finger and flicked the back of Jiraiya's head...

"Thud!"

With a dull sound and a miserable shriek from Jiraiya, the boy face-planted into the ground, his limbs twitching a few times before he went still, leaving only the back of his head, now emitting a wisp of white smoke, facing the sky.

One-shot.

Hidden in the shadows of the thicket, Orochimaru watched this scene through a gap in the leaves, his mouth twitching slightly.

Jiraiya, that guy... was he too straightforward? Daring to charge head-on against a Kage-level powerhouse? Should he call it commendable courage, or utter stupidity?

Forget it...

Orochimaru withdrew his gaze, his mind racing.

Although Jiraiya's reckless behavior was foolish, it had successfully drawn all of Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention.

However, this opening was likely a trap intentionally left for him and Tsunade to see...

His goal was clear: snatching the bell was a secondary objective; the priority was to demonstrate his value and potential as much as possible during this test.

After all, a tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind;

But if the environment is harsh, only by growing tall and conspicuous enough can one receive more sunlight and rain.

Just like the Orochimaru of the original timeline—if he hadn't secured a connection with the Third Hokage, how could someone of his commoner background have obtained research materials and data?

Born as a commoner ninja in a world that emphasized bloodlines and heritage, to obtain more resources and conduct deeper research, one had to demonstrate talent far exceeding that of ordinary people.

And just as Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention was fully focused on the "corpse" of Jiraiya lying on the ground.

"Swish!"

A golden figure shot out from the woods on the other side like an arrow released from a bow!

Tsunade! She chose to seize this fleeting opportunity, launching a surprise attack the moment Hiruzen Sarutobi was distracted...