Not One of Us Left Behind

When the dust settled, another Jimo stood where the first one had just been.

"What?"

Kakashi stared at Jimo in shock.

"Why can he use the forbidden Shadow Clone Technique too?!"

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"

The combined Wind Style and Fire Release jutsu surged forth, its power dozens of times greater than before. The scorching flames swept over the river, and even Naruto, holding his breath underwater, felt a wave of heat.

This guy's Chakra... does he have that much in reserve? He's using a C-rank jutsu on this scale, and he still hasn't run out.

Kakashi formed Hand Seals at top speed and extinguished the flames with Water Dragon Jutsu.

"He actually... actually forced the teacher to use a jutsu..." Sasuke and Sakura stared in shock at the two of them trading jutsu.

Of course, Kakashi hadn't used his full strength.

The water dragon collided with the flames and exploded, giving the Training Ground an artificial rain shower.

Jimo panted heavily and released Shadow Clone Technique.

As I expected, it's still too much... but at least I've made a Jonin take me a little seriously.

Kakashi could see how exhausted Jimo was, and had gained some understanding of the amount of Chakra he had.

"It's not over yet!"

With that, Jimo stood perfectly still. He seemed to have suddenly frozen up, saying nothing.

A few breaths later, Jimo's figure wavered, then slowly disappeared.

"What kind of jutsu is that?!"

Everyone was astonished by this unfamiliar technique.

"Not good!"

By the time Kakashi realized what was happening, Jimo had already appeared behind him, his clenched fist swinging toward him.

"Afterimage Fist!"

At the instant Jimo attacked, his movements stalled once more.

Kakashi's arm passed right through his body.

"What? That technique again!"

Several afterimages appeared around Kakashi, but this time, they were a combination of Shadow Clone and Afterimage Fist.

Kakashi immediately blocked and seized Jimo by the arm. He knew how strong this kid was—he was a monster among monsters.

But the corner of Jimo's mouth lifted slightly.

"Chakra Sphere: Instant Burst!" With a furious shout, Jimo suddenly spread his palm. In an instant, a dazzling Chakra Sphere appeared in his hand, like the brightest star in the night sky, and rapidly grew larger.

"Th-that's the move Naruto just used, isn't it? Is he really planning to detonate that Chakra Sphere at such close range?" Sasuke and Sakura cried out in alarm.

Seeing this, Kakashi immediately released Jimo's wrist. Then he swung his leg up and kicked Jimo hard in the body. With a muffled thud, Jimo flew backward as if he'd been hit by a cannonball.

To everyone's surprise, the Chakra Sphere that should have caused a tremendous explosion merely burst like a deflated balloon. It released a gust of air, stirring up the dust on the ground. Apart from that, it caused no real damage or injury.

"Hahaha, you got played, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto laughed, clutching his stomach as he climbed onto the bank.

"Good combat instincts... too bad he can't manage his Chakra well." That was Kakashi's final assessment of Jimo. He believed Jimo was already at the end of his rope.

"It's over!" Kakashi punched Jimo in the stomach.

What he hadn't expected was for Jimo to cling tightly to his arm, holding him in place.

"Kame! Hame! Ha!"

A voice came from the sky. Everyone looked around, but no one could find Jimo.

"He's in front of the sun!" Kakashi was a renowned shinobi with years of experience. Squinting, he spotted the telltale sign. Jimo had leaped in the direction of the sun, and at midday, its light was at its strongest.

A long beam of light came hurtling down from the sky, trailing a tail behind it, and struck the spot where Kakashi stood.

"Go! This is all the Ki I have left!"

The Kamehameha's explosion engulfed Kakashi and his clone. Jimo didn't think this attack could seriously injure Kakashi, but making him look a little worse for wear was all he needed.

When the dust had settled, a crater larger than the one Naruto had made by detonating his Chakra Sphere appeared in the ground.

Jimo lay in the crater, his right hand raised high.

"I got one!"

The bell jingled in the breeze.

"I can't believe someone actually completed this mission..." The Third Hokage and Iruka sat in front of the Crystal Ball, marveling at what they had seen.

"Over the years, the failure rate for Kakashi's mission has been well over sixty-six percent... It's been one hundred percent. I never thought a student would actually manage to take a bell." The Third Hokage sounded very pleased. He'd seen a new star rising.

"So does that mean all four of them passed the test?" Iruka asked, both surprised and delighted.

"No... not yet. To date, none of the Genin he's been responsible for have passed the test."

"Then what about this...?"

"Just keep watching and you'll see."

At the Training Ground, Kakashi was covered in rags. His Jonin flak jacket was gone, revealing the dark blue bodysuit underneath.

"Oh, my, oh, my... Why do all the new students this year like blowing themselves up?"

Kakashi carried Jimo out of the crater.

"You can come out now. The mission is over." Kakashi called to Sakura and Sasuke, who were hiding off to one side.

"So he knew all along..." Sasuke muttered.

"But now there's a problem. There are only two bells, but there are three of you, so two of you are bound to be sent back to the Ninja Academy."

Kakashi spoke sternly.

The next moment, Sasuke and Sakura were tied to wooden posts.

"Jimo, you're the one who got a bell, so you get to decide who gets these two spots." Kakashi's voice turned serious, no longer lazy and amiable.

"How can this happen? I can't be eliminated here..." Sasuke's eyes were full of dejection and resentment. To be honest, he'd been scared. Jimo's moves had actually frightened him...

Sakura, standing nearby, was even more disheartened. Tears were welling in her eyes.

She suddenly felt useless. What did it matter if she'd gotten good grades at school? If she was too afraid to act, what kind of ninja could she be?

"I refuse!" Jimo tossed the bell back to Kakashi.

"If my promotion comes at the cost of using my teammates as stepping stones, then I'd rather not have the title of Genin." A flicker of anger shone in Jimo's eyes.

Even Naruto, who was usually so rowdy, sided with Jimo.

"Iruka-sensei said that from the moment we were assigned to a team after graduation, we became one. And being one team means not leaving a single person behind!"

"Then you can all go back and start over together..." Kakashi said coldly. "But before you do, you still have one task to complete: eat the bento I prepared right in front of those two. Remember, don't give them any! Otherwise, you'll lose your chance to become ninjas!"