The Meaning of the Bell

Yet, this kick from White Fang, while appearing devoid of force, sent Qingyun flying several meters away.

"Minato, Yoshihime! Teacher White Fang is incredibly strong! He isn't that easy to deal with!" Qingyun had never witnessed the true power of a Kage-level expert; he had indeed underestimated his opponent.

He had initially assumed that even while hiding his trump cards, he could still maintain the upper hand in a fight against White Fang. In reality, he had been overthinking things; even if one's abilities are strong, one still needs the opportunity to actually utilize them.

White Fang's blade was very short. Qingyun had initially thought it unsuitable for direct combat, but he now realized that the shorter the blade, the faster it kills.

"I said it before: you must hold the intent to kill me if you want to snatch these bells." White Fang spoke once more.

"We must cooperate sincerely, Qingyun, Minato." At this moment, Yoshihime also set aside her previous prejudices, determined to snatch a bell from the hands of the legend of the ninja world—White Fang.

"Smoke bombs!" Seizing the opportunity, Minato immediately threw several smoke bombs, and the three of them instantly concealed their figures.

"These brats all have great potential. If polished well, they should turn into fine gems." Hatake Sakumo remained in place, watching the direction where the smoke was billowing.

Meanwhile, Qingyun had already finalized a strategy with his companions.

This tactic carried risks for Qingyun, as it required him to use the Flying Thunder God, a technique he had not yet mastered.

Qingyun had already planted Flying Thunder God markers on the other two.

"Let's go!" Once prepared, Qingyun immediately signaled to Minato.

"Shadow Clone Technique!" Qingyun and Minato both used the Shadow Clone Technique, creating numerous clones that charged out from the smoke.

"Splitting their own strength? What are they planning?" At this moment, Sakumo was quite curious about their plan.

The Minato and Qingyun clones that charged out naturally headed toward White Fang. White Fang remained unmoved, then swung his White Fang Blade once again, beginning to eliminate the clones before him.

"Clang!" At this moment, Yoshihime suddenly lunged out. She leaped into the air, descended from above, pressed her palms together, and shouted: "Wood Style: Lesser Deep Forest Emergence!"

Immediately, countless trees erupted from the ground, climbing up from beneath the surface to instantly entangle White Fang's legs.

White Fang swung his White Fang Blade, cutting through the vines binding his legs with ease. Just then, the real Qingyun and Minato charged in from the front.

Simultaneously, Yoshihime dropped down from above.

So that's it, a feint, followed by an attack from different directions? White Fang thought to himself.

Just as White Fang prepared to kick Minato and Qingyun away to deal with Yoshihime, he noticed Minato grabbing Qingyun's arm and throwing him toward himself.

Using the momentum of the impact? Ridiculous. I only need a bit of leverage to neutralize all of this, White Fang thought.

"Armament Haki!" Qingyun's hands had already turned black with Armament Haki as he charged toward White Fang.

White Fang intended to temporarily ignore Yoshihime, whose attack power was lower, and first deal with the physically formidable Qingyun.

However, just as the three were about to collide, a whoosh sounded, and Qingyun vanished right in front of White Fang.

"This!? Is this a Body Flicker Technique?" White Fang was shocked; he had never heard of a Body Flicker Technique that required no hand seals.

"Bell! Got it!" Qingyun shouted loudly, drawing White Fang's attention. It turned out that by using the Flying Thunder God, Qingyun had teleported above him.

"It won't be that easy!" White Fang once again utilized his terrifying swordsmanship, using the back of his blade to swat both Qingyun and Yoshihime away simultaneously.

Yet, just at that moment, Minato smiled slightly, and White Fang felt a sense of unease.

"Poof!" It turned out that the Qingyun and Yoshihime swatted away by White Fang were actually shadow clones. As the clones vanished, smoke enveloped the surroundings.

"Not good!" White Fang immediately looked at his waist, only to discover that the bell in his pouch had vanished into thin air.

At this very moment, Qingyun had already appeared within the training ground, tossing the bell from hand to hand. "Teacher White Fang, we've snatched the bell."

"We should be able to graduate now, right?" Qingyun said with a smile.

White Fang naturally understood their combat logic in an instant: everything had been a distraction to divert his attention and stall him. The bell must have been taken while he was busy attacking the shadow clones.

Because White Fang was quite arrogant, he hadn't tied the bells down with any strings, so as long as one made contact, it was easy to snatch them away.

Qingyun had utilized the Flying Thunder God, his own chakra sensory abilities, and the coordination of his teammates to successfully secure the bell.

"Truly impressive. You are worthy of being Qingyun. As for the other two, you may need to return to the Ninja Academy to study again." White Fang continued to feign deep regret.

However, Qingyun smiled slightly. "Alright, Teacher White Fang, no need to keep up the act. The bell-snatching trial would never actually send us back. Teacher Sarutobi used the same method to test Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru."

"The purpose of this trial is for the three of us to forge a bond, understand each other, and become familiar with each other's combat styles. Rest assured, Teacher White Fang, we will definitely work hard to become stronger in the future!"

Qingyun had not only snatched the bell with his teammates but had also seen through the rules of the trial, leaving even White Fang at a loss for words.

"It seems you are not only powerful but also very perceptive. Since you understand the meaning of this test, I won't say anything more." White Fang's stern expression finally relaxed.

"Does that mean!?" Minato and Yoshihime both revealed satisfied smiles.

"Yes, you have truly become Genin, and from now on, I will be your temporary squad leader." Hatake Sakumo said, "As your teacher, I have only three requirements."

"First, whatever I tell you to do, you must do."

"Second, whatever I tell you not to do, you must not do."

"Third, if you have any objections or other ideas, tell me immediately. Silence means no objections, and no objections means you must carry out the first two points. Any questions?"

Qingyun pondered briefly and realized that White Fang was an enlightened superior.

As a ninja, one must naturally obey the orders of their superiors. White Fang's first and second points were the most basic requirements for a ninja, and as for the third, it showed that White Fang allowed for dissenting voices and was open to communication. Where else could one find such a good superior?