Make You Grab Bells, Not Use the Nine-Tails

Kakashi's expression turned cold, and all the laziness around him vanished. The pressure of an Elite Jonin suddenly erupted.

"You have one hour. I advise you to give it everything you've got. You'd better come at me with the intent to kill, or all three of you will be eliminated!"

"The test begins!"

The instant his words fell, Sakura Haruno darted into the nearby woods almost on reflex, pressing herself tightly behind a tree trunk.

She knew her strength was the weakest. Staying hidden was her only way out, and even the occasional sneak attack could only be a probe. She did not dare face him head-on.

Sasuke remained where he was, his fist tightening slightly.

Normally, he was used to holding back and testing the waters, but Kakashi's words about having "the intent to kill" completely shattered his restraint.

There was no need to hide anymore.

His scarlet Two-Tomoe Sharingan snapped open, the tomoe in his eyes spinning rapidly as chakra swiftly gathered in his mouth.

Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!

Blazing flames swept toward Kakashi, the heat wave scattering the fallen leaves across the ground with tremendous force.

Yet Kakashi merely shifted slightly, leaving behind a log as he easily evaded with the Substitution Technique. He even leisurely pulled out Icha Icha Paradise, flipping through it with one hand while casually blocking Sakura's sporadic sneak attacks with the other, completely unconcerned from start to finish.

Sasuke's attack missed, and his face darkened as he immediately flashed into the bushes to wait for an opening.

Naruto was the only one left in the open. Not only did he not move, he found a clean patch of grass and slowly sat down, arms folded as he coldly observed the action.

Kakashi paused while turning a page and looked toward Naruto, his tone carrying a hint of confusion. "Naruto, you won't be able to get the bells like that. You'd better give it everything you have and face me with the intent to kill."

Naruto raised his eyes, a teasing smile curling across his lips, his gaze filled with meaning. "Are you sure? You want me to fight with killing intent?"

Kakashi frowned slightly and nodded instinctively. "Of course. My strength is right here for you to see. If you don't fight with killing intent, you won't stand a chance!"

After saying that, he watched Naruto remain calm. Years of fighting as an Elite Jonin gave him a faint sense that something was wrong, though he could not put his finger on it. He simply assumed the kid was still playing some little trick.

The next second, Naruto abruptly rose to his feet, Wind chakra quietly stirring around him.

Instead of charging straight at Kakashi, he raised a hand toward the empty ground and released ninjutsu in rapid succession.

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!

A violent current of air swept out, dispersing the mist in the forest and disrupting Sasuke and Sakura's hiding positions. It seemed chaotic, but it precisely cut off the routes Kakashi would use to predict their sneak attacks.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. A pointless effort.

Immediately after, Naruto flipped his wrist and hurled three Fūma shuriken, which carved strange arcs through the air.

Fūma Shuriken: Shadow Windmill!

The shuriken instantly split in two, closing in on Kakashi from four directions above, below, left, and right. They appeared to be frontal attacks, but were actually all feints. Every shuriken's trajectory had deliberately avoided Kakashi's blind spots for evasion.

Kakashi easily sidestepped them, growing even more puzzled. Attacks at this level are completely harmless. What exactly is he doing?

As if unaware, Naruto quickly formed hand seals again. His lips parted, and his voice was cold.

Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!

This time, it was no longer a feint. Sharp wind blades skimmed rapidly across the ground, targeting not Kakashi himself, but the ground beneath his feet!

The wind blades tore through the soil, and the ground under Kakashi instantly collapsed, forcing his body to pause for an instant.

That instant was enough!

A sharp gleam flashed in Naruto's eyes. Every misdirection, feint, and setup had been for this very second.

He had already used Kagura Mind's Eye to figure out all of Kakashi's evasion habits. The earlier ninjutsu had all been calculating Kakashi's reactions and laying a trap.

"You think all those attacks were wasted effort?"

Naruto's voice was icy as his Wind Nature Transformation surged to its limit. His perfected control allowed the wind element to completely obey his command.

Blue chakra, wrapped around golden Nine-Tails Chakra, rapidly condensed in his palm. The rudimentary form of a Rasengan appeared, only to be continuously compressed and tempered by extreme Wind nature.

Kakashi finally lost his nonchalant expression. His face changed sharply, and Icha Icha Paradise even fell from his hand.

He could feel that the ninjutsu in Naruto's palm contained power far beyond an ordinary A-rank technique!

"This is..."

"My own ninjutsu."

The technique in Naruto's palm fully took shape. The blue-and-gold chakra sphere was wrapped in streams of sharp wind blades, emitting a piercing shriek as it spun.

Wind Release: Spiral Wind Thrust!

The power of a half-step S-rank technique erupted in an instant!

This strike held nothing back as it drove straight toward Kakashi's face.

Kakashi's pupils contracted sharply, and a storm surged through his heart. The Rasengan! That was the Fourth Hokage's technique! This kid not only inherited it, he developed an entirely new technique that fused Wind Release into it. Its power is approaching S-rank!

Hidden behind the bushes, Sasuke watched the blue-and-gold ninjutsu. His Sharingan spun wildly, and he was so shocked that he could not utter a word.

Sakura Haruno covered her mouth, her face full of disbelief. The former dead last had actually become this powerful!

Kakashi did not dare underestimate him any longer. He instantly used seventy percent of his strength, moving so quickly that afterimages trailed behind him. He repeatedly used the Substitution Technique and barely blocked the attack with Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall. Even after blocking it, the wind thrust sent him staggering backward, his arm faintly numb.

That level of power could effortlessly kill an ordinary Chunin in seconds!

Just as he steadied himself, a golden Nine-Tails tail suddenly burst out behind Naruto!

It was not the evil, violent red from the rumors, but a sacred and dazzling gold. Its chakra was pure and powerful, enveloping Naruto's entire body.

Kakashi completely froze, disbelief filling his eyes as thoughts raced through his mind. How is this possible?!

Isn't the Nine-Tails' chakra supposed to be red? What is this golden Nine-Tails Power? The Third Hokage never mentioned anything about this!

Before he could react, the golden tail abruptly lengthened and transformed into a massive golden hand that clawed viciously at him with world-destroying force!

At the same time, Naruto used the Clone Technique. His real body concealed itself while the clones coordinated with the giant golden hand to attack from both sides. The assault appeared wild, but every step calculated Kakashi's available space to evade.

Kakashi was locked onto by the massive Nine-Tails Chakra hand, shocked and panicked. Fuck... If that hits someone as squishy as me, won't I die?

He could no longer afford to hide his strength. He yanked down his forehead protector, and the Sharingan in his left eye snapped open as he shouted, "I told you to grab the bells, not use the fucking Nine-Tails Power!"

The strength of an Elite Jonin exploded completely. The Sharingan precisely predicted every attack, and only after tremendous effort did he finally force Naruto back and barely stabilize the situation.

Kakashi panted, just about to put on his teacherly air and say a few impressive words.

Then he saw Naruto slowly straighten up and pull two bells from his clothes, lightly shaking them. Their chimes rang out clearly.

Kakashi froze at once, his face full of astonishment. "You... When did you get those?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, his tone calm but carrying an extreme twist. "Kakashi-sensei, didn't you say at the beginning of the test that whoever got the bells won?"

As it turned out, Naruto had never planned to defeat Kakashi head-on from the start.

All his earlier ninjutsu feints and confusing tactics had been meant to distract Kakashi. While Kakashi was blocking Wind Release: Spiral Wind Thrust, Naruto used incredible speed to silently steal the two bells from Kakashi's pocket.

From beginning to end, it had been a battle of wits, and Kakashi had fallen completely into his trap.

The entire area fell silent.

Sasuke and Sakura were utterly stunned, unable to recover for a long while.

Naruto said nothing more and casually tossed the two bells to Sasuke and Sakura Haruno.

Sakura Haruno caught the bell, her cheeks flushed red and filled with guilt. Her previous disdain and harshness had all turned into shame. She lowered her head, her voice choking up. "Naruto... I'm sorry. I was wrong before. I shouldn't have said those things about you. Thank you..."

Kakashi stood where he was, watching the scene before him, unable to calm his heart for a long time.

He looked at Naruto, his eyes full of complicated emotions: shock, appreciation, and a trace of lingering fear.

This boy was meticulous, powerful, and far more mature than anyone his age. His future was limitless.

After a long while, Kakashi closed his Sharingan and put his forehead protector back on. In a solemn voice, he announced, "There is no need for elimination. All three of you have passed!"

"Starting today, Team 7 is officially formed!"