The Test Begins

The two days passed quickly, and Menma's taijutsu improved by leaps and bounds.

However, Kushina still had no clue about the seal. She stayed home with dark circles under her eyes, researching day and night without eating or sleeping.

Today was the day of Kakashi's team-entry test. Menma arrived at the entrance to Training Ground Two early and found that Sakura and Sasuke had already arrived as well.

"Yo, good morning, Sakura! And Sasuke!" Menma greeted them. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

"I have!" "Me too!" Sasuke and Sakura answered.

"Then let's come up with a plan for the upcoming fight!" Menma said.

"Sure, but before we make a plan, I suggest everyone talk about their strengths first.

"After all, only by understanding our teammates can we coordinate better." Sakura smiled sweetly.

"Agreed. I'll go first!

"I'm good at the Shuriken Throwing Technique, my taijutsu is decent, and as for ninjutsu, I know the C-rank Great Fireball Technique," Sasuke said.

"Mm, I'm good at taijutsu. According to my dad, even against an ordinary Chunin, I can remain undefeated for a short time.

"As for ninjutsu, I only know the Three-Body Technique," Menma continued.

"My turn. My taijutsu is average, and I only know the Three-Body Technique as well.

"But I know the C-rank genjutsu This Place Is Not Here Technique and Hell Viewing Technique.

"Still, if I'm up against a Jonin, I don't know how much effect they'll have." Sakura shared her own information as well.

"According to the information my dad gave me, this test is mainly meant to verify our strength and teamwork.

"So Jonin Kakashi won't fight us at full strength. As long as we display strength beyond that of ordinary Genin, we should be fine."

Menma revealed the information he had gotten from Minato.

"No, being stronger than ordinary Genin won't be enough.

"I also learned some things about Kakashi from my father. He places great importance on the strength of the Ninja in his squad.

"In previous years, he tested groups of graduates, and every single one of them was eliminated. Among them were quite a few geniuses ranked near the top of the Ninja Academy."

Sasuke Uchiha frowned and shared his own information.

"If that's the case, we need to plan our teamwork carefully.

"I've given it some thought. During the test, I'll handle close-range combat.

"Sasuke will provide long-range suppression and use ninjutsu to finish things in one blow.

"Sakura will observe from the shadows and use genjutsu to interfere. If Sasuke and I lose, she'll use smoke bombs to cover our retreat," Menma proposed.

"Mm, the plan is simple, but we won't come up with anything better in such a short time. Let's do that," Sakura said.

"Should we go into the training ground first and set a few traps?" Sasuke suggested.

"If we use Explosive Tags, even a Jonin would get hurt if he was caught in the blast, right?"

"No. Explosive Tags are far more dangerous to us than they are to a Jonin. If one of us steps on a trap by mistake, we're finished." Sakura frowned in opposition.

"I agree with Sakura. This is only a test. There's no need to use something so lethal."

"I have a tactic. We do this, then that..." Sakura proposed.

"Fine, I'll listen to you two." Sasuke readily accepted.

"Then let's rest for a while, refine some Chakra, and warm up later..."

"I'm afraid we don't have time to rest or warm up." Sakura looked at Kakashi approaching from afar.

"There, look. Jonin Kakashi is already here."

Sasuke and Menma turned around. Though they knew it was unnecessary, they still stepped in front of Sakura.

A faint smile appeared on Sakura's lips when she noticed their small gesture.

"Yo, morning, you three!" Kakashi walked over and greeted them. "Have you all eaten?"

"We have!" X3

"Then that's really too bad." Kakashi sighed.

"Why do you say that?" Sasuke asked.

"Because you might throw it all up later!" Kakashi replied.

"Alright, everyone, enter Training Ground Two. The test begins!"

Inside Konoha's Training Ground Two, Kakashi stood facing Menma's group of three.

Kakashi took his hands out of his pockets and formed a cross-shaped hand seal.

With a bang and a puff of smoke, another Kakashi appeared.

"Alright, your task today is to defeat my Shadow Clone Technique at any cost," Kakashi said.

"But don't worry, I won't make things too difficult for you. My Shadow Clone only has the strength of a Chunin.

"I'll select two of you to become my subordinates based on your performance in battle. As for the remaining one, they'll go back to the Ninja Academy and study for another year!"

"Only two people can pass?" Sasuke asked with an ugly expression.

"That's right. Or you can discuss among yourselves and choose someone to sacrifice. That way, the other two can pass the test.

"That would be much easier than defeating my Shadow Clone Technique!" Kakashi offered the sinister suggestion with a smile.

Sasuke's face darkened as he looked at Menma, then at Sakura.

His meaning was simple: join forces with Sakura, defeat the annoying Menma, and secure the two spots.

But then he closed his eyes. The pride of the Uchiha Clan would not allow him to do something so despicable.

A moment later, Sasuke opened his eyes, as though he had made up his mind. "Kakashi, I have a reason why I must pass, but I will never achieve it by sacrificing my teammates."

"Well, well. I admire your way of thinking, but no matter what, one person will be eliminated."

Kakashi scratched his cheek with a finger and spoke lazily.

"Kakashi, how about this? Give the two passing spots to Sakura and Menma.

"As for me, I'll fight your Shadow Clone alone. If I win, how about adding one more passing spot?" Sasuke said seriously.

"No. A Ninja's strength is everything. A Ninja without strength is useless, even if he joins my squad!" Kakashi said sternly.

"And the purpose of this test is to pick out the useless one among you three and kick him back to the Ninja Academy to be retrained!"

"Hmph. I don't like you showing off by yourself, but I'm not some useless person who needs your charity!" Menma snorted and continued.

"I have a suggestion. Since one of us has to be eliminated, why don't the three of us join forces, beat up the Jonin in front of us, and drag him back to the academy for retraining?"

"Are you an idiot?

"Kakashi is a Jonin who has been famous for years! How could we possibly beat him?!"

Sasuke was astonished by Menma's overestimation of himself and could not help roaring.

"Even if it's an idiot's idea, it does suit my tastes." Sakura spoke up then.

"Besides, I'm the orphaned child of the Fourth Hokage.

"Sasuke, you're the young master of the Uchiha Clan.

"Menma is the last descendant of the Uzumaki Clan.

"With identities like ours, would any Konoha Ninja really dare to hurt us?"

"...Sakura, you have a point. Then let's do it!"

Sasuke considered it for a while and found no better option.

"Then we'll follow the plan we just made. Get ready!" Menma clenched his right fist and struck it against his left palm, making his knuckles crack.

"...Heh heh heh, hahahaha, hahahahaha..."

As if he had heard some hilarious joke, Kakashi threw back his head and laughed. Then he lowered his head, his expression darkening. "What are you three prattling on about?

"What do you think a Jonin is?

"Do you think a few loudmouthed brats can defeat a Jonin?"

"Whether we can beat you or not, we'll only know after we fight!"

Menma stared Kakashi straight in the eye, refusing to back down.

"Heh heh heh. Interesting. Truly interesting!" Kakashi said it was interesting, but there was not a trace of amusement in his eyes.

"I haven't heard such an interesting joke in a long time. To reward you, I've decided to personally break all four of your limbs!"

As he spoke, Kakashi unleashed overwhelming killing intent. For a moment, Menma and the other two seemed to see man-eating demons and blood-soaked Asura.

Their bodies trembled uncontrollably. Forget attacking—they could not even move.

Was this Kakashi's strength?

Menma gritted his teeth and endured it bitterly. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura drenched in cold sweat, her face deathly pale.

Sasuke was no better off, his head covered in sweat and his eyes bloodshot.

"Heh heh heh. Trash like you three actually think you can provoke a Jonin who has experienced the battlefield?" Kakashi said coldly.

No, he had to do something. Otherwise, the three of them would collapse before Kakashi even made a move.

Menma hardened his resolve and bit down hard on the tip of his tongue.

The intense pain and strong taste of blood temporarily weakened the effect of the killing intent.

"Sakura, look into my eyes, then use the This Place Is Not Here Technique on me!" he shouted.

At once, Sakura focused her mind and cast the This Place Is Not Here Technique on Menma.

Then Menma saw the unfinished proposal on the computer screen and the clock in the lower-right corner showing three minutes until midnight.

"What could possibly be more terrifying than endless 007 workdays and proposals that never get finished?!"

Menma roared and shattered the illusion. Though his body was still trembling, he could barely move again.

"Sasuke, aren't you going to kill that man? How can you fall here?!" Menma shouted at Sasuke.

Upon hearing that, the hatred in Sasuke's heart surged, and his pupils shook violently.

He suddenly shut his eyes tightly. When he opened them again, a tomoe had appeared in each of his scarlet irises, slowly spinning.

"Oh? Did he awaken the Sharingan under stimulation?" Kakashi was slightly startled by Sasuke's change, and the killing intent around him weakened a little.

"Here we go! Sasuke, attack me!"

Menma crouched, pushed off the ground with both feet, drew a kunai and gripped it in reverse, then charged at Kakashi like an arrow leaving the bow.

At the same time, Sasuke immediately pulled a kunai tied with an Explosive Tag from his Ninja tool pouch and hurled it toward Menma's back.

"Hm?!

"An Explosive Tag?!

"You're really going too far!"

Kakashi's expression changed. He withdrew his killing intent and used a Body Flicker to appear behind Menma.

He kicked Menma away while turning around, caught the kunai tied with the Explosive Tag, and threw it into the distance.

With a thunderous boom, the Explosive Tag detonated far away.

"Sasuke, were you trying to kill Menma?" Kakashi demanded unhappily.

"No. Sakura and Menma both reminded me just now. We were only betting that you wouldn't stand by and watch us die!" Sasuke glared at him with his one-tomoe Sharingan.

"That's right. I told Sasuke to attack me, and the facts proved that we won the bet!" Menma got to his feet as well, holding his kunai in reverse in his right hand as he explained to Kakashi.

"After all, this is only a test. A Konoha Jonin would never watch a Genin from the same village die right in front of him."

"Besides, our identities are special. Kakashi, you wouldn't dare let anything happen to us!"

Kakashi was furious upon hearing this. These three lawless Genin were ruthless not only toward their enemies, but also toward themselves.

Just as they had said, there was no way he would let them get hurt.

Although this method was somewhat shameless, that was what Ninja were: people who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

"Now the plan changes. I'll attack Kakashi. Sakura, Sasuke, the two of you attack me with everything you have!" Menma shouted, then charged at Kakashi.