"There!"
His hands moved swiftly, Hand Seals, and a wave suddenly surged up on the distant stream.
"Water Escape· Water Formation Wall!"
Water and fire collided repeatedly, and countless wisps of steam briefly obscured the view. Just as Kakashi broke through the mist and landed on the ground, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
A pale, large hand gripped Kakashi's ankle, and a pair of azure eyes flashed with a hint of mockery.
"We won, Kakashi-sensei, Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique."
The chakra rushed from his ankle into his brain, instantly severing the nerve connections. Just when Naruto thought the dust had settled, another unexpected event occurred.
With a crackling sound, Kakashi's figure transformed, and azure electricity flowed into Naruto's body.
"Lightning Release: Shadow Clone?"
Countless regular techniques spread across his body, channeling Lightning Release deep underground. Naruto crawled out of the ground, and the surrounding temperature suddenly became scorching.
"What are you still standing there for? Fire Release: Phoenix Claw Crimson Technique!"
Dozens of shuriken wrapped in flames disappeared into the steam. Naruto smirked, gently tugged at the hem of his clothes, and swatted them away.
"Wind Release: Typhoon Pass!"
A sudden gust of wind arose, and flames soared, blocking Kakashi's attempt to escape using Earth Release in a mere instant.
"Mr. Huayue, you have truly sent me two remarkable students. Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
As earthen walls rose up, strange dog heads and walls blocked the two's combined attack. Sakura, who was hiding in the shadows, saw this and gritted her teeth to make up her mind.
'No, I have to do something too. I can't just watch it end like this. If it ends, then what about Sasuke-kun...'
After a brief moment of thought, Sakura burst out of the bushes, glanced at Kakashi who was caught in the crossfire, and pulled out Kunai from her ninja tool pouch.
'Are you anxious because you're afraid to go back to the Ninja Academy?'
His Sharingan quickly scanned the area and noticed that neither Naruto Sasuke was willing to come to help. A realization flashed through his mind.
'So that's how it is. You made the same choice as me back then? When serving as a Jonin, the difficulty of the assessments varies depending on the students' abilities.'
The past is still vivid in my mind. Back then, I chose to take advantage of others, which ultimately led to that outcome. So...
"Sorry, Sakura, those two are putting a lot of pressure on me, so I can't go easy on you. Sharingan!"
The Tomoe in their eyes spun wildly, and just as the two were about to meet each other's eyes, a cloud of White Mist suddenly burst up in mid-air, blocking their view.
" Naruto?"
Go!
The next second, to Sakura's astonishment, Naruto grabbed Sakura's wrist and flung her, along with her Kunai, toward Kakashi.
Sasuke, on the other side, had already received the signal and quickly Hand Seals.
" Sharingan Manipulation - Shadow Night Rain! Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In an instant, the person who was facing Kakashi was replaced by Uchiha Sasuke, whose Red Eye turned pitch black in an instant.
" Bringer-of-Darkness Technique, Sharingan Manipulation, plus Shuriken Shadow Clone... Combination Ninjutsu!"
His Sharingan spun wildly, his gaze sweeping over the shuriken imbued with chakra. He parried with Kunai speed using kunai, and a slight breeze swept by as the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique quietly dissipated.
"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei, we are the winners."
Upon hearing this, Kakashi glanced at the bells on his ninja tool bag and then noticed that Sakura was holding two bells at his feet, playfully sticking her tongue out at him.
" Kakashi-sensei, your bell is gone."
In that instant, Kakashi realized that Sasuke knew he could see through objects containing chakra the moment he noticed the Sharingan, which was why he used the Shuriken Shadow Clone.
Sakura was thrown to Naruto's side. She hadn't yet gathered her chakra, her sight and hearing were sealed by Genjutsu, and outside, Naruto had stirred up a raging storm...
"It seems this defeat wasn't unjust. Sakura, who will you give the bell to? Only two out of the three can pass, which means..."
After Kakashi finished speaking, he saw Sakura's confused expression and realized that one of the three of them had to go back to the Ninja Academy to repeat their studies.
After hesitating for a long time, Sakura looked at Sasuke and was about to hand him the bell when Sasuke refused.
"It doesn't matter. My only goal is one person. Ninja levels are useless to me. I'll give them to Naruto."
"Don't be stubborn. Just accept this rare act of kindness. Ninjas need to be strong in real combat, which means seeing blood. You have your own ambitions and goals, so don't worry about it."
The opportunity to graduate from the Ninja Academy was now being politely declined by the two of them. Kakashi's expression remained unchanged, but he felt a mixture of relief and helplessness in his heart.
While Sakura hesitated, Kakashi turned his gaze to Naruto, his tone serious.
"Throwing Sakura over here is indeed a great idea, but have you considered that Sakura might sacrifice herself? If I make a mistake, this exam could very well result in bloodshed and casualties..."
Upon hearing Kakashi's words, Sakura felt a lingering fear and a surge of anger towards Naruto's earlier actions.
"No, I can't let that happen. The proof is, click."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The weeds and fallen leaves clinging to Sakura transformed into several Shadow Clone appearing before Kakashi.
"If Kakashi-sensei makes a mistake, these Shadow Clone will instantly rescue Sakura. Even if he is the teacher, it would be impossible for him to take down three of my Shadow Clone in three seconds."
"I can't stand by and watch my teammates die in a mission. Anyone who knows their comrades will die but refuses to help is trash."
Kakashi stood frozen in place, his eyes inevitably wavering. Memories flooded his mind, revealing his regrets one by one, leaving only helplessness and remorse.
"Is this your answer?"
"That's right, then I'm going back to the Ninja Academy."
Seeing Naruto turn and leave, Kakashi shouted angrily and hung his head in dejection.
"Oh dear, you guys have defeated me. I hope your teamwork can be better and you won't do anything like this again. Team 7 has officially passed the exam. We'll be going on a mission tomorrow."
With a slight upturn of his lips, Naruto smiled without saying a word. Sakura jumped up excitedly. If Ino knew that she had returned to the Ninja Academy, she would definitely laugh at her.
The performance of the four was displayed in the crystal ball. The previously single crystal ball was now divided into ten evenly spaced sections, allowing the Third Hokage to see the assessment results of each group.
' Naruto, you've really grown, but...'
Sarutobi Hiruzen shifted his gaze to the group with Gekko Hayate, looking at the countless shattered white ice crystals, and let out a deep sigh.
" Kekkei Genkai Ice Release, Mind's Eye of the Kagura and Sealing Jutsu from the Uzumaki Clan —why is it that he is the one who has trained so many outstanding ninjas?"