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***
"What an amazing analytical ability."
Itachi Uchiha recognized the boy in front of him.
Considering his age and lack of experience, it was quite remarkable that he could analyze the rules proposed by Shikaku Nara so quickly to this extent.
In terms of this ability alone, this freshman named Shinichi Hattori was no less than a genius like Itachi Uchiha at the same age.
However, Itachi had never heard of this name when he was in Konoha.
This was probably because his basic qualities as a ninja were too poor.
For a ninja, strength is the most important thing, so even if he has the talent for analysis and the ability to lead a team, this must be based on a certain level of strength.
Moreover, analyzing the crux of the problem does not mean that he has the ability to solve it.
"How do we make three people qualify at the same time? How do we do it specifically?"
Daisuke Kido asked again.
"Shikaku-sensei just pointed out the key point: what the three of us should do," Shinichi Hattori said.
"I think the real purpose of this test is to test what Kanhara-sensei used to talk about: ninja teamwork."
"But I'm sorry. With my level, I'm afraid I can't cooperate well with you."
The boy's face showed a hint of guilt, but as a ninja, his ability was not something he could determine.
"It's okay, everyone just do your best. Since this is a test of teamwork, no one can be left out."
Itachi stepped forward and patted the boy's shoulder, reassuring him.
"Since you've analyzed so much, I'll leave the battle plan to you."
Itachi had long seen through Shikaku's intentions.
Given Itachi's experience and insight, if he were to formulate the battle plan, it would likely reveal some details.
These details might be hidden from others, but they would be difficult to conceal from Shikaku.
It wouldn't matter if he revealed some of his hidden strength, but he absolutely couldn't let Shikaku see any clues.
Therefore, it was fortunate for Itachi to have Shinichi Hattori, someone capable of formulating a battle plan, on the team.
Itachi wondered if the Fourth Hokage, understanding this, had assigned Shinichi Hattori to his class.
As for his plan, it would certainly fail against Shikaku.
Since this test was about teamwork itself, as long as Shikaku saw their best efforts, they should be able to pass.
The so-called snatching of the bells, with only two bells, was merely a trap designed to increase the gap between them.
"Then I'll give it a try."
Shinichi Hattori pursed his lips, clearly nervous.
After all, no matter how clear-headed he was, he was only an eleven or twelve-year-old, fresh out of the Ninja Academy, with no experience.
Trying to calm himself, Shinichi Hattori looked at Itachi and said, "Itachi, you're from the Uchiha clan. By now, you must be able to use other Ninjutsu besides the Three Body Jutsu, right?"
In the Ninja Academy, any child from a prominent family like Itachi would almost always be able to perform some simple Jutsu upon graduation.
Besides, the speed Itachi had used to rescue Daisuke Kido just now was something he had never demonstrated before at school.
"Yes," Itachi nodded.
Shinichi Hattori's expression was serious, then he looked at Daisuke Kido and said, "Give me all your details and your expertise. I'm not sure, but I'll just give it my all."
Outside the woods, Shikaku was still waiting at his original position.
Suddenly, he became aware of a subtle movement in the forest.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Boom!
A strong flame suddenly flickered in the woods directly in front of him.
A massive fireball burst through the gaps in the trees, crushing several trees and roaring towards him.
Shikaku wasn't surprised at all that Itachi could unleash such a powerful Fire Style.
He dodged to the side, avoiding the fireball's range.
Swish!
Just as the fireball passed by Shikaku, Itachi rushed out, carrying a massive Fuma Shuriken on his back.
He now controlled his speed to that of a Chunin skilled in physical techniques.
When Shikaku dodged the fireball, Itachi appeared in front of him with a kunai in hand, and chopped it down fiercely!
The former dodged Itachi's attack by turning his body to the side.
However, Itachi's attack was very relentless, and the attacks came one after another.
After the buffer just now, Shikaku also took out a kunai and fought with Itachi in a backhanded grip.
Dang!
The ninja tools in the hands of both parties collided with each other, and sparks flew.
Shikaku glanced at the Fuma Shuriken that Itachi was carrying behind his back, and then raised his leg and struck it across at Itachi.
Seeing this, Itachi dodged repeatedly.
Swish!
As he retreated, Itachi's figure was suspended in the air, and at this time his hands turned into afterimages, and he formed seals at a speed that Shikaku could not see at all.
Boom!
He completed the hand seal, and a massive ball of flame erupted from his mouth.
The flames quickly separated in front of him, forming dozens of smaller fireballs of varying sizes.
As the fireballs formed, Itachi suddenly launched a dozen shurikens.
The scorching flames instantly merged with the flying shurikens, whistling towards Shikaku like a scattering of petals.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
With Itachi's mastery of shuriken, these shurikens, laced with flames, flew in various trajectories, encircling Shikaku.
Shikaku retreated repeatedly, his face slightly startled.
The speed and dexterity of Itachi's previous exchange, as well as the difficulty of the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, demonstrated that Itachi's strength far exceeded that of a genin.
A typical Chunin from the village would have been instantly defeated in this attack and defense.
Shikaku retreated swiftly, not even daring to directly block the flame-encrusted shurikens fired by Itachi with a kunai.
Whoosh!
Just as Shikaku dodged, Itachi suddenly unsheathed the Fuma Shuriken from behind him and, with a fierce swing of his arm, flung it forward.
The massive Fuma Shuriken scraped against the air, making a muffled sound.
However, it didn't strike directly at Shikaku. Instead, it made a sharp detour, circling behind him.
In his hand, Itachi held a thin, almost invisible string, using it to redirect the Fuma Shuriken's trajectory.
After the shuriken curved, he released the string and lunged at Shikaku again.
By this time, Shikaku had already dodged all of Itachi's flame-encrusted shurikens.
Swish!
He gazed at Itachi, who was charging towards him from the front, his expression calm and a hint of a smile on his face.
"A good battle plan, but... it lacks practical experience."
Shikaku turned his head slightly, observing Itachi's attack from the front while glancing out of the corner of his eye at the Fuma Shuriken swirling behind him.
...
"Bang!"
Shikaku Nara's gaze fell on the Fuma Shuriken, now incredibly close.
With a bang, the shuriken transformed into a human figure: it was none other than Daisuke Kido!
"A double-sided attack?"
Shikaku muttered.
From the moment Itachi Uchiha burst out of the woods, he had seen through these newcomers' plan.
The plan was flawless in design, but the initial appearance of Itachi charging out alone, armed with a massive Fuma Shuriken, was a bit awkward.
However, the key to this plan, devised by Shinichi Hattori, was to leave Shikaku no escape route.
Even if Shikaku had seen through their actions, it wouldn't have affected the battle.
Itachi, the main attacker, was so powerful that he was able to force Shikaku into a pincer attack.
Of course, this wasn't a real fight.
Otherwise, with Itachi's demonstrated prowess, Shikaku could have subdued him in a single round.
Still, achieving this feat at his age was quite remarkable.
An ordinary Chunin is no match for Itachi.
Daisuke Kido appeared, swiftly leaping towards Shikaku, his hand reaching for the bell hanging from his waist.
Swish!
At the same moment, Itachi, standing directly in front of Shikaku, feigned his maximum speed, also targeting the bell.
"Swish!"
Shikaku stood still as the shadow beneath his feet suddenly split, extending towards Itachi and Daisuke Kido.
The shadows instantly spread beneath their feet, binding them immobile.
"Shinichi!"
Itachi shouted as Shikaku pinned both men.
Swish!
Shinichi Hattori, who had been elusive, suddenly burst out from the side of the woods and lunged at Shikaku.
"Even my Jutsu is factored in?"
Shikaku muttered to himself, watching Itachi and Daisuke Kido, controlled by him without a flicker of emotion.
Itachi was the son of the Uchiha clan leader, so it was no surprise that he knew the secrets of the Nara clan's techniques.
They must have believed that after they had bound Itachi and Daisuke Kido with their shadows, they would need to maintain the release of the technique.
Shinichi Hattori then took advantage of this opportunity to approach them while they were performing the technique.
However, it seemed that Itachi only understood the basics of the Nara clan's secret technique.
Just as Shinichi rushed in front of Shikaku, the shadow beneath his feet split again, leaving Shikaku with no time to react and being subdued.
After binding all three with his shadows, Shikaku looked around at the three, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Although Itachi and his team's plan had failed before him, it didn't deny the excellence of their operation.
Had it been any other jĆnin instructor, the three of them would likely have succeeded.
"You did well, your plan was very thorough," Shikaku nodded in satisfaction.
Then, changing the subject, he said, "But we still haven't been able to successfully obtain the bell and pass the test."
The shadow he had used to bind Itachi and the others retreated to his feet, returning to its original form.
"Keep going, it's still early," Shikaku said calmly, looking up at the sky.
Even so, he carefully observed the expressions of the three children.
By Shikaku's standards, Itachi and the others' previous battle had already met acceptable standards.
However, the test wasn't over yet.
There was one more thing Shikaku had to confirm.
"Even this failed."
Daisuke looked at Shikaku now, as if he were facing an insurmountable mountain.
Shinichi smiled bitterly, knowing full well that after their previous defeat, they would no longer have a chance to retrieve the bell from Shikaku.
The disparity in strength between the two sides was too great, and Shikaku had seen through his own plan.
Itachi, while feigning a solemn expression, held his Kunai in his hand, poised to continue the fight.
"Don't give up!"
He uttered, darting towards Shikaku once more.
A fierce glint flickered in his eyes.
"That's right. If you don't intend to kill me, you can't complete the mission," Shikaku smiled.
"Let's fight! We can't go back to school like this!"
Daisuke Kido gritted his teeth, unsheathed a Kunai, and attacked Shikaku from the other side.
Shinichi Hattori, the most calm and rational of the three, sighed helplessly, "Alas, there's no chance of winning."
"But there's no way out!"
He looked at Shikaku with an extremely determined look, and rushed forward with ninja tools in hand.
"Hehe."
Seeing that all three had made their choices, Shikaku chuckled and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Having lost their target, Daisuke Kido and Shinichi Hattori began to look around.
Only Itachi could see Shikaku's movement route.
He pretended to be slow and stunned for a few moments, then suddenly turned his head and raised his eyes to look at the tree trunk in the distance.
"There!"
With Itachi's voice, his remaining two teammates finally found the target.
The three of them looked at Shikaku at the same time.
The latter was standing on the tree trunk, overlooking the view.
He smiled and said, "Congratulations, you three, you all passed."
Daisuke Kido was stunned at first, then his eyes widened and he began to cheer.
"Great!"
Besides him, Shinichi Hattori's nervous expression relaxed.
He took off his glasses and wiped the sweat that had already flowed down his nose.
Itachi chuckled and put the Kunai back into his ninja tool bag.
"You two don't seem surprised at all?"
Shikaku appeared before Itachi and Shinichi and asked with a smile, "You've already guessed my true intentions?"
Itachi and Shinichi exchanged glances before nodding at Shikaku.
"How did you know?"
Shikaku could certainly consider various possibilities, but he still wanted to hear the two children's precise reasoning.
"Because since the Ninja Academy chose us to graduate, they didn't design a test that was impossible to pass and then repeat it," Shinichi Hattori said.
This was exactly the conclusion he had just reached.
He had assumed from the beginning that the three freshmen wouldn't be able to snatch the bell from Shikaku with their strength.
Itachi's strength might have slightly shocked him, but it wouldn't change the ultimate outcome.
"As a ninja, you never abandon a mission midway. That's the basic rule," Itachi replied.
His response was a bit formulaic, but it was fitting given his Uchiha clan background.
Shikaku nodded. Itachi and Shinichi Hattori's responses were both reasonable.
"So, you designed the battle plan, too?" Shikaku asked, looking at Shinichi Hattori.
"Yeah," Shinichi Hattori replied.
"Very good brains,"
Shikaku praised him, his eyes still obscurely scrutinizing Itachi.
....
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