Kakashi vanished instantly using the Body Flicker Technique.
"Tch, what's with the attitude!" Obito muttered, scowling.
He glanced around and realized Rin and Raj were gone.
He scanned the area but found no one else.
'Obito's hiding skills are completely inadequate... Oh well, he's the main attacker anyway. I just hope he can hold out a little longer.'
Raj, using the Transformation Technique to become a blade of grass, lay hidden in the bushes just a few steps from Obito.
As for the other two...
He couldn't see them, but Rin's scent lingered unmistakably.
Kakashi's scent, after days of relentless pursuit, was faint but still discernible, allowing Raj to roughly pinpoint his location.
"Everyone hidden? Here I come."
Obito held his breath, focusing his senses to their peak.
But the moment the words left the enemy's lips, he realized...
The enemy had vanished.
'Where did he go?!'
"Meow!"
At the cat's cry, Raj saw Obito hadn't reacted in time and leaped out to engage, hoping to buy him some time.
The sound jolted Obito into action.
He rolled aside to evade the initial attack.
Minato turned his head, only to see the Black Cat vanish in the blink of an eye.
His other "teammates" began to move as well.
A faint smile played on his lips as he murmured to himself, "Excellent."
Then...
He leaped into the air, his hands forming a seal mid-jump.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
In the hands of a Genin, Great Breakthrough was merely a gust of wind.
But in his hands, it became a raging storm...
The violent gale scattered everything in its path-the ninja dogs burrowing from the earth, the kunai and shuriken hurled by Rin and Obito.
Yet the moment the wind subsided, a massive fireball erupted from above, engulfing the area.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
Everyone knew that the Great Fireball Technique wasn't lethal, but it was excellent for forcing opponents into position.
As the fireball engulfed the area, the others sprang into action: Kakashi, Rin, and the lurking Black Cat.
Among them, the greatest threat was undoubtedly Kakashi, with his mastery of the White Fang Blade Technique - at least, that's what Minato believed.
What about Obito?
Cold sweat dripped down Obito's back, but before he could react, Minato's palm struck his chest.
Instantly, Obito felt his Chakra become as heavy as iron, utterly unresponsive to his will.
A Sealing Technique!
By then, Kakashi's eight ninja dog subordinates had already charged forward, engaging in close combat.
Raj knew Kakashi was undoubtedly using Earth Release to wait beneath the ground for his moment to strike.
It didn't strike immediately, waiting for Kakashi to create an opportunity to seize the bells.
Raj had only one chance.
The eight dogs struggled fiercely, but Minato moved with lightning speed, precision, and ruthless efficiency, crippling nearly one of them with each kick.
In the blink of an eye, six had already fallen.
Just as Pakkun was about to meet the same fate...
A figure erupted from the earth, slashing at Minato with a blade crackling with lightning.
The strike was as swift as a fleeting shadow, closing the distance in an instant.
Obito scrambled to evade, while Rin rushed forward to heal him.
Clang!
The resonant clash of metal echoed through the air.
Minato blocked the blade with a kunai, but at that precise moment, Raj seized the opportunity and struck.
Though initially several steps away, it closed the distance in a series of leaps, launching its attack from behind just as Kakashi initiated his own.
Needle Jizo!
The thorn-covered cat hurtled toward Minato's waist.
When Minato raised his other hand to block, the Little Black Cat swung its tail like a spiked mace, slamming it against his hand.
The impact wasn't particularly strong, but it stung fiercely.
Minato gritted his teeth against the pain, trying to kick the cat away with one foot.
But a quick glance revealed something amiss: the cat was holding a ball of chakra in its mouth.
'That's a Rasengan!'
Startled, he tried to leap back, but Kakashi pressed his attack, while Obito, finding his chakra sealed and unable to break free, resorted to taijutsu, charging forward like a reckless youth.
Their combined assault seemed to pose a threat, but...
In the next instant, Minato's speed surged dramatically.
Bang! Bang!
Bang!
A series of impacts sent Kakashi, Obito, and Raj flying.
Then, Minato reappeared beside Rin, pressing a kunai against her neck.
Just then, a series of bell chimes rang out from nearby.
"Meow!"
Raj, perched in a tree, carefully hooked his claws onto the bell's rope, swinging it to make it ring.
"Excellent. You've passed."
The next moment, the Minato who had been threatening Rin vanished.
It was just a Shadow Clone.
"Teacher, you're amazing! I thought we had a chance against you, but then you suddenly sped up and knocked us all flying!" Obito exclaimed, genuinely impressed.
"Tch, the Dead Last's ignorance is showing," Kakashi couldn't resist a jab.
"Someone got kicked flying even as a Chunin, meow~"
"Exactly! You got kicked flying too, and you even used the Summoning Technique... How shameless!" Obito retorted disdainfully.
Raj ignited the conflict, then swiftly snatched the freshly grilled meat.
The earlier test had been utterly humiliating.
He'd thought he'd secured the bell, only to realize it was just a Shadow Clone.
The real Minato had appeared behind him in an instant, never once using his signature Rasengan or Flying Thunder God Technique.
'So embarrassing!'
Of course, Minato found the team's current strength reassuring. He likely wouldn't need to babysit them like other Jonin, allowing him to take on more daring missions.
"Teacher, where was your real body during the fight?" Rin asked, her curiosity piqued.
Throughout the entire battle, they had never realized they were facing only a Shadow Clone. The real Minato had appeared suddenly at the end, his true location remaining a mystery to everyone, including Raj.
"I was hiding in the tree above you, right above the Little Black Cat," Minato replied with a gentle smile.
Raj was stunned. He had thought he was hiding so well, only to discover that Minato had been watching him from above the entire time, completely undetected.
'... I can't mess with that.'
He sighed inwardly, then channeled his frustration into hunger, quickly scooping freshly grilled meat onto his plate and snatching a few pieces from Obito's plate as well.
"Ha ha ha! You're all very impressive. Of course, teamwork is key. Your coordination is already excellent. With a little more refinement, you'll be unstoppable!" Minato said warmly.
"Who wants to be coordinated with him?!" Obito and Kakashi shouted in unison.
Rin stepped in to mediate, while the Little Black Cat stealthily swiped a piece of grilled meat onto his plate, along with a few extra pieces from Obito's plate.
"Hey! Where's my meat? You greedy cat! All you do is bully me! Why don't you steal Kakashi's instead?!"
"He's too far away... Meow! Don't take my meat!"