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At 5 a.m., Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke arrived early at the training grounds.
Naruto was nodding off, his head drooping, walking as if in a daze. Sakura rubbed her eyes, slightly sleepy. Only Sasuke seemed calm and composed, as if accustomed to early mornings.
Then, the three began waiting for Kakashi to arrive.
5 o'clock. 6 o'clock. 7 o'clock. 8 o'clock.
The sun had risen, yet Kakashi still hadn't shown up.
9 o'clock.
The sunlight was already bright, yet Kakashi still hadn't come.
10 o'clock.
Finally, Kakashi arrived.
Wearing a cheerful smile, Kakashi greeted the three. "Yo, everyone, good morning!"
Sakura & Naruto: "YOU'RE LATE!!!"
Kakashi quickly explained, "Because a black cat crossed my path..."
However, he was met with three pairs of eyes filled with utter disbelief.
Kakashi coughed awkwardly. "Ahem, well then..."
He walked over to a large log, took out an alarm clock, and placed it on top. "Alright. I'm setting the alarm for noon. Your assignment today is to take these bells from me before that time."
As he spoke, he produced two small bells.
"Anyone who doesn't get a bell gets no lunch! Moreover, they'll be tied to that log over there and forced to watch me eat my lunchbox!"
Naruto looked horrified. Sasuke and Sakura wore expressions of exasperation.
Sasuke: 'So that's why he told us not to eat breakfast.'
Sakura: 'That's the reason, huh?'
But then, Sakura noticed something crucial. "Wait a minute, why are there only two bells?"
Kakashi smiled slightly. "Because there are only two. That means at least one person will be tied to the log. That person will fail the mission, be disqualified, and sent back to the academy! At least one person, possibly even all of you, could be sent back. Feel free to use shuriken. Because if you're not prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take these bells."
Sakura: "But that's too dangerous, sensei!"
Naruto: "Y-yeah! You couldn't even dodge a chalkboard eraser!"
Kakashi suddenly spoke, cutting them off. "In this world, the less skilled someone is, the louder they tend to bark. Well, never mind the dead last. When I say 'Ready, begin'..."
Naruto's mind was entirely filled with the three words Kakashi had just uttered.
Dead last. Dead last. Dead last.
In a burst of anger, Naruto directly pulled out a kunai and lunged at Kakashi.
However, in a mere instant, Naruto was subdued. The hand holding the kunai was twisted behind his back, and the kunai was now pointed at his own head. The slightest push from Kakashi would end him.
All of this happened in a split second.
Kakashi sighed. "No need to be in such a hurry. I hadn't said 'begin' yet."
Sakura took two steps back. 'No way... I didn't see a thing.'
Sasuke stared intently at Kakashi. 'So this is a Jōnin. How does he compare to those two?'
Kakashi continued, "But it seems you did have the intent to kill me. Hmm... How to put it? I think I'm starting to like you guys a little. Let's begin!"
Naruto and the others quickly got into position.
Kakashi then spoke. "Ready... Begin!"
In a spacious hall, Iruka sat across from the Third Hokage.
The Third looked at Iruka. "What brings you here? You didn't come just for tea."
Iruka replied, "What kind of teacher is the Jōnin for Naruto's Team 7? Is he very strict?"
The Third seemed to have anticipated Iruka's question. "Kakashi? You're concerned?"
"I've heard some... concerning rumors," Iruka said nervously. He had indeed heard some unfavorable talk about Kakashi.
The Third pulled out a prepared book and handed it to Iruka.
Iruka was taken aback. "This is...?"
The Third said, "This is the list of Genin who have passed under Kakashi's supervision so far."
Iruka was stunned again, then quickly took the book. "Let me see."
Upon opening it, his eyes widened in shock. "This... this is..."
The pages were filled with column after column of red marks. Page after page, it was all red—failures. Not a single passing grade.
The only green marks were in the very first column at the beginning of the book. So far, that was the only column in green.
Three names were listed there: Saitō Daisuke, Suzuki Genji, Uchiha Kagaya.
After the names Saitō Daisuke and Suzuki Genji were two additional characters: Deceased.
In other words, so far, the only person in the world who had ever passed Kakashi's test was Kagaya.
"This... this is far too strict. Does it require a genius like Kagaya to pass Kakashi's test?" Iruka asked with worry.
Naruto couldn't be considered a genius. In Iruka's eyes, Naruto was in no way comparable to Kagaya. If only a genius like Kagaya could pass Kakashi's test, then Naruto had absolutely no chance.
Thinking this, Iruka quickly continued, "Lord Hokage, Uchiha Kagaya is undoubtedly a once-in-a-generation super prodigy. You absolutely cannot use him as the standard to judge other students!"
The Third sighed slightly. "Kakashi's test may indeed be a bit too difficult."
Iruka shook his head in denial. "Lord Hokage, this isn't a matter of being 'a bit' difficult. It's even more extreme than the rumors suggested!"
The Third sighed again and closed his eyes. Clearly, he didn't want to interfere. He trusted Kakashi deeply and didn't wish to meddle in his methods.
"Lord Hokage!" Iruka was genuinely anxious. He truly didn't want to see Naruto fail!
However, faced with the Third's resolute stance, Iruka was ultimately helpless.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the Land of Waves, a man with bandages covering the lower half of his face and a massive sword strapped to his back silently entered the country.
In a certain luxurious room.
A bespectacled, overweight man held up a photograph, berating several samurai before him.
"Worthless! All of you, worthless! It's just one old man, and you can't even kill him? Utterly worthless! No, I can't rely on you people. I need to find someone else!"
The person in the photograph was an elderly man with glasses—Tazuna.
And this ranting, overweight man was Gato, the very person Kagaya had been looking for.
On a certain road.
A boy wearing a black cloak with red clouds, accompanied by a girl? in white clothing.
The two walked in silence, peacefully and quietly heading towards a specific destination.
Elsewhere, an elderly man with glasses, carrying a pack on his back, sat on a boat, hurriedly preparing to leave the country and travel west towards Konoha.
This small Land of Waves was about to be swept up in a storm powerful enough to change the nation's destiny.