"Damn it! He snatched them back !"
Tenten fumed in frustration.
She had been so close — just a moment away from grabbing both bells!
"Heh heh, you all did quite well," Kakashi's teasing voice echoed from all directions. "But friendly reminder — time's almost up."
That sound technique…
Silent Killing?
"Your teamwork's not bad," Kakashi's voice drifted , amused. "But there's an obvious flaw — that is—"
Crack!
A tree branch snapped.
"Ahhh!"
Tenten fell from the tree, but midair a prepared rope whipped out, wrapping around her tightly. Just as Kakashi moved in to finish it, a volley of sharpened stakes flew from the side — a trap trigger!
Substitution jutsu!
Kakashi narrowly avoided the strike, reappearing and immediately lunging for Tenten .
Chiba rushed in to intercept.
Tsukikage Kaza, after springing the trap, retreated quickly back into hiding.
But—
"Got you."
"What—?"
Tsukikage Kaza froze. When she turned around, a figure was already behind her.
She hadn't sensed anything.
Wham!
A kick came flying out of nowhere, forcing Kakashi to halt his movement.
This kid… how did he shake off my clone?
Wait—
Could it be…
kid, that reckless maniac!
Kakashi's face darkened slightly, his hand moving to lift his forehead protector.
But then—
he noticed something strange.
Huh? The Eight Gates aren't open?
Impossible!
Just by controlling his muscles alone, this kid had pushed his entire body to its limit?
What kind of monster is this?! Kakashi couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
Chiba was breathing heavily.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine—but what about Tenten?"
"She freed herself from the rope. She's holding off my clone. Let's go help her."
"Right!"
…
"Wow… incredible. Both sides are amazing," Mami whispered, eyes wide.
Compared to this battle, their own team's exam had been child's play.
This was a completely different level.
Neji clenched his fists tightly.
A mere commoner—how could someone without any clan, without any inherited jutsu, become this strong in just two years?
No.
Impossible.
That shouldn't happen.
Fate shouldn't allow it.
A commoner couldn't defy destiny like this!
Yagyū Chiba…
He was a storm in the flow of fate—utterly irregular, utterly incomprehensible.
"kid," Lee asked quietly, "could you reach that level?"
"No."
kid's answer was firm.
At first, like Kakashi, he had assumed Chiba had somehow figured out the secret to opening the Eight Gates.
After all, the kid read a lot—everything from scrolls to obscure manuscripts. It wouldn't be strange if he'd stumbled upon some forgotten technique and recreated the Gates himself.
But upon close observation, kid realized he was wrong.
Chiba was exhausted, yes—but his condition didn't match the Eight Gates.
It was something else entirely—something unique to him.
His own version of an "opened gate."
"Still, defeating Kakashi won't be easy," kid said, glancing back at the field. "Kakashi's not even fighting seriously yet. If he went all out—his speed, ninjutsu, and Sharingan—Chiba's weaknesses would show quickly."
He wasn't boasting for his friend—just stating the truth.
Kakashi Hatake was far from weak.
"kid… then how much strength are you using?" Lee asked.
"Haha! Just keep watching!" kid laughed, deflecting the question.
He didn't want to discourage them—
and besides, the fight below was heating up —
Kakashi had started to counterattack!
Chiba's team hadn't eaten breakfast. In short bursts they could keep up, but as the battle dragged on, fatigue set in.
Tenten and Tsukikage Kaza's stamina began to fade.
Mistakes started piling up.
But then—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A series of explosions shook the forest.
Kakashi, perched on a nearby branch, panted heavily.
Damn it!
He had to admit, he'd underestimated Tenten.
That girl…
was loaded.
For what was supposed to be a training exam, she had buried five explosive tags—per trap! Combined with her chakra-thread manipulation and kunai control, he'd been forced to use Headhunter Technique, Substitution, and Body Flicker just to escape.
If he hadn't, he might've been injured.
"Don't underestimate me, you bastard!" Tenten shouted, her kunai spinning and snapping taut on glinting wires, circling toward Kakashi .
But this time, Kakashi shifted his focus.
Whoosh!
His speed spiked as he leapt toward the trees on the side, his kunai gleaming like a black fang cutting through the air.
Clang!
Tsukikage Kaza, who had been hiding for a sneak attack, was forced to block with her blade—
But Kakashi was too fast.
"Help me!" Tsukikage Kaza shouted, retreating as kunai rained down to cover her.
Too slow. They couldn't keep up!
Only Chiba could still match Kakashi's speed—but now Kakashi had deliberately adjusted his movement to hover just below Chiba's upper limit.
Meaning—unless Chiba pushed himself into full overdrive, he'd never catch up.
And—
"Ah!"
Two hands reached up from the ground, grabbing Tenten's legs—
Headhunter Technique!
Tenten was dragged into the soil. Chiba hesitated, torn between saving her and covering Tsukikage Kaza, whose situation was equally dire.
After a split second of decision, he dashed forward, springing the last two traps, manipulating them remotely with chakra threads.
Kakashi barely noticed—until it was too late.
Tsukikage Kaza split into three clones, eyes flashing with opportunity.
Now!
Her blade came down in a beautiful arc—
Leaf Style: Dance of the Crescent Moon!
A perfect angle—
too perfect.
The figure before her shimmered—then turned into a log.
From above, Kakashi's rope came down, binding and hoisting her up into the tree canopy.
"Lesson number one," Kakashi said calmly, "On the battlefield, some opportunities are simply the enemy's bait."
Clink! Clink!
Before he could finish, a strange sound reached his ears.
Kakashi blinked—and his eyes widened in surprise.
The bells had fallen.
When—?
He looked down at the cleanly severed bell strings. There was only one possible explanation—
Chakra threads… have cutting power!
Chiba caught the two bells cleanly.
But… before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, the hourglass ran out.
Time's up.
So… did this count or not?
"I did relax a little at the end," Kakashi admitted with a wry smile, "and you immediately seized the opening. But the time's expired, and the other two are technically out."
He smiled through half-lidded eyes. "Still, your performance exceeded my expectations. You can be my student."
"What about them?" Chiba asked.
"They failed, of course. They'll have to repeat."
"Oh? Then I'll pass too. We're a team — if they fail, I fail. Tell you what—let them pass, and I'll stay back another year."
Chiba gave an easy smile. "I don't mind reading more books. But they might not feel the same."
"No way!"
Both Tenten and Tsukikage Kaza shouted at once.
"This isn't up for negotiation," Kakashi said, amused. "Since you refuse, then all of you are—"
"No, Sensei, let him—"
"—Pass."
"...Huh?"
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