"I can't take it! This is driving me crazy!" Naruto roared in fury.
The sun was nearing its zenith, and that guy Kakashi still hadn't shown his face. Even Kanon was starting to frown. She had been sitting on the grass for quite a while; beside her, Sasuke lay in silence, his eyes closed, not uttering a single word.
Sakura was busy being lost in a daydream, completely ignoring Naruto's explosive temper.
"Quiet down! Don't wake Sasuke-kun up!" Sakura snapped, giving Naruto a sharp punch.
"But... it's 10:00 AM! We've been here since before dawn!"
Finally, in the distance, a figure with silver-white hair and a face mask strolled toward them. Sensing the presence, Sasuke opened his eyes and leaped to his feet with a fluid motion, clearly showing off a bit in front of his sister.
Sakura was instantly smitten by the move, while Kanon didn't even blink.
"Morning," Kakashi greeted them casually.
"YOU'RE LATE!" the four of them shouted in unison.
"Ahem... well, you see..." Kakashi looked slightly embarrassed. To shift the mood, he pulled an alarm clock from his bag and set it for 12:00 PM. "Alright, I've set the alarm for noon."
He then reached into his pocket and produced three bells.
"Your assignment for today is simple: take these bells away from me before noon."
"Those who don't get a bell get no lunch," he said, pointing toward the three logs nearby. "In fact, you'll be tied to those stumps while you watch me eat my bento."
The group stared at him with deadpan expressions.
"So that's why you told us not to eat breakfast..."
Sakura noticed a discrepancy. There were only three bells, but four students. "Why are there only three bells?"
"Only three bells means at least one of you will end up tied to a log," Kakashi explained with a lazy smile. "That person fails the mission, is disqualified, and sent back to the Academy. At least one... but possibly all four of you could be sent back."
"You can use shuriken if you like. Unless you come at me with the intent to kill, you won't stand a chance of getting a bell."
"Now then—"
Naruto laughed mockingly. "Big words for a Jonin who couldn't even dodge a chalkboard eraser..."
"In this world, those with the least ability bark the loudest. Just ignore the dead-last."
"Now, when I say 'start'—"
That "dead-last" comment pierced Naruto's heart. Enraged, he whipped a kunai from his holster, spun it expertly in his hand, and charged straight at Kakashi.
In the blink of an eye, so fast the others barely saw it, Kakashi moved. He caught Naruto's arm mid-swing and twisted it behind his back, pinning him instantly.
But then, Kakashi froze. Against the side of his own neck, he felt the cold edge of Kanon's kunai.
Kakashi was inwardly shocked. The girl's speed was incredible. Sasuke and Sakura hadn't even processed the movement before Kanon had initiated a counter-strike. As expected of an Uchiha prodigy, he thought. She had seen his opening, reacted instantly, and executed the counter with terrifying precision.
Though he knew she had likely seen real combat at age six, Kanon's current speed gave Kakashi a genuine start.
"Let him go," Kanon said softly.
"No need to be in such a hurry..." Kakashi replied. "I haven't said 'start' yet."
Sasuke and Sakura retreated instinctively. Kanon stepped back several paces as well, and Kakashi released Naruto's hand.
No way... I didn't see a thing, Sakura thought, her eyes wide. The speed of the exchange between Kakashi and Kanon left her reeling. Sasuke, meanwhile, was focused on Kanon's movements—they were fluid, with no wasted energy. It seemed his little sister might actually be stronger than him.
Sasuke understood why. Kanon's training sessions were far more grueling than his own. He had tried to keep up with her for a few days but simply couldn't match her pace. He wouldn't complain, though. If he annoyed her, she might put fermented soybeans in his dinner, and he'd definitely lose his lunch.
"But, it seems you lot actually have the intent to kill me now," Kakashi chuckled, giving Kanon a subtle look of approval. "I think I'm finally starting to like you guys."
"Let's begin."
"Ready..."
The four took their stances.
"Start!" At Kakashi's command, the four vanished from their spots.
Looking around at the now-empty clearing, Kakashi nodded. "The fundamental of a shinobi is hiding one's presence." He scanned the area; with a single glance, he had already pinpointed Sasuke and Sakura. "Hmm, not bad. It looks like everyone is hiding well... but where did Kanon go?"
Just as he was wondering about her, Kakashi stopped. Standing right in front of him was Naruto, arms crossed with a look of supreme confidence.
"Alright! Let's settle this fair and square!"
"Huh?" Kakashi looked utterly bewildered.
What a total moron... Sasuke thought from his hiding spot, shaking his head.
In that same instant, a girl with lustrous black hair and a blue Uchiha coat appeared right next to Naruto.
"Well said! If you don't have the courage to charge ahead, how can you ever reach that flower field!"
Kakashi was speechless. "You two... is there something wrong with you?"
"The only thing wrong here is your taste in hair!" Naruto shouted.
He charged forward with impressive speed, with Kanon following closely behind—she clearly had a plan. Kakashi sighed and reached into his pouch. Naruto and Kanon faltered, stopping in their tracks to see what he was pulling out.
It was a book titled Icha Icha Paradise.
Kanon's face turned a light shade of red the moment she saw the cover.
"Kanon, why is your face red?" Naruto asked.
"N-No reason! It's nothing!"
Kanon remembered passing a bookstore a year ago and seeing this novel. Out of curiosity, she had read a few chapters... only a few!
Kakashi didn't even look at them as he opened the book. "Shinobi battle tactic number one: Taijutsu. I'll teach you."
"What's with this guy? Come at us!" Naruto growled.
"Against you two, I can read and fight at the same time," Kakashi provoked.
Naruto clenched his fists and shouted to Kanon, "Kanon, cover me! I'm gonna knock the stuffing out of him!"
Kanon blurred into motion, leaping high into the air. True to her Uchiha heritage, she flicked six shuriken from her fingers, aimed to whistle past Naruto's sides.
Kakashi looked up at the pincer attack. His eye widened slightly. He instantly snapped his book shut. His hands blurred through a series of seals—the speed of a true Jonin.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" Kakashi roared. An A-rank Earth Style Jutsu manifested before the students. He kicked the charging Naruto away and slammed his palms into the ground. A massive stone wall, carved with dog heads, rose between them.
However, a faint smirk touched Kanon's lips. This was a tactic she had learned from watching Itachi.
Sensing something was off, Kakashi narrowed his eyes. Three of the six shuriken Kanon had thrown collided mid-air with the other three, ricocheting and changing trajectory. They curved around the wall from both sides, homing in on him.
"Impressive combat experience!" Kakashi praised as he leaped into the air to avoid the curved projectiles.
But as he rose, he saw Kanon's hands already forming seals. That seal...
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Kanon's youthful, energetic voice rang out. The shuriken that had just missed him collided with one another, and in a puff of smoke, dozens more materialized.
She predicted my jump?! Kakashi was stunned.
Kanon's smirk widened. You're in mid-air now. Let's see you escape this.
But before she could savor the moment, a cold kunai pressed against her own neck from behind. Her pupils shrank. When did he—?
"Excellent Uchiha shuriken technique. Your insight is remarkable," Kakashi's voice whispered from behind her.
Above them, the dozens of shuriken merely thudded into a wooden log.
"A Substitution?"
"You noticed," Kakashi chuckled, moving to restrain her.
Suddenly, Kanon's body dissolved into a plume of white smoke.
"A Shadow Clone?" Kakashi mused, watching the smoke dissipate.
She's smart. She didn't use her real body for the initial assault. Kakashi's assessment of Kanon grew even higher; her talent was undeniable.