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The next morning, Uchiha Takayuki woke Kagaya. "You know where Konoha's training ground is, right?"
Kagaya nodded. "Yes."
The Uchiha Clan's training ground was private, exclusive to the clan, while Konoha's training ground was public, maintained by the village. Though both were called training grounds, their locations were distinct.
As Kagaya got up and began getting ready, Takayuki didn't rush off to his duties. Instead, he stood by, watching Kagaya wash up and speaking. "Your team leader and teammates will be waiting at Konoha's training ground. Since you know the location, head there on your own—I won't take you. Oh, and I've heard your team leader is from the Anbu. People from that place are strong, but their methods and mindset might not always be ideal. Learn from your leader, but be mindful—some things you should take, others you shouldn't."
"Understood, Father," Kagaya replied.
'From the Anbu?' Kagaya was slightly surprised. He'd expected a random jonin to be assigned as his team leader, not someone from the Anbu. The Anbu were the Hokage's eyes and blades—loyal operatives of the village. This suggested the Third Hokage placed significant importance on him.
After breakfast, Kagaya and Takayuki left together, parting ways shortly after.
Though Konoha's training ground was a fair distance from the Uchiha compound, Kagaya had started early. Despite the time it took to walk, he arrived well ahead of schedule. Unlike his first day at the academy, when Sasuke and Kiba had beaten him there, this time he was the first to arrive.
Seeing no one else, Kagaya didn't idle. Since it was a training ground, he began practicing.
A short while later, a boy approached. He looked about twelve, the typical age for a new genin, with shoulder-length black hair and a light blue outfit. Grinning broadly, he walked up to Kagaya. "Are you my future teammate? I just saw—your shuriken skills are impressive! But you look so young. I'm Saito Daisuke. You?"
Kagaya put away his practice shuriken and replied politely, "I'm Uchiha Kagaya."
Clap!
Saito Daisuke suddenly clapped his hands, eyes wide with surprise. "Uchiha Kagaya? I've heard of you! You're the one who graduated from the Ninja Academy in just a year, right? That's amazing! If we're teammates, doesn't that mean the Hokage thinks I'm a genius too, putting me on your team? Haha!"
Kagaya stared at Daisuke, saying nothing but inwardly sighing as he made a judgment: 'This guy's an idiot.'
"You think so too, right, Kagaya?" Daisuke pressed.
Kagaya forced a smile. "Yeah, definitely."
A few minutes later, the final member of their three-person team arrived. As Kagaya expected, it was a girl, slightly older than Daisuke. She had black hair down to her elbows and features that were pretty but not strikingly so. "Hello, let me introduce myself. I'm Suzuki Genji. And you two?"
Unlike Daisuke's boisterous demeanor, she was polite and composed, introducing herself first.
Daisuke frowned, thinking for a moment. "Suzuki Genji? Never heard of you. But if you're on our team, you must be a genius too, right? If you're a genius, that's good enough for me."
Even among the same graduating class, not everyone knew each other.
Kagaya smiled lightly, responding courteously, "Hello, I'm Uchiha Kagaya."
Genji nodded slightly. "I see. I look forward to working with you both."
Daisuke's face flushed slightly. Being "entrusted" by an attractive girl was a first for him—he'd always been a loner at the academy. "N-no problem! Leave it to me!"
Kagaya sighed inwardly. Poor kid, never been in love. But his face maintained its smile. "Same here. I look forward to working together."
---
After their initial introductions, the three got acquainted.
"Hasn't our teacher arrived yet?" Genji asked, looking around curiously.
Kagaya shook his head silently.
Daisuke, suddenly realizing, exclaimed, "Oh, right! The teacher's not here yet!"
Kagaya: "…"
Genji: "…"
Daisuke, now indignant, continued, "What kind of teacher shows up later than their students?!"
Kagaya felt compelled to defend the unknown teacher. "Well, maybe they ran into something unexpected on the way."
Daisuke wasn't buying it and was about to retort when someone else spoke first. "Exactly right!"
A man with white hair, a black mask, and a Konoha forehead protector tilted to cover his left eye appeared. "Your teacher had no choice—I was helping an old lady cross the street, so I got delayed. Oh, and introductions: I'm your team leader from now on. My name is Hatake Kakashi."
Daisuke clenched his fists, clearly not believing Kakashi's excuse. "Who'd buy that?! You're just a late teacher!"
Kagaya looked at Daisuke, amused. Straightforward, impulsive, thoughtless… Does Konoha churn out these types? First young Obito, then Naruto, and now this Saito Daisuke.
Kakashi ignored Daisuke's outburst and approached them. "You've all graduated from the Ninja Academy, which means you've learned most of what it teaches. But that doesn't mean you're qualified to be genin! I want you to remember that from now on. Before you become genin, you'll need to pass one final test."
Genji asked, "Are you talking about the bell test, Kakashi-sensei?"
Kakashi glanced at her. "You know a lot. Yes, the test is to take the bells from me. Only those who succeed will become genin."
Daisuke laughed loudly. "Haha, grabbing a bell? That's easy! Alright, watch me, Kakashi-sensei. I'll snatch that bell in no time! Uh… where are the bells?"
Kagaya, Genji, and Kakashi: "…"
Kakashi pulled his right hand from his pocket and pointed to the bells at his waist. "Right here. But as you can see, there are only two bells, which means…"
He gave a slight smile, then his expression turned icy. "One of you three will be eliminated and sent back to the academy!"
Kagaya wasn't fazed—he'd known this was coming. Daisuke, however, was shocked, eyes wide. "N-no way…"
Genji seemed surprised too but stayed silent.
Kakashi's aura was cold, devoid of warmth. "I'm not joking. One of you will return to the academy today. So, who will it be? And… are you ready to begin?"