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"I-I'm ready too," Saito Daisuke stammered, still reeling from Kagaya's display of skill.
Suzuki Genji smiled faintly. "I'm ready as well."
Kakashi's figure flickered, appearing at the center of the training ground, hands casually in his pockets, bells dangling loosely at his waist. "Let's begin."
In this test, Kakashi wouldn't attack first, only defending reactively. So, even after announcing the start, he remained still unless Kagaya and his teammates made a move.
Kagaya didn't rush to attack. Instead, he turned to his teammates, asking, "If it's okay, I think we should share our abilities first. You've seen mine—I'm skilled in Body Flicker, and besides the Three Basic Techniques, I can use Fireball Jutsu and Phoenix Sage Fire Technique. What about you? Of course, if you don't want to share, that's fine. I just think knowing each other's abilities will help us cooperate."
Genji looked at Kagaya with a playful glint in her eyes. "Say, Kagaya, do you think—or rather, do you believe—we can cooperate?"
Kagaya pursed his lips, staying silent. He understood what Genji meant but didn't have an immediate answer.
Genji continued, "There are only two bells, Kagaya."
That was the crux of the issue. Kagaya, with his transmigrator knowledge, knew teamwork could get them through this test. But did his teammates know that?
They didn't. To them, with only two bells, one person had to be eliminated. In that case, what was the point of cooperation? Anyone could be the one sent back, making everyone a potential enemy, impossible to trust.
Kagaya took a deep breath. "If we cooperate, I'm willing to give up my—"
"I'm willing to cooperate with you," Genji interrupted before he could finish.
Kagaya looked at her, puzzled. He couldn't quite read her. One moment, she pointed out the problem with the bells, seeming unwilling to cooperate; the next, she agreed to work together.
Not knowing her thoughts, he could only manage a grateful, "Thank you."
Then he turned to Daisuke. "Daisuke, what about you? If we cooperate, I'm willing to give up my spot so both of you can advance."
Daisuke stared at Kagaya, incredulous, then erupted in anger. "Damn it! Are all Uchihas as arrogant as you?! Don't treat becoming a ninja like it's nothing, you jerk! Fight with everything you've got to grab that bell! I'll cooperate, but only if you go all out to get it—absolutely, absolutely don't just hand it to me, got it? You damn Uchiha!"
Kagaya looked at Daisuke, feeling a warmth in his heart, and chuckled. "Alright, I don't mind."
That only infuriated Daisuke further. "Genius! Genius! Is this what geniuses are like? You get things others dream of so easily, so you think it's no big deal, huh? You graduated in a year—being a genin means nothing to you. But do you know how ordinary people like us feel? The genin rank you look down on is the result of six years of hard work for me! Don't you dare belittle it, you jerk! I don't want to be eliminated, but I'd hate it even more if my six-year dream was looked down on. That's my dream!"
Kagaya was moved and fell silent. Then he bowed deeply to Daisuke, his voice full of sincerity. "I'm sorry, Daisuke. Let me say it again: will you cooperate with me? But I won't give up my bell."
Daisuke, still fuming, replied, "Of course! About me: I know the basic Three Techniques, but… hmph, even so, I'll definitely grab a bell and become a ninja!"
Clearly, Daisuke's talent was average, like many ordinary students. Fresh from the academy, he mainly knew the Three Basic Techniques, with unremarkable skills in shuriken and taijutsu.
Genji smiled lightly. "I know the basic Three Techniques too. And I won't give up my bell either."
Her meaning was clear: she was also just an ordinary student.
As the three discussed, Kakashi's eyes softened with a trace of warmth as he watched Daisuke. He reminded Kakashi of Obito—average, even subpar in skill, but burning with determination to chase his dreams.
Daisuke's outburst had touched Kakashi. Back then, hadn't he, a twelve-year-old jonin, looked down on the genin rank? He'd seen Obito, a genin, as dead weight. If he'd valued Obito and Rin, actively cooperating with them…
A pang of pain hit him, and Kakashi pushed the thought away. He turned to Kagaya, seeing echoes of his younger self—a genius commanding his teammates' respect with sheer skill. Would Kagaya value his teammates?
Recalling Kagaya's apology—a genius bowing to an ordinary person—Kakashi smiled faintly. Maybe he's different from me.
Meanwhile, Kagaya's group had finished planning. "Alright, let's begin the strategy!"
With that, the three sprang into action, circling Kakashi rapidly.
This was a formation taught at the academy: three people surrounding a target, rotating constantly, attacking in turns to overwhelm the opponent with relentless assaults. Against a jonin like Kakashi, it was barely effective, but Kagaya had no better ideas on short notice. Using a tactic they'd all learned was the best way to make the fight look somewhat competent.
Genji struck first, darting from the formation and reaching for the bells at Kakashi's waist.
With a quick turn, Kakashi easily dodged her attempt.
Next came Daisuke's attack!
Though called an attack, to Kagaya, it was just Daisuke running forward to grab the bells, nothing special.
Kakashi sidestepped effortlessly, circling behind Daisuke and giving him a firm push, sending him tumbling.
Then it was Kagaya's turn!
Kakashi grabbed a hand reaching for the bells, then immediately kicked to the side.
Thud!
Kagaya's real body was sent flying.
The Shadow Clone he'd sent to distract Kakashi vanished in a puff of white smoke.
While fending off the next attacks from Genji and Daisuke, Kakashi spoke. "Not bad with the Body Flicker and Shadow Clone, but don't expect me to fall for the same trick twice."
Kagaya wasn't focused on Kakashi's words. He just wanted to complain: Why's he so harsh on me?
The trio kept up their relentless assault.
Kagaya noticed a pattern: Kakashi merely dodged Genji's attacks and toyed with Daisuke, tripping him up or knocking him over. But with Kagaya? It was a barrage of heavy kicks. Though Kakashi controlled his strength to avoid serious injury, the blatant favoritism was driving Kagaya up the wall.
Their fight wasn't much to write home about—barely different from ordinary kids scrambling for bells, just faster. Kagaya was their best shot, but he realized Kakashi was toying with Genji and Daisuke while seriously dismantling him.
Kakashi seemed to "favor" Kagaya, making him, the one with the best chance, ironically the least likely to succeed. Genji and Daisuke could at least trade blows with Kakashi over time, but Kagaya? He'd charge in and get kicked back, charge in and get kicked back, without a moment's delay.
Kagaya decided he had plenty words to say today. Being kicked around like this—did Kakashi think Uchiha Kagaya had no temper? Even if it cost him everything, he'd shout those three words.
Glancing at Kakashi's calm eyes, Kagaya yelled, "Fine!"