Chapter 6: The Test Begins
"Don't worry, just come at me. After all, I'm still fairly strong, more or less."
Looking at the doubtful expressions on the three of them, Hatake Kakashi casually explained. After saying that, she even took out a novel and started reading.
Of course, it wasn't Icha Icha Paradise, but a random novel she had picked from the ones she bought at the bookstore earlier. On the cover were the words Reborn as the One Who Made the Hokage Fall for Me, a Pig Farmer.
Naruto and the others were stunned.
What are you even doing?
"Kakashi-sensei, what exactly are you... doing?" Naruto asked in confusion. Was this fight happening or not?
"Well, don't mind me. Just attack however you want."
Without even looking up, Kakashi answered casually.
"Damn it, don't look down on me!"
The moment Naruto heard that, he exploded with anger. Waving his fist furiously, he charged straight at Kakashi. Yet another person treating him like a dead-last loser. He was going to teach this woman a harsh lesson!
Kakashi, however, didn't even glance at him. She merely shifted her body slightly to the side, dodging Naruto's punch with ease, then stretched out a leg and tripped him.
Naruto crashed to the ground face-first and was completely dumbfounded.
At that moment, looking at Naruto sprawled on the ground with his backside sticking up, Kakashi suddenly thought of Konoha's Taijutsu Secret Technique, One Thousand Years of Death.
But she quickly rejected the idea in her heart.
That would seriously damage her beautiful-girl image.
So instead, she simply lifted her leg and kicked Naruto straight into the river ahead.
Seeing that, Sasuke and Sakura both came to their senses and immediately scattered, retreating backward.
Just then, two shuriken suddenly flew out from the river, tracing arcs through the air as they shot toward Kakashi.
In response, Kakashi merely extended two fingers and casually caught both shuriken.
At the same time, the soaking-wet Naruto finally climbed back out of the river.
Kakashi thought to herself that if she remembered correctly, Naruto's greatest specialty at this stage was Shadow Clones.
That meant there were definitely Naruto clones still in the river. The real body had climbed out first to lower her guard so the clones could launch a sneak attack.
But it didn't matter.
What if she deliberately showed him an opening?
So Kakashi simply turned around and started walking back.
Bang bang bang—
Soon, a series of splashes erupted from the river as several Narutos rushed out of the water and pounced straight at Kakashi.
"Ninja Combat Tactics, Lesson One: Taijutsu."
As Kakashi slowly spoke while turning around, her figure vanished from the spot in an instant.
Gone?
The real Naruto behind them froze for a moment. Then came a string of popping sounds, and before he could react, his vision blurred.
"So fast!"
Sasuke and Sakura, who were secretly observing from a distance, were equally shocked.
Naruto had been dealt with in an instant. Kakashi was now holding him up by the collar with one hand and pinning him against a tree.
"She instantly took care of Naruto's Shadow Clones with Taijutsu, then grabbed the real one behind them and pinned him to a tree with one hand. She was so fast I couldn't even see it clearly. Is this the power of a Jonin...?"
Uchiha Sasuke was filled with shock, and then his heart sank.
A Jonin was already this strong.
And that man had wiped out an entire clan filled with many Jonin in a single night. His strength was far beyond even this...
That overwhelming gap in power made Sasuke feel despair.
But very quickly, he pulled himself together again.
Hadn't he known from the start how difficult it would be to kill that man?
No matter what, he had to do it, even if he had to use every means possible.
At that thought, Sasuke's gaze turned sharp. And in a single glance, he saw it.
Wasn't Kakashi, currently pinning Naruto with one hand and exposing her back to him, the perfect opening to attack?
So he immediately took out several shuriken and hurled them at Kakashi at high speed.
Yet in the next second, Kakashi's figure flickered slightly, and the shuriken passed right through her body before stabbing into the grass nearby.
Seeing that, Sasuke was shocked again. The moment he realized what had happened, he immediately fled the area.
"Damn it, she's too fast. I can't hit her at all!"
Though he hadn't seen it very clearly just now, he knew what Kakashi had done. She had released Naruto's collar, moved backward at incredible speed, then instantly returned to her original position and grabbed Naruto's collar again.
"Huh? What happened?"
At the same time, Naruto finally came back to his senses.
No, wait. How had he suddenly ended up being grabbed by the collar and pinned to a tree?
What had just happened?
"When facing an enemy several times stronger than yourself, the first thing you should do is hide yourself and look for an opportunity in secret, not rush in head-on like an idiot."
At that moment, Kakashi somehow produced a rope from nowhere. As she spoke, she swiftly tied Naruto to the tree.
After saying that, she turned and left, intending to go look for Sasuke and Sakura.
"Damn it, I was just careless! Untie me if you've got guts, and let's do it again!" Naruto immediately struggled and shouted angrily.
Unfortunately, Kakashi ignored him completely, and soon disappeared from his sight.
Not long after, Kakashi found Sakura, who was panicking while searching for Sasuke.
Ninja Combat Tactics, Lesson Two: Genjutsu.
Should she use Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique?
Kakashi hesitated a little. In the original story, that technique had easily taken Sakura down.
Forget it. I'll just use Sharingan Genjutsu instead. I was planning to test my Sharingan anyway.
Meanwhile, on the other side, while Sakura was anxiously searching for Sasuke, she suddenly saw a flash of red light.
Before she could wonder what it was, she heard Naruto's voice, which immediately startled her.
Had Naruto escaped from the teacher's hands?
"Damn it, that teacher's strength is way beyond what either of us can handle alone, so Sasuke, let's work together."
Sasuke?
The moment she heard Naruto say Sasuke's name, Sakura's face lit up with joy. She was just about to rush over when Naruto spoke again, making her instinctively stop.
"There are only two bells anyway. When the time comes, one for each of us."
Naruto slung an arm around Sasuke's shoulder and grinned.
"What about Sakura?"
Sasuke turned his head and glanced at him.
"There are only two bells. It can't be helped. Sakura can just come back and try again next year."
Naruto replied carelessly.
Sasuke said nothing more in response, as if accepting the arrangement by default.
How could this be?
Hiding in the bushes and hearing that conversation, Sakura felt as if the sky had collapsed.
How could Sasuke cooperate with that annoying Naruto?
And even abandon her?
Slash—
Just then, another disturbance came from ahead. Sakura looked up blankly, and in the next second her pupils suddenly widened.
There, right in front of her, Naruto had somehow suddenly thrust his hand straight through Sasuke's chest.
Sasuke also turned back stiffly with a face full of disbelief.
"You idiot, Sasuke. How could I ever work with you? Once I get rid of you, I can be with Sakura. Don't worry. After Sakura and I pass the test, we'll visit your grave every year and leave flowers for you."
Naruto's face twisted into a cruel smile as he slowly pulled his hand back out of Sasuke's chest.
Sasuke finally collapsed to the ground, powerless.
"Ahhhh—!"
Witnessing it all with her own eyes from hiding, Sakura could no longer hold back and let out a terrified scream.