At noon, the scorching sun baked the earth without mercy.
A Shadow Clone of Hiruzen Sarutobi was currently sitting under a large tree, using the shade to escape the harsh sun.
"Not a single move all morning?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes slightly and scanned his surroundings; within his perception, the three of them had split into three positions, surrounding him.
Recalling overhearing their battle plan, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but chuckle; it was indeed a plan that only greenhorns could come up with.
Having Uchiha Su act as the vanguard to initiate the attack, followed by Tsunade, with Orochimaru waiting for the final opportunity to land a killing blow.
"Here they come."
A breeze blew past, and Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze shifted to the rear.
Uchiha Su suddenly leaped down from a large tree and sprinted rapidly toward Hiruzen Sarutobi. At the same time, he hurled a shuriken, aiming straight for Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and easily dodged the shuriken. Uchiha Su was not surprised; his chest swelled, and he opened his mouth wide, spewing a fireball from within.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Seeing the incoming fireball, Hiruzen Sarutobi also used the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique; his technique was even more surging and intense than Uchiha Su's.
The massive fireball instantly annihilated the smaller fireball Uchiha Su had spewed.
"Under normal circumstances, when faced with the situation I just encountered, using Water Release Ninjutsu is the optimal solution, which often yields twice the result with half the effort."
Hiruzen Sarutobi had the mindset of a teacher; even in the middle of a battle, he didn't forget to instruct his students.
"Does Teacher mean that if one is as powerful as you, Teacher, they can counter with the same Ninjutsu, and whoever has the denser Chakra is the stronger one?"
Uchiha Su said.
"Su, you have misinterpreted my meaning."
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and said.
Is it just that he is a member of the Uchiha, after all? Naturally craving greater power—this thought flashed through his mind.
"Teacher, don't get distracted during a fight!"
A smile appeared on Uchiha Su's face as he lunged toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi kicked Uchiha Su, but with a "poof," Uchiha Su turned into smoke.
"A Shadow Clone? Then where is your real body?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly and ruthlessly subdued Tsunade, who was attempting a sneak attack from behind.
"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu."
The next moment, only Tsunade's head remained above ground, with her entire body buried beneath.
"One more left, Orochimaru."
Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered to himself, but in his perception, Orochimaru was rapidly approaching.
"If these are the only methods you have, I'm afraid it won't be enough, my dear students."
Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled. Although he didn't know where Uchiha Su had gone, he assumed Uchiha Su had already lost the ability to act.
Using a Shadow Clone and having the clone release the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique was, for a newly graduated Ninja, almost an expenditure of all their strength.
"Manipulated Shuriken Technique!"
Orochimaru shouted sharply, his figure appearing before Hiruzen Sarutobi, and a dozen shuriken were thrown in an instant.
"Uchiha Ninjutsu, is it?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was very familiar with the Manipulated Shuriken Technique. After all, his teacher was the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. If it was a technique the Uchiha knew, he basically knew something about it—perhaps the Second Hokage himself understood the Uchiha better than they understood themselves.
Thin, almost transparent wires connected these dozen shuriken, extending out from Orochimaru as the starting point.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi quickly formed hand signs and threw a shuriken; immediately after, the shuriken rapidly expanded in size, and many more such shuriken appeared around it.
In an instant, all the shuriken thrown by Orochimaru were knocked down, and even the wires connecting them were severed.
"It seems you have lost!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile.
"Teacher, it is a bit too early to talk about winning or losing now."
Orochimaru said softly.
"Oh? Do you still have other tricks?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was slightly stunned; according to the plan they had discussed, the plan should have failed by now.
A shuriken scattered at his feet suddenly transformed into the likeness of Uchiha Su, and in the split second Hiruzen Sarutobi was stunned, he snatched the two bells from his waist.
"This... when?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Uchiha Su and couldn't help but ask in surprise: "Was it among the shuriken that Orochimaru just threw? Did you transform into one of them?"
"Not quite, Teacher Hiruzen. This was the shuriken thrown by my Shadow Clone."
Uchiha Su glanced at the bells in his hand and then tossed the two bells to Orochimaru and Tsunade.
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't care about the stolen bells or the combat intelligence Uchiha Su had displayed; what he cared about was that Uchiha Su had actually shared the bells with Tsunade and Orochimaru, while he himself had nothing.
"You have no bells left; it seems you are the one who will be eliminated."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was genuinely pleasantly surprised. He hadn't expected that, as a member of the Uchiha, Uchiha Su would be capable of such an action. This was completely different from the Uchiha in his impression, and also completely different from the "evil Uchiha" his teacher had spoken of.
Tsunade and Orochimaru also looked at Uchiha Su with moved expressions, especially Orochimaru. He was very mature for his age and knew he had no background, which was why he was so moved by Uchiha Su's actions.
"This is Su-kun giving up his chance to be promoted to Genin for me..."
Orochimaru lowered his head, looking at the bell in his hand. The originally light bell now felt as heavy as a thousand catties in his hand.
"Uchiha Su, take this bell back. If nothing else, I can go home and beg my great-uncle to let me pass."
Tsunade handed the bell in her hand to Uchiha Su.
Hearing Tsunade's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyelids twitched involuntarily; it seemed he had played a bit too much.
"Forget it, Tsunade. I don't care about not graduating or having to go back to school to repeat a grade."
Uchiha Su did not take the bell Tsunade offered; instead, he waved his hand nonchalantly, his smile clean and bright.
Tsunade was momentarily dazed.
Not to mention that Uchiha Su knew this bell test had become a necessary game for the Hokage's faction to recruit, even if he didn't know, he wouldn't care.
Are you kidding? Ninjas who have already graduated from the Ninja Academy—would Konoha really be willing to let these Ninjas go back and repeat a year?
These Ninjas who have already become Genin are extremely valuable resources, whether in times of war or peace.
In times of war, they can serve as vanguards to scout for explosive tags or as expendable material to fill trenches; in times of peace, they can act as ruthless mission machines for resolving D-rank and c-rank mission.