As soon as Ikki leaped out of the Hokage's office window, using the Body Flicker technique, Sandaime let out a sigh.
Sandaime: "Why do I get the feeling another Jiraiya is being born?"
Chikako, watching her teammate go, casually remarked, "Naruto will be graduating soon too." Then, without missing a beat, she followed Ikki's dramatic exit, jumping out the window herself.
Hinari rolled her eyes. "Boys... They love to make a spectacle out of everything." And yet, even as she said it, she, too, jumped out of the window.
Sandaime chuckled. "But you're doing the same thing, Hinari."
Hinari flashed a grin as she prepared to shunshin away. "But as a girl, I can't lose."
With the three Genin out of sight, Tatsumo shook his head, amused.
Sandaime glanced at him. "You want to go, too?"
Tatsumo smiled. "Yeah, but I'm using the door. Old habits."
Sandaime nodded. "Same here." They both exited the office the traditional way, walking out through the door, their expressions filled with fondness for the young ninjas.
Meanwhile, from the shadows, Kakashi Hatake, who had been silently observing the exchange, took his leave through the window. He had a feeling he might be needed soon.
---
At Training Ground 10, Hayate Gekko stood waiting, assuming the team would take the full 15 minutes to arrive. But within just three minutes, Ikki appeared first, barely winded. Chikako and Hinari followed shortly after, a minute later.
Hinari teased, "You left first, but I got here almost as fast."
Ikki shrugged. "Okay, you win."
Turning to Hayate, Ikki asked, "What should we call you?"
"Just call me Hayate-sensei." Hayate shifted into a more serious tone. "Before we officially begin, there's one last test. I need to see if you're truly ready to be Genin. If you fail, you'll be sent back to the Academy."
Ikki responded without any concern. "Oh, okay."
Hayate blinked, caught off guard. *Why aren't they scared?* He thought they'd be nervous at the prospect of failure, but they seemed relaxed, almost too confident.
What Hayate didn't realize was that two pairs of eyes were watching from afar. Sandaime stood with Tatsumo, both observing the situation closely.
Sandaime muttered with a grin, "Hayate's in for a scary surprise. I told him to take these kids seriously."
Tatsumo nodded, confident. "Ikki's already aware that Hayate isn't taking them seriously. He won't push too hard at the start, but he'll surprise him soon enough."
Sandaime raised an eyebrow. "If not, I might have to step in."
Tatsumo chuckled. "No need. Look up."
Kakashi was already perched on a tree branch, watching the scene unfold from a distance.
Sandaime smiled. "Kakashi, are you ready for this?"
Kakashi gave a lazy wave. "If it gets dangerous, I'll step in. Though... I get the feeling Hayate might have to get serious sooner than he thinks. I shouldn't have come," he added with a sigh, knowing the kids were bound to make this interesting.
Back at the training ground, Hayate stood in front of the team. "Alright, here's the test. You see that stump over there?" He pointed to a lone tree stump some distance away.
Ikki nodded.
"You have three hours. Your job is to protect that stump from me. I'll be trying to cut it down. You're free to use any method—Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu—anything goes. Fight as if it's life or death."
Ikki raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
Hayate, a little taken aback by the question, nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."
"When do we start?"
"In five minutes. Use that time to plan."
Hayate distanced himself from the group, expecting them to strategize. He wanted to see how well they could work together as a team.
Ikki turned to his teammates. "So, how do you two want to handle this?"
Hinari activated her Byakugan, veins bulging around her eyes. "I'll keep track of him and check for any clones he might send out. I'll constantly track his movements."
Ikki nodded. "I thought he'd bring in other shinobi for this test, but it looks like he's underestimating us. Still, we shouldn't drop our guard—he's a Jōnin."
Chikako crossed his arms, thinking. "What do you need from me?"
Ikki and Hinari shared a look before Chikako quickly added, "Okay, okay, stupid question. I'll analyze his moves. You two clash with him first. If I see an opening, I'll use Shadow Possession Jutsu to pin him down."
Ikki grinned. "We don't know much about his fighting style yet, but let's wrap this up fast and have a nice meal afterward. Sound good?"
Chikako and Hinari exchanged predatory glances at Hayate, their gaze as sharp as hawks eyeing their prey. Hayate could feel the intensity, sensing that he might have underestimated them.
The five minutes passed quickly.
Hayate called out, "Alright, on my signal. Ready? START!"
He had barely finished speaking before Chikako's shadow shot toward him with impressive speed.
*What the—?* Hayate thought, barely dodging the shadow. *That shadow possession is fast, almost Chūnin-level.*
As Hayate dodged, he noticed the shadow had stopped around 200 meters away. *Is that his limit? Or is he faking it? These kids are already playing tricks on me—and that's just one of them.*
Before he could finish that thought, a fist came flying at him from behind. Hayate dodged again, only to see three shuriken whizzing toward him from his left, right, and above. The kids were moving like a well-oiled machine, perfectly in sync.
*Their teamwork is impressive,* Hayate thought. *Let's see how they handle a direct clash.*
But just as he stepped forward, he saw Ikki soaring toward him, throwing a Superman punch with alarming speed. Hayate dodged by a hair's breadth, and when he looked back, he saw Ikki's fist deeply embedded into the earth, leaving a crater.
*If that punch had landed…* Hayate wiped sweat from his brow, realizing the danger he'd just avoided.
"Chikako," Hinari called out. "A clone's coming from behind the stump."
"I know," Chikako replied.
As soon as the clone came within range, Chikako activated his *Shadow Imitation Field Jutsu*, freezing the clone in place before dispelling it with a well-aimed shuriken.
Hayate, now fully alert, could feel the pressure mounting. These kids were no ordinary Genin.
Ikki locked eyes with Hayate. "You awake now?" he said, drawing *Tsubame* from its sheath.
Sandaime, watching from the sidelines, leaned forward. "It's about to get interesting. Looks like Hayate has finally woken up."
Tatsumo chuckled. "I'm not so sure."
Hayate, realizing just how dangerous this situation has become, raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, you three pass."