"Sensei is so slow! I didn't even arrive late, but he's late? Unacceptable!"
"Obito, maybe our Sensei had something to take care of."
"Ugh..." Kakashi glanced at Obito, unsure how to even respond.
You do realize you're often the one who's late, right?
Still, as a jōnin, punctuality was an essential part of the profession. How could he be so late?
Could it be... he's watching us secretly?
Kakashi gripped his White Light Sabre and began scanning his surroundings cautiously.
Moments later, his body stiffened as he slowly turned to look at the tree behind him.
"Good afternoon, everyone."
In the next instant, Minato Namikaze appeared before them.
So fast!
Kakashi was stunned. That speed...
Among everyone he had seen, only Kyoichi had such terrifying mastery of the Body Flicker Technique. Now, he had encountered a second person with similar skill.
"Sensei, you're so late!" Obito shouted angrily.
"Hahaha, actually, I've been here for a while, just observing all of you. Clearly, only Kakashi displayed any vigilance. The two of you... you fail!"
"Huh?"
Obito froze in disbelief.
Fail?
The test hadn't even started yet!
"Of course, Rin has demonstrated excellent potential as a medical ninja, having studied medical knowledge from a young age. She is a type of ninja we desperately need, so I'm allowing her to pass. But as for you... Kakashi and Rin, the two of you can vote on whether to keep Obito in the team."
Minato's tone remained warm, but his words were anything but.
Earlier, Kyoichi had suggested that Minato didn't have enough gravitas and advised him to deliver such statements with a smile. Judging by the current atmosphere, it was clear the advice worked wonders.
Obito was completely dumbfounded, his mouth opening and closing without making a sound.
What the hell?
He thought they were here to take a test, but now it seemed he had already been disqualified before it even began.
Meanwhile, Kakashi was deep in thought.
Obito... really wasn't cut out for this.
It wasn't about his skills but rather his carefree personality. Coordinating with him would be a nightmare. Kakashi seriously considered whether they should replace Obito.
But before he could speak, Rin interjected, "Sensei, that's not fair... Obito has been working hard. Please give him another chance."
"Well, he didn't arrive late this time. That's some progress," Minato said with a nod and a smile.
"I-I promise I won't be late again!" Obito pleaded, his panic evident.
He could tell Minato wasn't bluffing. As a renowned jōnin and the youngest in Konoha's history, Minato wouldn't hesitate to kick him out if he deemed him unsuitable.
"Kakashi, what's your opinion?"
"Me? If it were up to me, I wouldn't keep him. But... whatever, do as you like."
Seeing the pleading look in Rin's eyes, Kakashi decided to drop the matter.
"Alright, the test begins now. The objective is simple: land a hit on me, and you pass. The test starts... now!"
Minato crouched slightly, his posture relaxed, as if leaving himself wide open.
"Scatter!"
---
"Just as I thought..."
Yūhi Shinku sighed.
Expecting Obito to follow a strategy was asking for the impossible—especially with Kakashi in charge.
From the very beginning, Obito and Kakashi had clashed.
Sarutobi Asuma frowned and glanced at Shisui before turning to watch Obito, who remained rooted to his spot.
What a carefree guy.
The opponent was a jōnin!
The three of them—Asuma, Kurenai, and Shisui—had gone all out during their own test, coordinating their every move to the best of their ability, yet they hadn't even come close to touching Kyoichi.
And Obito thought he could handle Minato alone?
"To be fair, his Fireball Jutsu is quite decent," Kyoichi remarked with a chuckle.
Obito wasn't entirely without merit.
His Fireball Jutsu, shuriken techniques, and kunai handling were all solid. The problem was his impulsive nature and poor decision-making.
In short, Obito wasn't at the bottom because he lacked talent—he just didn't use his brain.
But a Fireball Jutsu alone wouldn't be enough to land a hit on Minato.
As expected, the fireball only struck a substitution.
Forced to retreat, Rin tried to assist, while Kakashi threw shuriken from a distance to provide cover without hesitation.
"Why is Kakashi holding back?" Shisui asked, puzzled.
"Hmm?"
Asuma tilted his head, not understanding the question.
Kurenai, however, explained, "Kakashi is like that. It's hard to explain."
"Shisui, what would you do in this situation?" Kyoichi asked.
"If I were Kakashi, I'd focus on rescuing Obito and Rin. As the strongest member of the team after the jōnin, it's my responsibility to ensure their safety."
"Let's keep watching."
Kyoichi didn't comment further.
Back on the battlefield, Minato made his move.
Despite Obito and Rin's efforts to resist, they were clearly outmatched. Just as they were about to lose, a flash of steel emerged from the ground.
It was Kakashi!
"So fast!"
Asuma was stunned.
This was the first time he had seen Kakashi go all out. His speed and decisiveness were remarkable, resembling a seasoned warrior far beyond his years.
But it still wasn't enough.
Minato was faster.
The clash of weapons echoed across the training field.
Obito and Rin tried to join the fight, but their interference only made the battle more chaotic.
"What do you think?" Kyoichi asked.
"They're fighting all wrong."
"There's no coordination at all."
"I agree."
Shisui, Kurenai, and Asuma all shared the same sentiment.
In truth, it wasn't that there was no coordination—it was just a complete lack of meaningful teamwork. Obito and Rin had some synergy, but Kakashi's inclusion threw the entire dynamic into disarray.
Team battles were never about individual performance. Unless someone was overwhelmingly powerful, coordination was key.
And Kakashi, for all his talent, wasn't that strong.
"If the three of you went up against them, do you think you could win?" Kyoichi asked.
"Us? I think we could," Asuma replied after some thought.
Shisui and Kurenai nodded in agreement.
Kakashi was strong, but he was only one person. If they neutralized Obito and Rin first, it wouldn't be difficult to deal with Kakashi afterward.
"Minato, let them join the next round."
"Alright. I'll wrap this up quickly so they don't exhaust too much chakra."
Minato's shadow clone dispersed, and in an instant, the pace of the battle shifted.
With a sudden burst of speed, Minato knocked the forehead protectors off Kakashi, Obito, and Rin in quick succession.
"All of you fail!"
Minato's expression turned serious.
He glanced at the three of them before focusing on Kakashi.
"If this is what you think being a ninja is, then I suggest you all go back to the Academy. Don't set foot on the battlefield and risk harming both yourselves and others."
"Ugh..."
Kakashi gripped his short sword tightly, glaring at Obito before turning away with a snort, clearly dissatisfied.
"Not convinced? Fine. Fortunately, I invited Kyoichi and his First Squad here. You can spar with them and see what a real team looks like."
Minato's tone was sharp and unyielding.
For the first time, he truly understood why Kakashi didn't fit into any chūnin team and why the Third Hokage had assigned him to Minato for restructuring.
With that attitude, how could he expect to function in a team?
***************************************
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