BlackStar_BH:
More Power Stones and comments, guys!
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[— "Good. You're done."
"Tomorrow… survival training."
"At Training Ground #7."
"One more thing—"
"…Only those who pass will officially become Genin." —]
…
As they followed the scenes in the manga, many eyebrows rose.
"What?"
"Haven't they graduated already?"
Even some Jonin in the store exchanged glances.
Hiruzen chuckled lightly.
"Haha… just as I expected…"
Danzo, on the other hand, smiled only at the corner of his mouth.
"Clever…"
…
Young Kakashi stared at the page with wide eyes.
"Why another test…?"
Sakumo placed his hand on his shoulder.
"The real world doesn't recognize certificates, my son."
…
When Kakashi learned that out of 27 graduating students, only seven would be chosen to become Genin, and the rest would be sent back to the academy, civilians finally understood why it was tough for an ordinary person to become a shinobi.
Training wasn't easy; fully qualifying as a shinobi could take many years.
Seeing the shocked and frustrated expressions on Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke's faces brought real enjoyment to the readers.
…
[—
[The next day]
"Good morning, class!"
"YOU'RE LATE!!!!" shouted both Naruto and Sakura in exasperation.
"I've set this alarm to go off at noon." Kakashi said after setting the timer, leaving Team Seven puzzled about the nature of the challenge.
"I have here two small bells…"
"Your challenge is to steal these from me before the timer sounds," Kakashi revealed two bells tied together, announcing the task.
"Those who cannot get a bell by noon get no lunch."
"I'll not only tie you to one of those stumps, but I'll eat right in front of you." Kakashi pointed to three neatly cut tree stumps as he spoke.
'So that's why you wanted us to skip breakfast! Damn.'
Team Seven felt tricked as they rubbed their hungry stomachs.
"You only need to get one bell."
"There are only two, so one of you will definitely be tied to a stump." They heard the bells jingling as Kakashi shook them after saying this.
"And… The person who doesn't take the bell fails. So, at least one of you will be sent back to the academy."—]
...
Readers held their breath while reading this scene. Kakashi's description made the seemingly simple task extremely complex.
What was so difficult about taking two bells from him?
It wasn't about defeating him or anything like that.
But Hiruzen's expression carried a tone of surprise: "My bell test!"
The Third Hokage felt shocked and a bit nostalgic seeing the same test he had used while training Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru now implemented on Team Seven: Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
He's not the only one who felt a pang of nostalgia, but Jiraiya and Tsunade's eyes widened seeing the familiar test reused in this manga.
"WHAT?"
"SERIOUSLY?"
…
Danzo stopped smiling upon seeing the scene in the manga.
In the blink of an eye, Kakashi moved behind Naruto and grabbed Naruto's hand, holding the kunai behind his head. This happened in an instant, making Team Seven, who had underestimated Kakashi, immediately revise their superficial judgment.
This was their first glimpse of Kakashi's strength.
…
As the pages unfolded, readers felt they were truly experiencing the challenge with the trio. Even though most readers didn't yet understand the nature of the Bell Test, seeing an elite ninja evaluating three rising Genin, with everything at stake, carried a special thrill for civilians used to earning their daily bread through hard work or trade.
For shinobi, especially those just beginning their journey or academy kids, the Bell Test had a uniquely profound impact.
Kakashi sensed he was witnessing something entirely new. Having joined the academy only two months prior, with his father's recommendation to the Hokage, he was already an extraordinary child with a promising future.
Now, he was seeing part of that future directly before him—in the pages of a book! And in this mysterious future, the mystery was only veiled in the manga pages he had read so far.
"Amazing…" Young Kakashi's eyes widened as he saw his counterpart spring into action so fast that the three—Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura—couldn't even notice him. Then he secured Naruto's hand holding the weapon behind his head.
Then the test began as they all disappeared from their spots.
The next chapter's title read: Unpreparedness is One's Greatest Enemy.
Young Kakashi read the title curiously, but before he could move on to its contents, Sakumo spoke:
"Aren't you curious what that means?"
"What does it mean, Dad?"
"It will be a valuable lesson, I believe…" Sakumo smiled.
"Does that mean I'll also benefit from my counterpart's lesson?" young Kakashi asked in surprise.
"Isn't it obvious? Not only you, but everyone will benefit."
Sakumo knew the nature of the Bell Test… and he understood that everything Kakashi said to Naruto and the others about the test was nonsense.
The secret to passing the Bell Test wasn't in the individual effort…
'You must figure it out before anyone else, my son. You are the genius of this generation.' Sakumo smiled silently, wanting to see if young Kakashi would understand the true purpose of the test before reaching a conclusion already revealed in the manga.
Sakumo was also very curious about how Naruto and the other two would overcome this test. Their team had obvious cracks, as each had their own thoughts.
'So far, they haven't yet understood the meaning of a three-member shinobi team.' Sakumo felt sad as he recalled two members of his team… those he sacrificed everything to save, who ultimately ignored that sacrifice and added salt to the wound.
'I hope people understand me through this manga.' Sakumo silently wished before moving on to the next scene.
…
The basics of a Ninja are to hide yourself well.
Both Kushina and Minato agreed with Kakashi's words, but their expressions turned speechless the next moment.
Seeing Sasuke and Sakura hiding while Naruto stood there laughing joyfully, inviting Kakashi to fight him, left Minato and Kushina speechless.
"This…" Hiruzen slapped his forehead upon seeing the next scene, where Kakashi pulled out a book titled Make-Out Paradise and flipped through it as Naruto tried to grab it.
But the next moment, his face turned bright red. No one knew if it was from anger or embarrassment.
"What is this nonsense?!"
Everyone beside him wore the same expression.
…
"Hahahahaha!!" tears of laughter streamed from Jiraiya's eyes as he laughed hysterically.
"He really did it! Hahaha!" Jiraiya continued laughing loudly.
While Tsunade's eyebrows twitched, "Is this really Konoha's most secret and sacred technique? Mocking the boy?"
Beside her, Nawaki felt pain in his butt just looking at the scene, swallowed nervously, and then decisively turned the page.
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 36: Naruto Fights Alone.
Chapter 37: A Battle for Self-Validation!
Chapter 38: Might Duy's Appearance!
Chapter 39: End of the Volume — Team 7's Failure!
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BlackStar_BH:
The chapters currently available on Patreon are up to Chapter 52.
There are 18 advanced chapters available now:
5 chapters in the Silver tier ($5 subscription), 5 more chapters in the Gold tier ($10 subscription), and 5 more chapters in the Platinum tier ($15 subscription).
On Patreon and Ko-fi, too.
In the coming days, chapters will be made available for all tiers, reaching up to 50 advanced chapters… Enjoy!