Facing Kakashi’s gaze, Naruto smiled gently and replied unhurriedly.
“It’s not that I knew in advance. After learning that our Jonin instructor was Kakashi-sensei yesterday, I asked Iruka-sensei about him. Kakashi-sensei hasn’t been assigned to lead a team by the Third Hokage for the first time, right? But none of the previous graduates assigned to Kakashi-sensei’s team ever made it. Obviously, it’s because they didn’t pass Kakashi-sensei’s tests. Combining this with what Kakashi-sensei said at the meeting yesterday, the result is clear: today’s special survival exercise is the final graduation test set by Kakashi-sensei for us three. Am I right, Kakashi-sensei?”
Kakashi looked at Naruto steadily, then slightly raised an eyebrow, showing a smile and nodding gently.
“That’s right, just as you said. Sakura, Sasuke, you’re not the first graduate assigned to me, and I have quite a bit of experience leading teams. But no team has ever officially formed because none passed my test. As Naruto said, this is true for all teams. The only difference is the difficulty. I can responsibly tell you that each year’s final pass rate is only thirty percent. You should understand what that means, right?”
The first part was directed at Naruto, but the latter explanation was for Sasuke and Sakura. Hearing Kakashi’s and Naruto’s words, Sakura’s face paled, and Sasuke’s expression grew even more serious.
The thirty percent pass rate Kakashi mentioned was already frightening. Naruto even said that none of the previous graduates in Kakashi’s teams had passed. This meant a zero percent pass rate? This thought made Sakura shiver uncontrollably.
Would they also fail like their predecessors today? Sakura wondered anxiously, looking at the smiling Kakashi.
“Alright, enough chit-chat. Let’s get to the formal test. As I mentioned before, you can only become an official Konoha Genin by passing my test and gaining my approval.”
Kakashi clapped his hands, drawing their full attention.
“Alright, it’s now 11 AM. The test will end by noon. If you don’t achieve the goal by then, you fail. If you don’t finish within the time limit, you also fail. The test is simple.”
Kakashi smiled lightly.
“Jingle jingle…”
He pulled out two bells from his pants pocket, hanging them on his waist.
“You can use any means necessary. You pass as long as you can grab a bell from me within the time limit!”
Kakashi’s eyebrows arched as he looked at Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura, and he smiled meaningfully.
“Here’s a piece of advice: if you don’t have the resolve to kill me, you won’t be able to get the bells.”
Kakashi’s words shocked Sasuke and Sakura again. Especially Sakura, who looked at the two bells on Kakashi’s waist with a very bad feeling.
“Um, Kakashi-sensei? You said we need to get the bells to graduate, but there are only two bells. Does that mean…”
Sakura asked weakly.
“Yes, just as you thought, Sakura. There are only two bells, so at most, only two of you can graduate. It could be just one or none of you might pass and have to repeat the year.”
Kakashi’s chin lifted slightly, his eyes flashing with a cold light. The slight killing intent in his voice made Sakura’s body shiver uncontrollably.
“Ah? No way!”
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
Only two can pass? Then wouldn’t she…
Sakura’s heart sank as she glanced at Sasuke and Naruto.
Sasuke’s face also grew grim. Stealing bells from a Jonin? He wasn’t sure about Kakashi’s exact strength, but being a Jonin itself was a testament to his power. While Sasuke was proud, he understood this more than most due to his background as the heir of the Uchiha clan. What did it mean to be a Jonin?
To take a bell from someone like that? The odds seemed too low.
However, regardless of what Sasuke thought, he had to participate in this survival exercise. He had no interest or time to waste another year at the academy. He had to pass this test today.
Determination flashed in Sasuke’s eyes as he looked at Kakashi.
Naruto, on the other hand, remained expressionless on the surface, but he inwardly smirked. It wasn’t that he thought Kakashi was trying to scare them. He knew from Iruka that Kakashi’s tests were extremely tough and that several teams had failed before. The bell test was a common method in Konoha to assess Genin. The thirty percent pass rate was real.
However, Kakashi’s later words were highly misleading. The main criterion for passing this test was teamwork, not necessarily getting the bells. If they could, great, if not, they could still pass as long as they met the assessment requirements.
Importantly, this was just a test. Kakashi wouldn’t go all out and would even hold back at times. Otherwise, the test would lose its meaning. The key was that Kakashi decided if they passed.
Naruto needed to keep this in mind. He didn’t doubt they could pass. Knowing the objective and core of the test, their chance of passing was over eighty percent.
Naruto’s next task was to subtly let Sasuke and Sakura know this or take the lead in uniting the team to pass the test.
And while doing so, use this opportunity with Kakashi as the target to see his own limits!
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