Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 351 Stealing the Bell, Kakashi in a sorry state
"Alright." Kakashi put away his book and put his hands in his pockets. "Meet at the third training ground at five o'clock tomorrow morning. Survival drill."

"Survival exercise?" Naruto blinked. "Didn't we already pass our graduation exam?"

"That's just the basics." Kakashi's tone was casual, but the content of his words made the three of them take it seriously: "Tomorrow's exercise will determine whether you are qualified to be my students. If you fail... you'll have to go back to the Ninja Academy to repeat your studies."

After saying that, he waved his hand and turned to walk towards the door.

As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back.
"Oh, right. Remember not to eat breakfast tomorrow."

"Why?" Naruto asked instinctively.

A wicked smile flashed in Kakashi's deadpan eyes:

"Because... it will come out."

Naruto subconsciously touched his stomach, a conflicted expression on his face: "If I don't eat breakfast... I'll throw up? What does that mean..."

Hinata nervously twisted her fingers, a hint of worry flashing in her pure white eyes.

But just as Kakashi put his hands in his pockets and was about to turn around and leave the classroom...

"Kakashi Jonin."

The sound of tingling flesh rang out, not loud, but clear enough in the classroom.

Kakashi stopped in his tracks.

He slowly turned his head, his exposed right eye looking at the boy who had always seemed overly calm.

Menma stood up from his seat and slowly said, "Since it's a survival exercise, let's start today. That way we can save some time."

The classroom fell silent for a moment.

Naruto was taken aback for a moment, then his eyes lit up: "Yeah, yeah! We don't have anything to do right now anyway! Let's start today!"

Hinata also stood up, her cheeks still slightly flushed, but her eyes were firm: "I...I'm fine too."

Kakashi's gaze swept across the three faces.

Naruto was eager to try.

Hinata was tense but determined.

Kakashi's expression was obscured by the mask covering the lower half of his face, but a hint of amusement flashed in his dead fish eyes.

"Wouldn't it be better to give you some time to prepare?" Kakashi's voice remained lazy, but the probing tone in his words was obvious.

Menma met Kakashi's gaze with an almost provocative tone: "The path of a ninja is destined to be filled with many unexpected situations. If you can't even handle an early assessment, then you don't deserve to be your student, do you?"

Kakashi remained silent for a moment.

Although his exposed right eye still looked unfocused, his gaze was fixed on Menma, as if trying to see through the boy's appearance to understand his true thoughts.

Of course he could refuse.

They easily make excuses like "tomorrow's plans are already made" or "you need to prepare."

but……

Kakashi's gaze swept over the three people standing together.

Naruto clenched his fists excitedly, eager to try.

Hinata was still a little nervous, but she had already stood next to Menma, her stance clear.

Meanwhile, Menma, the boy who made the suggestion, was waiting for his reply.

The three people were not standing randomly, but rather they were vaguely forming a triangular formation.

With Menma in front, Naruto and Hinata stood half a step behind him on the left and right respectively.

This wasn't a hastily put-together reaction, but rather a trained, subconscious tactical formation.

Moreover, the eye contact between the three of them...

When Naruto looked at Menma, his expression was one of undisguised trust and reliance.

When Hinata looked at Menma, although she was shy, the meaning of "I'll listen to you" was very clear.

Menma stood calmly in front, like a shield or a sword guiding the way.

This kind of bond... is something that ordinary classmates can't have.

Many thoughts flashed through Kakashi's mind.

He recalled some scattered intelligence sent by the Anbu, as well as Sasuke's assessment.

This boy spent six years at the Ninja Academy and never lost a combat test.

"This year's top student is quite interesting," Kakashi suddenly chuckled.

It wasn't a lazy laugh, but a light laugh with a hint of interest.

“In that case,” he shrugged and put his hands back in his pockets, “come with me to Training Ground Three.”

The third training ground outside Konoha.

This is an open area on the edge of the village, backed by a dense forest, with a tributary of the Namga River meandering through it. The river water is crystal clear and shimmers in the afternoon sun.

In the center of the training ground was a flat grassy area, with several wooden stakes and targets scattered around it, clearly the area where the ninjas usually practiced.

Menma, Naruto, and Hinata followed Kakashi to the center of the training ground and stood in a row.

The afternoon breeze swept across the meadow, bringing with it the fresh scent of the forest and the moisture of the river.

In the distance came the faint chirping of birds, and further away, the faint clamor of Konoha Village.

Everything appeared calm and peaceful.

Kakashi stood about ten meters in front of them, his hands still in his pockets, looking as relaxed as if he were just taking a stroll.

He took out two small white bells from his pocket, strung on a red cord, which reflected a warm luster in the sunlight.

"The test is very simple." Kakashi's voice was particularly clear in the empty training ground: "Whoever can find a way to get these two bells from me can become my student."

He paused, weighed the bell in his hand, and it made a clear "ding-dong" sound.

Hinata blinked and asked softly, "But teacher... there are only two bells."

"Hmm." Kakashi nodded, his tone remaining calm. "So only two people can pass the test and become my students. As for the other one..."

He drew out his words, his gaze sweeping over the three faces: "Go back to the Ninja Academy and repeat your studies."

"How could this happen—!"

Naruto immediately shouted, his face full of dissatisfaction: "This is not fair! We are all qualified ninjas! Why should someone have to go back and retrain!"

Kakashi ignored Naruto's protests and simply tied the two bells to his belt, near his ninja tool pouch.

Then, he added something that instantly put all three of them on edge:

"By the way, if you don't have the determination to kill me, you'll lose miserably."

After saying this, Kakashi pulled out the orange-covered book "Icha Icha Paradise" from his pocket, opened it with one hand, his gaze fixed on the pages, while his other hand remained in his pocket.

“Well then,” he said lazily, as if announcing afternoon tea, “the assessment begins.”

The moment he finished speaking, Kakashi's attention seemed to be completely drawn to the contents of the book. He even turned a page and made a soft, intrigued "Oh?" sound.

It was as if the three genin in front of him didn't exist at all.

In the forest at the edge of the training ground.

Three figures silently concealed themselves among the dense foliage, like shadows blending into the trees.

Uchiha Sasuke crouched on a thick horizontal branch, leaning against the tree trunk, his Sharingan already quietly activated.

In his scarlet eyes, two tomoe slowly rotated, taking in every detail of the training ground.

Slightly higher to his left, Uzuki Yugao leaned against a tree trunk with one hand, her long purple hair swaying gently in the breeze, but she remained as still as a stone statue, even her breathing was extremely shallow.

On the right, Sai was crouching on another branch, calmly gazing down, his face silent and expressionless.

"Kakashi-senpai's test..." Sai said in a low voice, "I see."

Yugao tilted her head slightly, glanced at Sai, and said nothing.

Sasuke stared intently at the center of the training field, his brows furrowed slightly.

In his mind, the reasonable tactic against a Jonin like Kakashi would be to immediately disperse and hide, take advantage of the terrain and environment, formulate a meticulous plan, and then strike when the opportunity arises.

But the three people on the training field made completely opposite choices.

As soon as Kakashi finished saying "The test begins," Menma, Naruto, and Hinata moved simultaneously without even exchanging glances.

It's not about retreating and hiding.

They are not standing in scattered positions.

Instead, he charged straight at Kakashi!
"The art of multiple shadow clones!"

Naruto's roar echoed across the training ground.

His hand seals weren't particularly fast, but the burst of chakra was astonishingly large.

With a series of loud "bangs," hundreds of Naruto's shadow clones instantly appeared on the training ground!
They were all wearing the same orange tracksuits, all sporting the same golden spiky hairstyles, and all wearing the same fierce, battle-ready smiles.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Come on—!"

"Snatch the bell—!"

The shadow clones shouted noisily and surged towards Kakashi like a tide, instantly engulfing the silver-haired Jonin who was still reading a book.

In the forest, Sasuke's pupils contracted slightly.

Multiple Shadow Clone Technique?
And... this quantity?!

As an ANBU ninja who had already begun his mission, Sasuke was well aware of the difficulty of the Shadow Clone Technique.

Naruto actually split into hundreds of them in one go?

Just how vast is this guy's chakra?!

Despite the shock, Sasuke did not believe this tactic was effective.

"A human wave tactic against Jonin..." he murmured, shaking his head: "Too naive."

Sure enough, on the training field.

Surrounded by shadow clones, Kakashi didn't even put down his book.

He still held "Icha Icha Paradise" in one hand, his gaze still fixed on the pages, as if the shadow clones that were howling and swarming at him were just annoying mosquitoes.

Then, his body moved.

It wasn't a quick dodge, nor was it a complex ninjutsu.

He just... casually lifted his foot.

One kick, and a shadow clone exploded.

Another kick, and another one exploded.

His movements appeared lazy and casual, even somewhat nonchalant, but each time he lifted his foot, he accurately struck the shadow clone's vital points. The struck shadow clone instantly turned into white smoke and dissipated, without even a chance to struggle.

One kick at a time, as easily as kicking away pebbles on the road.

Kakashi's gaze didn't even leave the book.

In the forest, Sai tilted his head slightly: "Kakashi-senpai... is indeed very strong."

Yugao nodded slightly: "After all, he is Konoha's Copy Ninja and former Anbu Captain-Commander. This level of attack doesn't even warrant his serious attention."

But that's it.

On the training field, an unexpected change occurred.

Amidst the sea of ​​shadow clones, a kunai was silently shot out.

The angle was tricky, the speed was extremely fast, and the target was three inches to the right of Kakashi's throat, which is the location of the carotid artery. Once hit, even if he didn't die, he would instantly lose his ability to move.

This kunai itself is not special.

What's special is that an explosive tag is tied to the tail of the kunai!

Moreover, the fuse of the detonator had already been lit, leaving a thin trail of sparks in the air!

"what?!"

Kakashi's pupils suddenly contracted.

The right eye, which had been staring at the book, finally looked away from the pages.

He didn't even have time to see the direction from which the kunai came before his body reacted instinctively.

"Replacement Technique!"

Bang!
Where Kakashi had been standing, a wooden stake appeared out of thin air.

The real Kakashi had already appeared on the trunk of a large tree ten meters away.

Almost at the same time.

boom--! ! !
The detonator exploded.

The flames and smoke instantly engulfed the wooden stake and the several Naruto shadow clones around it.

The shockwave from the explosion spread outwards, flattening the grass blades and sending several small stones flying into the nearby river, creating ripples.

Several shadow clones that were close by turned into white smoke and disappeared with a few "bangs".

A brief silence fell over the training field.

Kakashi stood on the tree trunk, his copy of "Icha Icha Paradise" already closed.

His gaze swept across the training field, and for the first time, a serious look appeared in those dead fish eyes.

"This kind of tactic..." Kakashi muttered to himself, his voice tinged with surprise and admiration.

The tactic of using shadow clones to create a large number of targets is used to distract and disrupt them, making the target lower their guard, while those hidden in the shadows launch precise long-range attacks.

This requires extremely high coordination; otherwise, the kunai might accidentally injure Naruto's body.

It also requires extremely high shuriken throwing skills, to get through dense groups of shadow clones and accurately hit the target, while also calculating the detonation time of the explosive tags.

More importantly... tactical thinking.

Knowing that ordinary attacks are ineffective against Jonin, he directly used the "unconventional" method of explosive tags, forcing him to take the situation seriously. Kakashi's gaze fell on two figures on the outer edge of the shadow clone group.

Menma and Hinata.

The two were standing together. Hinata's eyes were bulging with veins, and fine blood vessels were visible around her pupils in her pure white eyes.

White eyes.

Kakashi felt a chill run down his spine.

I almost forgot, the young lady of the Hyuga clan possesses eyes that can see through everything.

In the face of Byakugan, ordinary stealth and teleportation techniques will be much less effective.

"This is troublesome," Kakashi muttered to himself.

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Hinata's gaze locked onto him.

Those pure white eyes pierced through the tree trunk and the gaps in the branches, precisely locking onto Kakashi, who was standing on the tree trunk.

Then, she moved.

He drew two kunai from his ninja tool pouch with clean, swift movements, without the slightest hesitation.

The tail of the kunai was also tied with an explosive tag.

Raise your hand and throw.

Whoosh!Whoosh!
Two kunai tore through the air, their burning fuses propelling them straight at the tree trunk where Kakashi stood!

"Tsk."

Kakashi disappeared again.

This time, he used the Body Flicker Technique.

He landed behind a patch of grass at the edge of the training field, crouching low to minimize his exposure.

"Byakugan... This is troublesome." Kakashi quickly analyzed the situation in his mind.

If the opponent has the White Eye ability, then the effectiveness of ordinary stealth and ambush tactics will be greatly reduced.

Moreover, judging from their teamwork just now, the three of them had a much better understanding than expected.

Although he still had one Sharingan, they were just three newly graduated genin. Using all their strength was a bit of bullying.

'It seems I have to take Hinata offline first.'

Kakashi made a decision.

His gaze was fixed on Hinata in the distance.

The Hinata girl standing next to Menma was warily observing her surroundings.

In a one-on-one situation, with Kakashi's strength, it wouldn't be difficult for him to subdue Hinata instantly.

But the problem is, she's not alone now.

Naruto's shadow clones, under Hinata's command, had once again locked onto Kakashi's location and charged over with a roar.

Dozens, hundreds, like a golden tide, instantly submerged the bushes where Kakashi was.

Hinata and Menma stood together in the distance, each holding a kunai, vigilantly observing the battle.

Hinata's Byakugan remained active, her vision penetrating through the shadow clones to see Kakashi surrounded.

"Did it work?" Hinata asked softly, her voice carrying a hint of uncertain joy.

But the next second, her expression changed.

In the Byakugan's vision, Kakashi's chakra... disappeared?

No, not disappear.

underground!

Hinata lowered her head sharply, but it was too late.

A hand wearing a black glove suddenly emerged from the mud beneath her feet and precisely grabbed her left ankle!

"Earth Release: Heart Beheading Technique!"

Kakashi's voice came from underground, carrying a hint of composure as if his scheme had succeeded.

He planned to pull Hinata directly underground, leaving only her head exposed, so that she would temporarily lose her ability to move.

But at the very moment he exerted his strength.

Kakashi sensed that the weight in his hand was wrong.

It is not the weight and texture of the human body.

But...

wood?

Bang!
Hinata, who had been captured, turned into a wooden doll, and Kakashi was only holding onto the doll's ankle.

The real Hinata had already appeared five meters away, her pure white eyes warily fixed on the spot where Kakashi had just been.

Substitution!
Moreover, the timing was perfect; the substitution was completed the instant Kakashi's hand touched her!
"Tsk."

Kakashi poked his upper body out from underground, his face showing obvious surprise for the first time.

And just as he showed himself.

Menma appeared in front of Kakashi at lightning speed, his right fist aimed straight at Kakashi's face!

A simple, unadorned punch.

But the speed, angle, and force were all perfect and impeccable.

Kakashi's pupils contracted slightly, and he raised his left hand to block.

The fist and palm collided, producing a dull thud.

Kakashi felt the power coming from his arm, steady and substantial.

This is not the power of a twelve-year-old genin at all!
Menma's attacks did not stop; he controlled his strength between that of a Chunin and a Special Jonin.

One punch was blocked, and the left leg swept towards Kakashi's waist like a whip.

Kakashi leaned back, barely dodging the attack.

But Menma's offensive was like a storm, with fists, elbows, knees, feet... every part of his body became a weapon, and every attack was aimed precisely at Kakashi's vital points.

What's even more terrifying is that there are no gaps between his movements, one move after another, as fluid as flowing water, as if he has mastered martial arts to the bone.

Kakashi was forced to take the situation seriously.

He stopped blocking with one hand and started using both hands, moving his feet quickly to try to create distance.

But the hemp clung tightly to him and wouldn't let go.

The two figures moved quickly across the training ground, the sounds of fists and feet clashing densely like rain.

Kakashi grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed.

This boy's physical skills are incredibly solid.

It's not the kind of flashy, speed-oriented technique, but the most basic, practical, and honed killing skills.

Each move is simple and effective, without any unnecessary actions, and every exertion of force perfectly utilizes every joint and muscle in the body.

This level of taijutsu skill is nothing like that of a newly graduated genin!
More like a taijutsu jonin who has been tempered in countless battles and life-or-death struggles!

at this time.

Menma delivered a high kick to Kakashi's chest, which Kakashi blocked with his arms crossed.

But Menma's attack was just a feint.

The instant Kakashi blocked, Menma pushed off the ground with his left foot, his body leaping backward like a spring. At the same time, he drew three shuriken from his ninja tool pouch with his right hand and flung them out!
Whoosh whoosh!
The three shuriken, arranged in a triangular pattern, blocked Kakashi's escape route.

At the same time, Naruto's shadow clones surged up again, howling as they pounced on Kakashi.

Hinata, who was in the distance, was not idle either. She fired her kunai again. This time it was an ordinary kunai, but the angle was tricky, blocking Kakashi's retreat.

Three-sided attack!

Kakashi's eyes finally became completely serious.

The coordination of these three little guys is...so skillful.

They don't seem like rookie genin who's teaming up for the first time at all.

They're more like old teammates who've fought side by side for years!
Instantaneous technique!
Kakashi disappeared again.

This time, his target was clear—Hinata.

Since eye-rolling is the biggest problem, let's deal with eye-rolling first!
Hinata only felt a blur before her eyes.

In the Byakugan's vision, Kakashi's chakra appeared behind her as if by teleportation.

So fast!

Hinata was startled and instinctively turned around.

But the moment she turned around, she saw Kakashi's face covered by a mask, and his calm but sharp eyes.

Kakashi forms hand seals.

That's the starting stance for an illusion.

"I'm sorry," Kakashi said softly.

He planned to use a simple illusion to temporarily "disconnect" Hinata, rendering her unable to fight.

But at that moment, Hinata pulled a handful of things out of her ninja tool pouch with her left hand and then suddenly scattered them in all directions!

Detonating charm!
Dozens of explosive tags scattered like flowers from a fairy, covering an area with a radius of tens of meters centered on Hinata!
Even more terrifying is that the fuses of these detonators ignited in mid-air!

Chi Chi Chi -!
The sound of the fuse burning was so intense it sent chills down my spine.

Kakashi's expression finally changed.

Fell into a trap!
This "Hinata"... is bait!

He immediately tried to use the Instantaneous Movement Technique to escape.

But it was too late.

The detonating tags covered too wide an area, were too numerous, and the burning speed of the fuses was significantly accelerated!

Boom boom boom boom boom——!!!
The sounds of explosions rose and fell in unison.

Fire, smoke, and shockwaves instantly engulfed a large area centered on Hinata.

The training ground was blasted into craters, the turf was torn off, and dirt was scattered everywhere.

The shockwave from the explosion even reached a distant river, creating waves on its surface.

In the forest, Sasuke's Sharingan spun wildly, trying to see what was happening at the center of the explosion.

Xi Yan was ready to strike at any moment; the scene was truly terrifying.

A look of confusion appeared on Sai's face.

The smoke and dust from the explosion gradually dissipated.

The training ground was a complete mess.

However, Kakashi was not at the epicenter of the explosion.

Hinata was nowhere to be seen either.

There were only some wood chips and scraps of cloth.

And at the very beginning of the training field.

Menma, Naruto, and Hinata stood there unharmed.

Naruto looked excited, Hinata's cheeks were slightly flushed but her eyes were bright, while Menma calmly looked in the direction of the explosion.

Kakashi slowly emerged from the forest.

His clothes were a little disheveled, and his silver hair was covered with grass clippings and dirt, making him look somewhat disheveled. Although he wasn't injured, the explosion had forced him to use all his strength to dodge it.

His gaze fell on Hinata, who was completely unharmed, and then looked at the wood chips on the ground.

Shadow clone.

From the very beginning, that "Hinata" was a shadow clone.

The real Hinata was always with Menma.

They knew the importance of the Byakugan in battle.

They also knew that Kakashi would prioritize dealing with the Byakugan.

Therefore, they devised a decoy tactic centered around "protecting Hinata".

From the initial use of shadow clones to hold Kakashi back, to the later use of kunai and explosive tags to force Kakashi to take things seriously, to Menma's close-quarters combat, and finally to Hinata's shadow clones as bait to explode...

Every step is calculated.

Kakashi's gaze finally landed on Menma.

The boy, who had always seemed overly calm, was now calmly looking back at him, his face devoid of any pride or arrogance.

“Such tactics,” Kakashi said slowly, his voice carrying a hint of surprise and admiration.

"You made that decision, didn't you?"

Not a question.

It is an affirmative statement.

Mianma tilted his head slightly, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips:

"What do you think, Kakashi-sensei?"

The wind blows across the training field.

The bell on Kakashi's belt made a crisp "ding-dong" sound.

(End of this chapter)