The moment the group stepped onto the field—
Obito was the first to react.
"It really is you, Kakashi!"
He pointed forward dramatically, his voice echoing across the training ground.
"You haven't shown your face in the village for months! What, becoming a Chunin made you too important to say hello to me?!"
The entire field fell quiet for a second.
Kakashi Hatake stood there calmly.
Dark green flak jacket.
Black mask.
One visible eye, half-lidded and utterly uninterested.
He glanced at Obito.
"…Idiot."
One word.
Flat.
Merciless.
Then Kakashi's gaze shifted past him—toward Ren, Rin, and the others—quietly observing the entire group.
"Is everyone here?"
No one answered immediately.
No one needed to.
Kakashi exhaled lightly and flipped open a small booklet in his hand.
"I won't bother with introductions. You all know who I am."
He paused briefly.
Then continued, his tone turning official.
"I've been assigned by Hokage-sama to serve as the special proctor for this graduation exam."
---
"Proctor…?"
Rin blinked.
Kurenai looked equally surprised.
Even several other students exchanged glances.
Kakashi had once been their classmate.
Now—
He stood above them.
Judging them.
That gap in status felt… strange.
Unreal.
---
But not everyone cared about that.
Might Guy stepped forward immediately, eyes burning with excitement.
"Oh! I get it!"
He clenched his fists, practically vibrating with energy.
"So this exam is about challenging you, right, Kakashi?!"
A grin spread across his face.
"My Leaf Whirlwind has been waiting for this moment! Let me be the first—!"
"On what grounds? I saw him first!"
Obito jumped in instantly, unwilling to lose even this.
"You think you're the only one who wants to fight him?!"
---
Kakashi's eye twitched.
"…You two idiots, shut up."
The pressure in his voice snapped both of them silent.
Then he glanced briefly toward the Academy building behind them.
Ren noticed it.
Two figures stood on the rooftop, barely visible against the sunlight.
Watching.
Observing.
Judging.
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly.
So he came after all…
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
That made sense.
The top performer of this graduation exam would receive a reward from the Hokage himself. Naturally, he would want to witness the candidates personally.
Ren didn't mind.
In fact—
He had already decided.
He would stand out.
---
Kakashi flipped a page in his booklet.
"Now, listen carefully."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
"This year's graduation exam will be conducted as a free-for-all battle scenario."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
Kakashi continued calmly.
"Each class will be divided into two large groups—attackers and defenders."
He raised his hand slightly, pointing toward the center of the field.
"That elevated platform will serve as the objective."
"The time limit is fifteen minutes."
"The side that occupies the platform at the end of the time wins."
---
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then—
Kakashi's voice cut through it again.
"You are free to use any means at your disposal."
"Ninjutsu. Taijutsu. Tools. Tactics."
"If you possess clan techniques or secret methods, you may use them as well."
A few students visibly tensed.
That meant—
This wasn't a mock exam.
This was real combat, just short of lethal force.
---
"If you encounter a situation you cannot handle," Kakashi added, "the instructors and I will intervene."
"But once we do—"
His visible eye sharpened slightly.
"—you will be eliminated from the exam."
---
The message was clear.
This was not a safe test.
It was a battlefield simulation.
---
"I will now read the group assignments."
---
Ren didn't listen closely to the names at first.
Instead, he kept watching the rooftop.
Two silhouettes.
Still.
Silent.
Observing everything.
Then—
The list ended.
And Ren finally turned his attention back.
---
Defending side:
Ren.
Obito.
Kurenai.
Ebisu.
Tonbo.
Mizuki.
---
Attacking side:
Rin.
Asuma.
Hyūga Homon.
Might Guy.
Nara Shikaku's younger relative—Shinen.
And several others.
---
The imbalance was obvious.
Even at a glance.
---
Obito frowned immediately.
"…Rin's not on our side?"
He clenched his fists, clearly unhappy.
But after a moment—
He puffed up his chest.
"Don't worry, Rin!"
"I'll defeat everyone here, take first place, get Hokage-sama's reward—"
He pointed dramatically at her.
"—and then give it to you!"
---
Rin blinked.
Then smiled politely.
"…Thank you very much."
But her expression quickly turned serious.
She looked at Ren and Obito.
"I won't hold back," she said firmly. "I'll use everything I've learned."
Her eyes were clear.
Determined.
"So… please don't go easy on me either."
---
Ren nodded once.
"Of course."
---
Nearby, several students on the defending side had already begun forming alliances.
Huddling together.
Whispering strategies.
---
"Hey, I've got a great idea!"
"What is it?"
"Fifteen minutes is long, right? If we defend from the start, we'll just get worn down!"
"So—let's give them the platform first!"
"…What?"
"Let them get arrogant! And arrogant armies always lose! Then we take it back and win!"
---
"…That's your plan?"
---
"Wait, I have a better one!"
Another student leaned in eagerly.
"Let's all transform into Hokage-sama!"
"…Huh?"
"If they attack us, it's disrespect to Hokage-sama!"
"And if they don't attack us, we win by default!"
---
"?"
"…."
---
Ren closed his eyes briefly.
He felt something inside him dying.
Slowly.
Painfully.
---
Konoha really is full of geniuses…
---
If he listened any longer, he might actually lose brain cells.
So he simply ignored them.
---
Instead—
He focused.
Carefully observing both sides.
---
The attackers were strong.
Very strong.
Asuma Sarutobi—elite lineage, solid fundamentals.
Hyūga Homon—Gentle Fist user, precise and dangerous.
Might Guy—pure taijutsu monster.
Nara Shinen—strategic mind, the real threat behind the scenes.
---
That combination alone—
Made them terrifying.
---
Then Ren looked at his own side.
Obito.
Kurenai.
Ebisu.
Tonbo.
Mizuki.
---
"…."
---
He understood immediately.
He was the core of this team.
The "thigh" everyone would cling to.
---
Technically, Obito and Kurenai also came from ninja clans.
But—
Let's be honest.
That didn't mean much right now.
---
Ren didn't waste time complaining.
Instead—
He began planning.
---
If they wanted to win—
He would have to confront Asuma.
And Hyūga Homon.
Possibly both at once.
---
His lips curved slightly.
Good.
That was exactly what he wanted.
---
A real measurement.
---
He wanted to see—
How far he had come.
---
Soon, the groups were led into the battlefield from different entrances.
Ren and the defending side reached the top of the platform first.
From that vantage point—
They could see everything.
The terrain.
The approach routes.
The enemy positions.
---
Across the field—
The attackers spread out.
Silent.
Focused.
Waiting.
---
For a moment—
Everything was still.
---
Then—
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
---
"The exam begins!"
---
"LEAF WHIRLWIND!!!"
---
Might Guy exploded forward.
Like a green blur.
In a single breath, he crossed dozens of meters.
He stepped onto the slope—
And launched himself upward.
His body spun—
A perfect arc of motion—
Then—
BOOM!
---
A devastating kick slammed into one of the defenders.
The student barely had time to raise his arms before the impact hit.
A dull thud echoed.
His body flew backward—
Crashing to the ground.
---
Instant elimination.
---
"Byakugan—Activate!"
---
Hyūga Homon surged forward next.
Veins bulging around his eyes as his vision expanded.
Two teammates followed him closely—
Charging straight toward the platform.
---
Everything happened in an instant.
Ren's eyes sharpened.
His mind moved faster than the chaos unfolding around him.
He turned slightly.
Voice calm.
Fast.
Precise.
"Obito—go deal with Might Guy."
"…Huh? Me?!"
Obito froze.
His brain hadn't caught up yet.
His first instinct—
Was to argue.
But before he could say anything—
Kurenai stepped forward.
Silent.
Decisive.
"I'll do it."
A kunai flashed into her hand.
Without hesitation—
She rushed forward.
Straight toward Might Guy.
And just like that—
The battlefield exploded into motion.
The real fight had begun.
--------------------------------
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