As though answering Obito's question, a branch shifted overhead.
A figure dropped silently from the canopy and landed several meters away. His sandals touched the ground with barely a sound, and he calmly stepped into the sunlight.
Silver hair rose above a forehead protector tilted to one side. A black mask concealed the lower half of his face, while a short sword was strapped diagonally across his back.
Kakashi Hatake regarded Ren and Rin with one half-lidded eye. Then his indifferent gaze passed over Obito and settled on Minato.
"Minato-sensei," he said. "Should we begin?"
Ren finally understood the arrangement.
During wartime, Chūnin frequently supervised routine missions involving younger Genin. Kakashi had graduated years ahead of their class and earned his promotion through genuine battlefield experience. From a practical standpoint, he was more than qualified to serve as Minato's assistant.
Minato's missions were also unusually dangerous and demanding. He could be summoned to the front line or sent across the Land of Fire with little warning. Assigning someone to handle the team's basic missions and daily training in his absence was perfectly reasonable.
There was only one problem.
If Kakashi was officially their assistant instructor, did that mean they were expected to call him Kakashi-sensei?
Ren could tolerate it.
Obito clearly could not.
His face twisted in outrage, and he jabbed one finger toward Kakashi.
"Why does it have to be you?" Obito demanded. "I'm not accepting you as my teacher! You're only a Chūnin. I'm a Genin now, and I'll surpass you before you know it!"
Kakashi looked at him without the slightest change in expression.
"Oh."
Obito stared.
"What do you mean, 'oh'?"
"It means you should become a Chūnin before discussing how you'll surpass one."
"You arrogant—"
Kakashi ignored the furious Uchiha and stepped toward the center of the clearing.
"As requested by Minato-sensei, I'll administer your coordination exercise," he said. "You have five minutes to formulate a battle plan. After that, the three of you will attack me together."
His hand rested casually beside the kunai pouch strapped to his thigh.
"Your objective is simple. Defeat me—or, at minimum, avoid being defeated yourselves."
Obito's outrage vanished beneath a wave of excitement.
"You're letting all three of us attack you?"
"Yes."
"And you won't complain when we win?"
"No."
Obito tightened his forehead protector.
"Good! Don't regret it!"
Kakashi's visible eye shifted toward him.
"Your five minutes have already started."
Obito's expression stiffened.
Ren glanced toward Minato. The blond Jonin stood with his arms crossed and made no attempt to interfere.
This was not merely a test of combat ability.
The graduation examination had already evaluated their individual strength. The true purpose of this exercise was to determine whether three newly assigned Genin could communicate, form a plan, and function as a team.
Ren released a quiet breath and pulled Rin and Obito away from Kakashi.
"We don't have time to argue," he said. "The graduation exam focused on individual ability. This exercise is testing teamwork, which means one person needs to coordinate our movements."
"Excellent idea," Obito replied immediately. "I'll be the leader."
"Obito, be quiet and listen to Ren," Rin said.
Her gentle tone somehow left no room for disagreement.
Obito looked wounded.
"Rin, whose side are you on?"
"Ours. That's why I want us to have a plan."
Ren ignored their exchange and lowered his voice.
"Kakashi specializes in Lightning Release, Earth Release, and the swordsmanship passed down by the White Fang. He's most dangerous at close range, but that doesn't mean keeping our distance will make us safe."
His gaze moved between them.
"We need one person to pressure him directly and force him to reveal his movements. The second person will provide ranged support and interfere whenever he tries to counterattack. The third will remain hidden until an opening appears, then strike decisively."
Obito crossed his arms.
"Fine. Who's taking the front?"
"You are."
Obito's eyes lit up.
"Leave it to me!"
At this stage, Obito resembled a less capable version of Naruto—reckless, loud, endlessly confident, and almost completely unaware of the difference between courage and strength.
He genuinely believed there was not much separating him from Kakashi.
The opportunity to fight in front of Rin only made him more eager.
"Then I'll provide support," Rin volunteered. "I can use shuriken to restrict Kakashi's movement and watch for anyone getting injured."
Ren nodded.
That left him as the hidden attacker responsible for delivering the decisive strike.
In simple terms, Obito would absorb Kakashi's attention, Rin would create opportunities, and Ren would exploit them. It was the classic combination of a front-line fighter, support, and finisher.
Ren was better suited to confronting Kakashi directly than Obito, but putting Obito in the final role would be pointless. The boy lacked both the patience to remain hidden and the speed to capitalize on a brief opening.
This formation made the best use of what they had.
Ren quickly explained the rest of the plan. Then the three pooled their ninja tools and redistributed them according to their roles.
Rin received additional shuriken and wire.
Obito kept several kunai and most of the explosive tags.
Ren took a smaller number of tools, relying primarily on his ninjutsu and mobility.
From a distance, Minato listened without interrupting. A faint trace of approval entered his blue eyes.
The final practical examination at the Academy had partly been designed according to his recommendations.
Hiruzen wanted to determine whether Ren possessed the perception and adaptability needed to study space-time ninjutsu in the future. Minato had also used the examination to evaluate the graduating class's practical combat ability and potential for teamwork.
The results had not been encouraging.
Aside from Nara Shinen, most of the students had fought as individuals. They shouted over one another, attacked without coordination, and relied almost entirely on instinct.
Even Kakashi struggled with cooperation.
His strength was undeniable, but he had become rigid and uncompromising whenever rules or mission procedures were involved. That attitude had repeatedly caused friction with his previous teammates.
Minato understood where it came from.
The tragedy surrounding the White Fang had changed Kakashi deeply. After watching the village condemn his father for prioritizing his comrades over a mission, Kakashi had responded by clinging to regulations with almost desperate intensity.
Discussing who had been right or wrong would not heal that wound.
Minato could only guide him slowly.
Now, however, Ren was demonstrating something unusual. Rather than trying to display his strength, he had immediately evaluated the enemy, assigned roles, and organized the resources of all three team members.
That kind of judgment was rare in a new Genin.
Minato's gaze sharpened with interest.
He decided to continue observing.
Five minutes passed quickly.
Kakashi raised one hand.
"Time."
The three Genin moved at once.
Obito exploded from behind the trees and charged directly across the clearing. His hands flew through a sequence of seals as he ran.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
He inhaled sharply, filling his chest with chakra.
Whoosh!
An orange-red fireball erupted from his mouth. It roared across the clearing toward Kakashi, its heat bending the air and scorching the grass beneath it.
Kakashi did not move.
The flames struck him head-on.
Boom!
Fire swallowed his body.
Obito's face brightened.
"I got him!"
A burst of white smoke erupted from the flames.
The burning figure transformed into a charred log.
Obito's smile disappeared.
"A substitution?"
The ground beneath his feet suddenly softened.
Before he could retreat, an arm burst from the earth and seized his ankle.
Kakashi's voice came from below.
"Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique."
Obito had just enough time to look down.
Then Kakashi pulled.
"Waaaaah!"
The earth swallowed Obito's entire body, leaving only his goggle-covered head above the surface. Soil coated his face and filled his mouth.
He spat out a clump of dirt.
"That was cheating!"
"You attacked first," Kakashi replied as he rose from the ground beside him. "Blaming the enemy won't help you escape."
Kakashi's counterattack had removed their front-line fighter in seconds.
But Obito had accomplished his role.
He had forced Kakashi to reveal himself.
Rin was already moving.
She snapped both hands forward, releasing a wave of wooden shuriken. Several approached Kakashi directly, while others curved outward to limit his escape routes.
Kakashi drew a kunai.
His wrist blurred.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Metal struck wood in a rapid series of sharp impacts. Kakashi deflected each shuriken with effortless precision, sending them spinning harmlessly into the grass.
The instant the final projectile fell, he accelerated.
Kakashi crossed the distance between himself and Rin with frightening speed.
Rin barely managed to raise her kunai.
"Rin!" Obito shouted from the ground. "Watch out!"
Kakashi's first strike hit the side of Rin's weapon.
Clang!
Her arm was knocked outward.
His second strike came from below, driving against her guard with far greater force.
Clang!
Rin stumbled backward.
Kakashi rotated his wrist and snapped the hilt of his kunai against her hand. Pain shot through her fingers, and her weapon flew from her grasp.
It spun through the air, glittering in the sunlight.
Kakashi stepped forward to finish the exchange.
That was the opening Ren had been waiting for.
"Substitution Technique!"
His figure vanished.
The spinning kunai disappeared at the same moment.
Ren materialized in its place, appearing behind Kakashi's left flank while still carrying the momentum of the exchange.
His body twisted in midair.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Ren's leg swept toward Kakashi's ribs with enough force to break bone.
Kakashi abandoned his pursuit of Rin.
He pivoted on one foot, lowered his shoulder, and swung his kunai backward in a sharp reverse strike.
Bang!
Ren's shin slammed against the reinforced hilt.
A shockwave rippled outward.
Both boys were forced back. Kakashi slid several meters across the grass, while Ren used the opposing force to flip through the air and land in a low crouch.
Their eyes met.
For the first time since the exercise began, Kakashi's expression showed genuine attention.
Ren's hands were already moving.
Tiger.
The final seal locked into place before his sandals finished sliding.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Chakra surged through Ren's lungs.
Whoosh!
A blazing fireball more than two meters tall roared across the clearing.
Its size, speed, and heat far surpassed the technique Obito had released. The grass blackened beneath it, and the surrounding air twisted violently as the flames approached Kakashi.
Kakashi's pupil contracted.
He sheathed his kunai and slammed both hands against the earth.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Rumble!
The ground split apart.
A thick wall of compressed earth erupted between Kakashi and the incoming fireball. Several carved dog heads protruded from its surface, their expressions bizarrely lifelike.
Ren's Great Fireball struck the wall.
Boom!
The entire clearing shook.
Flames surged around both sides of the barrier, while chunks of burning earth scattered across the ground. Nearly half the wall collapsed beneath the impact, and one of the carved dog heads broke free and flew into the bushes.
The remaining structure held.
Barely.
Smoke, dust, and embers swallowed the center of the battlefield.
Rin retreated and raised one arm to shield her face. Obito stared from the ground, momentarily forgetting to complain about being buried.
"That fireball…" he whispered.
Minato's expression remained calm, but his attention sharpened.
The destructive power of Ren's Great Fireball was already approaching a level far beyond what one would expect from a fresh Genin.
Inside the smoke, Kakashi disappeared.
He used the damaged earth wall to conceal his movements, formed a seal, and sank silently into the ground.
"Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique."
His presence vanished beneath the soil.
Kakashi intended to repeat his earlier ambush—but this time, Ren was the target.
The instant Ren released Great Fireball, his hands began forming another sequence of seals.
He knew Kakashi would use the smoke as cover.
He had been waiting for it.
"Water Release: Water Clone Technique!"
Water surged beside Ren and rose into a human shape.
In seconds, an identical silver-haired figure stood at his side.
Beneath the ground, Kakashi was hunting Ren.
Above it, two Rens were already waiting for him.