25 - Two Bells
Three days later.
As the buzz about Konoha producing three genius graduates began to settle, a new wave of rumors quietly emerged.
Word of White Fang's mission failure, which had drastically increased pressure on Konoha's front lines, began spreading through the village's streets and alleys, carefully orchestrated by certain individuals.
Undercurrents were stirring.
Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of Konoha, three youthful figures appeared.
Yuto Souta, Obito Uchiha, and Kakashi Hatake.
Facing these three absurdly young kids, Minato Namikaze's smile carried a hint of helplessness.
No doubt, all three were geniuses.
But that only added invisible pressure on him…
Might as well start with teamwork.
Sighing inwardly, Minato kept his smile and waved at the trio.
"Hello, starting today, I'll be your jonin instructor, Minato Namikaze. Pleased to meet you."
After the introduction, Minato pulled something from his pocket.
Two bells.
Yuto Souta's brow twitched.
The legendary bells… They'd shown up after all!
"Here's the deal… There are two bells. You need to grab them before lunchtime to pass the test."
Minato briefly explained the rules.
Three people, two bells.
One of them was doomed to miss lunch…
Yuto Souta and Kakashi Hatake silently glanced at Obito Uchiha.
Yup.
The choice was made.
Obito Uchiha shivered instantly!
And the smile on Minato Namikaze's face slowly faded…
As expected, huh.
Though this team was made of three geniuses, their compatibility was this bad.
They hadn't even started and were already picking a scapegoat?
Lord Third, this mission… is tough!
Minato's inner helplessness grew, but his gaze sharpened.
"Directly choosing someone to ditch is a solid idea."
"But it only counts if you can actually take the bells from me."
"So… defeating me and grabbing the bells is your only option."
Minato said, hooking the bells onto his waist.
That was as far as he could hint.
This test was about teamwork.
A trial to build reliable bonds for future missions.
If these three insisted on going their own way, he'd have to show some strength and teach them a lesson…
"You've got five minutes until the test officially begins."
"You can prepare… a bit?"
Trying to drop another hint, Minato paused mid-sentence.
Because he realized… he seemed to be getting ignored?
The three kids had already huddled together, and Obito Uchiha kept sneaking wary glances at him, like he was guarding against a thief…
"Our opponent's a jonin. Unlike the Hyuga we beat before, this guy's speed… is insane."
Yuto Souta calmly and quickly briefed the other two on Minato Namikaze's strength.
"How fast?" Obito asked, stealing another look at Minato.
"Fast enough to punch you a hundred times in the time it takes you to form a seal."
"Huh?" Obito blinked, dumbfounded. "Then how do we fight?"
It wasn't just him—even the usually confident Kakashi Hatake's expression grew serious.
Yuto Souta never underestimated foes, but he also didn't overestimate them.
His analyses were always objective, calm, and cutting.
So… how do they fight?
The trio fell silent…
The current Minato Namikaze wasn't yet the future Golden Flash—where enemies abandoned missions at the sight of him, battles halted instantly, and he dominated the ninja world.
But Yuto Souta knew Minato only lacked those few defining battles…
He was still Konoha's elite jonin!
The real deal, built on skill!
Their opponent was strong.
Stronger than anyone they'd faced before.
Beating him was a pipe dream.
Watching their dynamics from a distance, Minato's heart sank.
Had a rift already formed?!
As expected.
Three geniuses together—conflict was inevitable…
But that was fine.
At least they were starting to communicate.
Taking that first step was a positive sign.
Minato kept adjusting his mindset.
Time ticked by…
The trio seemed stuck in a deadlock.
Yuto Souta's mind ran through countless tactical simulations.
Unlike the other two, he truly understood Minato's current strength.
But the more he analyzed rationally, the less feasible it seemed…
Finally,
prep time ended.
Minato tapped the bells at his waist, ready to signal the start.
And Yuto Souta let out a helpless sigh.
"Sorry, guys. I couldn't come up with a way to beat him," he said, his tone tinged with resignation.
Obito Uchiha's head drooped…
If even Souta said that, then… he was definitely missing lunch.
Sigh…
Should've eaten more at breakfast…
A flicker of surprise flashed in Minato's eyes.
So they hadn't clashed after all!
That was good…
But seeing Obito's dejected look, a pang of sympathy hit him.
Poor kid, he must be terrified…
No way.
As their teacher, how could he crush a student's spirit?
Minato started mentally drafting words to comfort Obito.
But before he could finish, another sigh sounded nearby…
Sigh…
"Guess we've got no choice but to take him head-on, huh."
--- Translator Note ---
Read 30+ Advanced Chapters on my Patre on!
This novel has 2 daily chapters being translated and released every day on Patre on!
Patre on.com/MyKitty