The Bell Test

The Next Morning – Secluded Training Ground

The morning air was still cool. A thin mist hung between the tall trees surrounding the open field. Dew clung to the grass, and the sounds of forest birds echoed faintly. The sun had just risen, its light breaking through the gaps in the leaves.

At exactly nine o'clock, Jiraiya emerged from the trees with a casual stride and his hands in his pockets. As usual, his white hair was messy, and his expression wasn't far from boredom.

However, what made him smirk slightly was the sight of his three students already standing neatly, waiting for him—Minato, Mizuki, and Dekai—each with a calm but alert expression. As if they fully understood that today would be no ordinary day.

"Hooh... already prepared, huh," Jiraiya muttered as he pulled out two small bells from his pocket. The morning light reflected off their metal surface, producing a soft chime as he shook them.

"Graduation test," he said casually. "The rules are simple. Two bells... and three of you."

His gaze swept over each of them.

"Those who get the bells—pass. The one who doesn't—goes back to the Academy."

None of them reacted. They simply stared at him in silence. Minato frowned slightly but didn't ask anything. Mizuki crossed her arms, her gaze reading Jiraiya's movements carefully. Dekai, as usual, looked lazy but ready to fight.

Jiraiya clicked his tongue. 'Students this smart... are boring,' he thought, letting out a slow sigh. No one looked shocked, no one protested, not even a single question about the unfair number of participants and bells.

"Alright," he said, shaking the bells once more. "Use any method to take these bells. I won't hold back. If you're not ready to die, you'd better go home now."

He smiled wryly.

"Begin."

The three students vanished from their positions instantly. No sound, no signal—they slipped into the shadows of the forest with neat, disciplined formation.

Jiraiya stood calmly in the center of the field, the two bells dangling loosely from his belt. He scanned the surroundings without using a single jutsu.

"Let's see… what kind of strategy you'll use."

Suddenly, from the west, Dekai burst out of the bushes. His body moved quickly and steadily. He hurled several high-speed kunai at Jiraiya, then followed with a direct punch to the gut.

But... Jiraiya narrowed his eyes.

"Hm... that's not Dekai."

The movements were too fast and precise for a boy whose fighting style leaned toward raw strength. Sure enough, when "Dekai" moved his left hand to stab upward with a kunai, the movement was too similar to Minato's.

Jiraiya dodged and prepared to counterattack. But just as he was about to strike back, his combat instincts screamed—danger.

Jiraiya's eyes immediately caught a flash of a small explosive tag attached to "Dekai's" body.

With lightning speed, Jiraiya leapt backward.

BOOM!

The explosion shook the ground, scattering mud and smoke. But within the smoke, "Dekai's" body began to melt and fell into a puddle of earth.

Jiraiya grinned.

"Earth clone. Not just a visual trick, but using Minato's fighting style to reinforce the illusion. Nice."

As his feet touched the ground, a surge of chakra suddenly came from beneath.

"Tch—!"

Jiraiya jumped again just as the real Dekai burst up from the earth, trying to pull him down.

He emerged fully from the ground, sweat covering his temple. The attack failed, but it wasn't in vain. Just as Jiraiya landed again—

"Now, Minato!" Dekai shouted.

Minato dashed in from the left, his body like a streak of lightning. He struck fast, kunai in his right hand. Dekai followed close behind, the two of them pinching Jiraiya from both sides.

"Minato's fast and agile, Dekai's strong and heavy. Their combo… is troublesome."

Jiraiya decided to break their formation.

"Katon: Endan!"

A jet of fire blasted from his mouth, forming a wave of heat that forced Minato and Dekai to separate.

But… both moved in the same direction.

"What? They didn't split up?"

Jiraiya focused his vision and noticed a small symbol on their ears—barely visible.

'Communication fuinjutsu… Danzo's design,' he thought. 'That means… Mizuki is the brain and the scout. These two are just the spearheads. A team strategy… not individual.'

A faint smile appeared on Jiraiya's face.

But his excitement didn't last long.

A white flash shot toward him from the rear right—his blind spot. He quickly kicked Minato and Dekai away and leapt into the trees.

SWISH!

A sharp bone the size of a finger whizzed past, grazing his ear. Warm blood trickled down his jaw.

'Argh… damn it, are they seriously trying to kill me?!'

Jiraiya touched the wound on his ear. But then his eyes widened when he saw the shape of the projectile.

'A bone... Kaguya Kekkei Genkai?! Mizuki… has two Kekkei Genkai?!'

He stood frozen for a moment, but then he heard the chime of the bells. His eyes darted to the center of the field.

There, Minato and Dekai stood with triumphant faces, each holding a bell.

While Mizuki walked slowly out from behind a tree, her smile subtle but meaningful.

Jiraiya stared at the three. His ear still stung.

"So that bone attack was a distraction," he muttered. "You knew I'd focus on that danger, and Mizuki used that moment to… steal the bells?"

Mizuki nodded politely. "Exactly the moment you turned by reflex. Your focus went up, not down to your belt."

Jiraiya let out a long sigh and leaned against a tree trunk.

"…Good. Very good. A mix of technique, teamwork, calculation… even closed-channel communication."

He chuckled softly.

Jiraiya continued to watch his three students with a mix of surprise and admiration, his hand still pressing lightly on the shallow wound bleeding from Mizuki's bone fragment.

His gaze lingered on the pale-eyed girl.

"Two Kekkei Genkai… in one body. Hyuga and Kaguya? Sensei never mentioned this..."

In front of him, Minato and Dekai stood with satisfied smiles. The bells swayed gently in their hands, chiming softly, signaling their victory.

But that smile didn't last long.

Jiraiya crossed his arms and spoke in a serious tone, "Alright, you've got the two bells. But… only two of you pass. One of you still goes back to the Academy."

Silence.

The air seemed to freeze around them. Mizuki looked at Jiraiya without any clear emotional shift, but Minato and Dekai glanced at each other before stepping forward together—offering their bells to Mizuki.

Minato smiled, warm and sincere.

"This was all Mizuki's plan from the start. She's the mind behind this strategy. Without her, we wouldn't have made it this far."

Dekai gave a short nod. "Agreed. If only two pass, Mizuki should be one of them."

Now holding both bells in her hands, Mizuki looked at the two of them with slightly widened eyes. Surprised.

"You two..." she said quietly.

But instead of keeping them, Mizuki closed her eyes briefly, then tossed both bells back to Jiraiya in a smooth, firm motion.

"If only I pass… then I'm not interested." Her voice was calm but full of meaning. "A team isn't formed to find the strongest, but to find those who can complement one another. If you two don't pass, then neither do I."

She turned around and began walking away from the field.

Minato stared at Mizuki's back in awe, and Dekai—for the first time—nodded with full respect.

Jiraiya, still holding the bells, slowly broke into a wide smile. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction, as if witnessing something truly valuable.

"Good… very good," he murmured.

He tossed the bells into the air and caught them again with swift motion.

"You all pass!" he said loudly, causing the three of them to turn at once.

"What?!" Minato nearly choked on his words.

"So this was just a test?" Dekai asked flatly, though clearly suspicious.

Jiraiya laughed, scratching his head. "Yup. It's not about the bells… it's about teamwork. And the three of you—exceeded expectations. Far too good for mere genin."

Mizuki remained silent, her eyes fixed on Jiraiya sharply.

Still chuckling from their reactions, Jiraiya stepped closer to Mizuki. "But there's one thing that still bugs me…" he said quietly. "That bone. Your fighting style isn't just Hyuga. I know Kaguya traits when I see them."

He narrowed his eyes, his smile fading into a serious expression. "So… you have two Kekkei Genkai? Where did you get them, Mizuki?"

Minato and Dekai turned too, curious about the question.

Mizuki simply looked at Jiraiya, then shrugged casually, offering a small smirk.

"I don't know," she said lightly. "Maybe the Sage of Six Paths thought I was too cute and gave me a special genetic gift at birth."

She winked slowly, then turned around as if there was nothing more to explain.

Jiraiya frowned, then let out a deep sigh. "Yare yare… this kid." But the corner of his mouth curled up again. "Good. Never reveal your trump card too easily."

He patted Mizuki gently on the shoulder.

"If every ninja were as clever and cautious as you… maybe war wouldn't take so many lives."

Minato chuckled, then said, "Mizuki's probably too smart… sometimes I feel like she's reading my mind before I even think."

"She does that," Dekai said casually, sitting on the grass.

Jiraiya stepped back, gazing at the bright blue sky above.

"Alright. From now on, you are Team 6. Training begins three days from now. Use that time to rest and… prepare yourselves. Because you are no longer students."

He turned with a grin. "You're now… Konoha ninja."

The three children stood side by side, sunlight shining from behind them. Each carried their own burdens, ambitions, and secrets. But for a moment… they were just three kids smiling together, welcoming a new beginning.

And deep in her heart, Mizuki thought,

'A team like this… might not be so bad.'