In the Konoha Forest, outside the entrance of the Third Ninja Training Base, three children sat together, looking toward the direction of Konoha Village. They had already been waiting for an hour.
"Rin, we've been waiting for an hour already, and that annoying guy still hasn't shown up!"
Rin pouted. "Yeah, he's really unreliable!"
Kakashi glanced at Obito and said, "Even more unreliable than you, the guy who's late every single day."
Obito immediately grew irritated. "What did you just say, Kakashi?!"
"Oh, you all seem quite energetic," came a cheerful voice.
Their teacher, Takayama Haru, arrived in high spirits, a smile on his face.
Obito, Rin, and Kakashi looked at Haru's cheerful expression and instantly felt a sense of dread.
"Good morning, sensei!"
"Very good. You all seem lively. Let's head in."
All three of them silently grumbled about how unreliable their teacher seemed.
...
Deep inside the forest, Haru began explaining the rules to Kakashi, Obito, and Rin.
"So, as long as we can grab the bell from you, it means we win, right?" Obito asked.
Takayama Haru nodded. "Let's add something—whoever performs the worst doesn't get lunch."
"Huh?!" Obito yelped, a bad feeling rising within him.
"You've got two hours. Let's begin..."
Before he even finished speaking, a sharp whizzing noise filled the air.
Kakashi had thrown a kunai!
"Ah!"
Haru caught the kunai with ease and smiled. "Not bad."
Just as he finished speaking, Kakashi vanished from sight and reappeared behind Haru while Obito charged forward.
Obito froze, trembling slightly.
Rin covered her mouth in shock, eyes wide.
But in the next moment, Haru appeared behind Kakashi.
Kakashi's eyes widened. "Instant Movement Jutsu?!"
Before Kakashi could react, Haru grabbed his left leg and hoisted him upside down.
Kakashi didn't give up. With one hand, he reached for the bell on Haru's belt while the other hand thrust a kunai toward Haru.
"Not bad, don't be scared."
Haru tilted his head, dodging the kunai effortlessly, then flung Kakashi aside.
"Ow!"
Kakashi crashed into Obito, and the two of them tumbled on the ground.
"What is a ninja? You two look like clowns. Are you the cheer squad for ninjas now?"
Rin, hearing Haru's words, paused. Then she realized, "Kakashi, Obito, we can't act alone. We need to work together."
Haru smiled with satisfaction. "Girls are usually the smarter ones."
Rin beamed at the praise.
Kakashi stood up and dusted himself off in silence.
Obito muttered, "But there are only two bells. How do we cooperate then?"
"If we all try hard, but one of us still doesn't get to eat, what's the point?"
Rin immediately said, "We can share the food!"
Haru looked at team leader Rin with approval.
Kakashi, with his great strength and pride, often dismissed his teammates and preferred to act alone.
Obito, on the other hand, was insecure and timid, always complaining about the situation rather than thinking about how to overcome it.
At this point, the only one truly thinking as a team was Rin.
"Alright, let's go again. I won't use ninjutsu. Try to get the bell."
Two hours later, Obito was so tired he could barely stand. He pouted, "Sensei, you're a taijutsu specialist, aren't you?!"
In those two hours, they hadn't even touched the bells, let alone taken them.
Obito had assumed Haru didn't rely on ninjutsu, so they'd have a chance.
On the other side, Kakashi was sent flying again, hitting the ground hard but getting back up.
"Idiot!"
Obito grew angry. "What did I say wrong?!"
"He's Takayama Haru of the Senju bloodline! He's descended from the First Hokage! And you think the First Hokage specialized in physical combat? Are you joking?!"
Kakashi's rapid-fire response left Obito stunned.
Wait, what?
Takayama Haru of the Senju Clan?
Is our teacher really that amazing?
Rin, who came from a civilian family, hadn't known Haru's identity. Hearing Kakashi's words, she looked at Haru with admiration.
The First Hokage was revered as a god among shinobi in Konoha.
As his descendant, Haru naturally commanded great respect.
Haru chuckled awkwardly. "Hold on, I'm Takayama Haru, not a Senju."
Kakashi was dumbfounded. "Wait, sensei, you're not from the Senju Clan?"
Haru smiled. "Kids, don't worry about that. Just call me Haru-sensei."
As Haru spoke, another Kakashi suddenly appeared behind him.
A clone!
Rin and Obito's faces lit up.
Just as the clone Kakashi reached for the bell, their eyes nearly popped out—
The real Kakashi, hidden nearby, disappeared in a flash!
The one speaking was just a clone. The real Kakashi had been pinned to the ground by Haru.
"Oh? You used a clone? Impressive—using advanced techniques at your age."
Haru released Kakashi and smiled. "Good job. Remember, you're a professional first, then a ninja. Only as a team can you minimize casualties during real missions and war."
"Strength is important, but teamwork can make one plus one greater than two."
"Complementary strengths can turn the tide of battle."
"On the other hand, a weak link in a team often becomes the enemy's breakthrough point."
"For example..."
As Haru spoke, a small tree root sprouted beneath their feet.
Kakashi's eyes widened. He jumped back instantly. "Watch out!"
Rin quickly stepped away as well.
Only Obito stood still, confused.
"Huh?"
Before he could react, the root yanked him to Haru.
"Ah!"
Haru knelt down and flicked Obito's forehead, smiling. "See? This is the flaw in your team."
"Weak points can be fatal. Imagine this—you're on a mission carrying secrets, and you've been captured by bandits."
"Rin, Kakashi, reveal your secrets or Obito dies!"
"Ahh—"
Kakashi rolled his eyes.
Haru laughed. "I'm just giving an example. In that moment, you face a painful choice."
"Do you sacrifice your teammate to protect the mission, or abandon the mission to save a friend? Either choice means great loss for the village and could cost more lives."
Obito, ashamed and embarrassed, still protested. "Sensei, that's not fair! You caught me off guard!"
"And you said you wouldn't use ninjutsu—but you did!"
Kakashi muttered, "Idiot..."
Haru laughed. "Is there fairness on the battlefield? There are only heroes who survive and heroes who die in battle."
"Remember the Hero Memorial at the gate? All those names are fallen heroes."
"Do you think they cried 'unfair' before dying because the enemy exploited a mistake?"
"Did they say, 'The intel said it was a genin, how could they be stronger than a jonin? The intel must've been wrong—that's why I died!'"
Everyone grew silent as Haru's words sank in.
"Obito, if you don't want to be a burden, train harder. Don't just daydream about unlocking your chakra."
"If others train five hours, you train ten. If they train ten, you train twenty. You already lack talent, so stop living in fantasy."
"War is far more brutal than you imagine."
"And it's not far away."
"If you don't want to die, if you don't want to hold back your comrades, if you don't want to shame your clan, then train."
And with that, Haru saw Obito burst into tears.
Crying even after getting scolded?