After thinking for a moment, Kakashi waved his hand and said,
"You got the bell on your own strength. How could that not count?"
"Remember—ninjas should put the mission first."
"Right now, your mission is to get the bell. Once you get it, the mission's done. Don't worry about the process or the method."
Kakashi instructed them calmly.
Sure, the idea was a little… skewed.
But for these rookie little genin, remembering this could keep them from getting embarrassed during future missions.
"Wait… so if we get two bells, that means the mission's complete and we pass the test?"
Shinju asked from the side.
"Of course, but—" Kakashi started to say, then suddenly froze and looked up.
Shinju had just opened his palm.
Lying there were two bells.
Shinju: "So if I've got both bells, that means the mission's over, right?"
"Which means the three of us can just pass right now?"
Kakashi's eyes widened.
He frantically patted his waist—both bells were really gone!
When?!
He clearly remembered hanging them in two different spots on his belt.
Shinju had managed to snatch both at the same time?
What a move!
This kid would make a hell of a thief.
"You said it yourself, sensei—if both bells are taken, the mission's done, and if the mission's done, we pass."
Shinju pressed on.
Kakashi blinked.
So the little brat had outplayed him!
After a short pause, Kakashi shrugged helplessly.
"But I also said—one of you has to be left behind today. One bell means one spot to pass the test."
"And now you've got both bells. Which means it's time for you to choose—out of the three of you, pick two to pass."
Kakashi's gaze was playful as he looked at Shinju.
Nice try, kid.
Thinking you could pull a trick to drag your two teammates through with you?
Still… Kakashi was curious to see who he'd choose.
Given his close bond with Naruto, he'd probably pick him.
At best, he might be "noble" and give the two passes to Naruto and Sasuke…
Shinju thought for a moment, then asked,
"One bell only represents one pass?"
Kakashi nodded. "Right."
"Then all three of us can pass."
Shinju said it like it was obvious.
Kakashi frowned. "You're holding two bells—"
"Who said I only have two?"
Shinju grinned, opening his palm again.
A handful of bells—easily twenty or thirty—clinked together in his hand.
Of course, only two of them were real. The rest were cloned with the same technique used for shuriken replication—easy to pull off.
Kakashi: (๑ʘ̅ д ʘ̅๑)!!
Where the hell did this kid get so many bells?!
Did he know about the exam in advance?
Was this leaked to him?
Naruto and Sasuke were also frozen in shock.
"What even…?"
"I didn't see Shinju carrying bells this morning," Naruto muttered, scratching his head.
Shinju: "Sensei, you said one bell means one pass. That means all three of us pass, right?"
Kakashi knew he couldn't wriggle out of this one: (눈‸눈)
What a sly little fox—repeating exactly what he'd said earlier to trap him into keeping his word.
"…Yeah. I said that."
Kakashi forced a smile.
Which meant admitting the three had passed.
Originally, the bell test was meant to see their teamwork… and whether, after failing, they'd still look out for each other.
Sure, things hadn't gone quite according to his script.
But Shinju had done this for his teammates, so… close enough.
Plus, Kakashi could feel it—if Shinju stayed on this team, they'd never abandon a comrade.
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged stunned looks.
…That's it?
They hadn't even done anything!
Yep—having a god-tier teammate meant you could just lie back and clear the test.
"Hell yeah! Shinju's amazing—he carried us through!" Naruto pumped his fist.
Sasuke, more reserved, only blushed slightly in excitement… with a dash of jealousy.
After seeing Shinju handle the test so easily, Sasuke quietly swore to train harder and surpass him.
No way he was letting someone else hog the spotlight forever.
Kakashi sighed. "Alright—Team 7, all members pass. Starting tomorrow, you can take missions from the village."
…
Half a month later
Team 7 crouched in the woods like hunters waiting for prey.
"Shinju has reached Point A—ready to begin capture."
"Sasuke has reached Point C—ready to begin capture."
"Naruto hasn't reached Point B yet—wait for me a bit…"
Shinju: "Naruto, you're way too unreliable. Always a step behind."
Sasuke: "Yeah, if you don't hurry, the target will get away."
"Don't worry, I'm almost there!" Naruto panted.
"We can't wait. If we delay any longer, it'll escape!"
Kakashi's voice was sharp.
"What have I told you? The mission comes first—never let personal issues get in the way."
"Alright, just me and Sasuke can do it. If we work together, this'll be easy."
Shinju's expression was serious.
"I'm in," Sasuke nodded.
Kakashi glanced at their target, then barked,
"Good! Move!"
…
Rustle—rustle!
Shinju and Sasuke shot out of the bushes, pouncing on a shadow darting through the trees.
The little creature bolted to the side, fast and alert.
But Shinju wasn't letting it go—he whipped a shuriken from his pouch.
Whizz!
The shuriken split into dozens of clones, raining down to block every escape route.
Sasuke seized the opening, leaping in from the side and pinning the creature to the ground.
"Mrrrow~"
Pinned and whining pitifully… was an utterly harmless little cat.
"Confirm the identity," Kakashi reminded.
"Yeah—bow on the ear. This is the cat we were looking for," Shinju confirmed.
"Good work. That's your second mission today, and it went smoothly," Kakashi nodded.
"Let's turn it in."
Shinju picked up the cat.
Since they'd just graduated, all they could take were simple jobs…
Babysitting for neighbors, finding lost cats and dogs…
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