Chapter 25: The Bell Test Begins
From his concealed position, Kamikawa Hiraoka watched the opening skirmish. Naruto, predictably, charged in with wild, telegraphed swings that Kakashi dodged with an almost bored ease. In a blur of motion, Kakashi appeared behind the flailing boy.
"Konoha's Secret Finger Jutsu: One Thousand Years of Death!" Kakashi announced in a mock-serious tone.
There was a sharp poke. Naruto yelped, his eyes shooting wide open as he was sent flying forward to land face-first in the dirt, clutching his backside.
Hiraoka couldn't suppress a snort of laughter. Some things are universal.
Seeing Kakashi momentarily distracted, Hiraoka shifted silently through the branches, catching Uchiha Sasuke's eye from across the clearing. A silent understanding passed between them. They nodded in unison.
In a coordinated move, a volley of shuriken flew from Hiraoka's position while kunai shot from Sasuke's. They weren't aimed to hit, but to pin Kakashi down.
The projectiles struck their target—only for Kakashi to dissolve into a log that clattered to the ground. Substitution Jutsu.
"He's behind you, Sasuke!" Hiraoka called out.
Sasuke was already spinning around, his single tomoe Sharingan active, tracking Kakashi's reappearance. He lunged forward, kunai flashing. At the same time, Hiraoka dropped from the trees, landing lightly to flank their sensei from the other side.
A pincer attack. Good instinct, Kakashi thought, finally tucking his orange book away. But instinct isn't enough. He decided to break their coordination by taking out the more predictable one first.
Ignoring Hiraoka for a moment, Kakashi focused on Sasuke. Their kunai met in a shower of sparks, a rapid exchange of thrusts and parries. Sasuke was skilled, his Sharingan allowing him to anticipate and counter each move, but Kakashi's speed and experience were on another level. In a brief opening, Sasuke's fingers even brushed against one of the bells, but Kakashi twisted away before he could get a grip.
Seeing Sasuke beginning to tire, Hiraoka moved in to engage, forcing Kakashi to split his attention. The two genin began a relentless wheel battle, one attacking while the other recovered, never giving their sensei a moment's respite.
"This is getting tedious," Hiraoka said during a brief lull, his eyes locked on Kakashi. "Sasuke, now! Full power from both sides!"
Without a word, they split, Hiraoka circling to Kakashi's back while Sasuke stood his ground in front.
They moved in perfect sync, their hands weaving through an identical set of seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!" they shouted in unison.
Twin orbs of roaring flame shot toward Kakashi from opposite directions, sealing off any escape. The air shimmered with intense heat.
Kakashi didn't panic. His own hands moved in a blur. "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
The ground rumbled as a thick, solid dome of earth erupted around him, shielding him completely. The two fireballs slammed into the defensive structure, scorching the surface but failing to penetrate. As the smoke cleared, the dome crumbled away, revealing an unscathed Kakashi.
But Sasuke was gone.
"Looking for me?" Kakashi asked mildly, glancing down. Uchiha Sasuke was buried up to his neck in the ground, having been pulled underground by Kakashi's Dirt Clone the moment the fireballs hit. He struggled, but was firmly trapped. "You should cool off here for a bit," Kakashi said, turning his attention back to Hiraoka.
Just then, a distant, frustrated scream echoed through the training ground—Naruto, undoubtedly having fallen for another one of Kakashi's simple traps.
So it's just you and me, Hiraoka thought, meeting Kakashi's gaze. The playful glint was gone from their sensei's eye, replaced by a focused intensity. The warm-up was over.
"Let's see how you handle this," Hiraoka said, his hands flashing through the seals for the jutsu he had copied from the Scroll of Seals. "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
POOF! POOF! POOF! POOF!
The clearing was instantly filled with over fifty solid shadow clones, a small army that surrounded Hatake Kakashi. The real Hiraoka stood back, his expression serious. This was no longer a test; it was a statement.
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I think the bell test has too many loopholes. What do you guys think?
Bless this small writer with stones.