Chapter 4: The Professor's Bell Test
We walked away from the detention center in silence, the morning sun doing little to warm the chill I felt. He led me not back towards the Uchiha district, but to the familiar, murmuring bank of the Naka River. I stared at his back the whole way, my mind racing. Finally, he stopped and turned, the ghost of a smile on his lips.
"Are you wondering why I let you out?" Hiruzen asked, his voice calm and measured.
I shook my head, shoving my hands in my pockets. "I don't really care why you let me out. I'm used to being locked up and let out on someone else's whim. I just want to know who you are. You look familiar. Have we met?"
He let out a soft chuckle. "Hahaha. I didn't expect you to be so… pragmatic. Your identity is a burden, that's true. But you can't control your origin." He paused, his eyes twinkling with a hint of amusement. "As for the familiar face, perhaps I just have one of those common looks."
I snorted. "You're definitely different from the others in the village. That just makes me more curious."
"Then let's get acquainted properly. My name is Sarutobi Hiruzen. I am twenty years old, a Jonin of Konohagakure. And, as of now, I am your captain. This is my first time taking on a solo recruit, so I suppose we'll be learning together." He gave a slight, formal nod. "Please take care of me in the future."
The name hit me like a physical blow, rooting me to the spot.
Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The future Professor, the God of Shinobi, the Third Hokage. My mind flashed with an image of an old, weary man with a white goatee and a smoking pipe. I'd never connected that figure to this young, sharp-eyed man in front of me. But the strength was already there, simmering beneath the surface. This wasn't the peak of his power, but he was already a force to be reckoned with.
"So it's you," I finally managed. "The Second Hokage's apprentice. And you say you're my… captain?"
"Indeed," he explained patiently. "Lord Hokage has decided to lift all restrictions on you. You are now free to learn ninjutsu, to leave the village on missions. I've reviewed the report of your altercation with Uchiha Ying. Defeating an elite Genin means your skills are at a serviceable level. I will oversee your development, and in time, you will be able to accept missions independently."
Free. The word should have felt like a liberation, but it settled in my stomach like a lead weight. I knew Tobirama too well. His hatred for my father was a deep, festering thing. He would never just "set me free." This was a different kind of cage. If I failed a low-ranking mission, it would be a mark against me. If I failed a higher-ranking one in the future, it would be all the excuse he needed to have me "disappear" for the good of the village. No one, not even Mito, could argue with a mission failure. The old bastard was probably dreaming about it with a smile on his face right now.
"The old fox," I muttered under my breath. "He's not even trying to hide it." I looked at Hiruzen, my eyes narrowed. "Is that so?"
"Of course," he said, his face a mask of pleasant neutrality. "For now, go home and rest. We will meet here tomorrow morning to begin assessing and improving your skills. Once you are ready, I will take you on your first mission."
With that, he turned and left, leaving me alone with the river and my swirling, paranoid thoughts.
My house was exactly as I'd left it: silent, dusty, and filled with ghosts. Lying on my thin mattress, I stared at the cracks in the ceiling. This was the home my mother had tried to make for us. Thinking of her inevitably led me to him.
"Uchiha Madara, you bastard," I whispered into the stale air. "I'm your son. Your flesh and blood. When you decided to throw your tantrum and leave, you could have at least taken me with you. You left me here to live this… this half-life." A fresh wave of anger, hot and bitter, rose in my throat. "Don't think I don't know you're still out there, hiding in some cave like a rat. Just you wait. If I ever see you, I'll make sure you understand what it's like to be on the receiving end. Even a small iron pot can crack a skull."
After cursing my absent father into the darkness, my thoughts drifted back to Hiruzen. From our conversation, it was clear he hadn't taken on his legendary students yet—the Sannin.
Speaking of which… I thought, another wave of resentment towards Madara washing over me. Hashirama has grandchildren running around. You only have one son, and you abandoned him. You're a failure.
The emotional whiplash finally exhausted me, and I fell into a fitful sleep.
The next day, the sun was already high and hot when its rays finally pried my eyes open. I looked out the window. "Some things never change, I guess," I grumbled, my body protesting as I dragged myself up.
After a quick, cold wash, I headed to the riverbank. It was empty. I checked the sun's position. It was past eight. I'm early?
Two long, boring hours later, a relaxed Sarutobi Hiruzen finally strolled into view.
"Oh, Tenchi! Have you been waiting long?" he asked, his tone infuriatingly cheerful.
I gave him a deadpan stare. "Long enough for the sun to start baking the ground. I suppose you just woke up?"
He had the decency to look slightly abashed. "Hahaha, my apologies. Things have been… busy at the Hokage's office. I may have overslept a little. But we're here now, that's what matters."
I let my face show pure, unadulterated skepticism. "I believe that like I believe in flying pigs. Let me guess, you were up late 'inspecting intelligence reports' again?"
"Alright, alright, let's get down to business," he said, clapping his hands together, his expression shifting to one of professional assessment. "You've had no formal Academy training, so I need to gauge your current level. We'll follow a time-honored tradition. A bell test."
He held up two small bells tied to a string. "Since you're alone, the objective is simpler. You don't have to take them from me. You just have to touch one. Succeed, and you pass this initial evaluation."
"Understood," I said. "Let's begin."
The moment the words left his mouth, I was already moving, my body blurring into the cover of the nearby woods. From the shadows, I watched him. He stood calmly in the clearing, not even bothering to adopt a defensive stance.
He's good, I thought, a grudging respect forming. He knows the gap is so vast he doesn't even need to try.
"I didn't expect your concealment skills to be this refined," he called out, his voice carrying easily. "Well, if you won't come out, I'll have to—"
He was cut off as a kunai whistled through the air, embedding itself in the ground where his foot had been a split second before. He had already sidestepped with an almost lazy grace.
I stepped out from the tree line, another kunai held ready in my hand. "The gap between us is too big," I stated flatly. "Hiding is pointless if I can't land a hit. And I can't just give up on the bell. There's no strategy but to face you directly."
My decision to reveal myself wasn't born of pure bravery. The moment I had hidden, that cold, familiar voice had echoed in my mind.
[Ding! System Task Released: Engage Sarutobi Hiruzen in direct combat for five minutes.]
[Reward: 100 Points.]
[Bonus Objective: Persist for ten minutes.]
[Bonus Reward: One-time free Sharingan upgrade.]
[Failure: Direct Obliteration.]
A hundred points was one thing. But a free Sharingan upgrade? That was a prize worth risking a beating for. I walked out without a second thought.
Hiruzen's eyes gleamed with approval. "Very good. It's a vital skill for a shinobi to recognize the difference in power between himself and his enemy."
Then, he moved. His hand dipped into his pouch and emerged with eight shuriken. In one fluid motion, he threw them. But as they flew, his hands flashed through a sequence of seals.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With a series of pops, the eight shuriken multiplied into a cloud of twenty-four, a whirling storm of steel that filled the air, leaving almost no room to dodge. The test had truly begun. The clock was ticking, and the price of failure was death.