Without hesitation, Kakashi activated the explosive tag and, following its position, grabbed the end of the kunai.
He swiftly threw the kunai, now attached to the explosive tag, toward the densest cluster of Naruto's clones.
While Naruto's Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu was impressive, to an Elite Jonin like Kakashi, it was far too crude.
Kakashi had no trouble distinguishing the real Naruto from the clones.
The explosive kunai was aimed at the area with the most clones.
And there are two explosive kunai in Sakura's Ninja Pouch!
The second one was thrown between Naruto's real body and Sasuke.
Kakashi aimed to force them back without causing harm.
After all, the power of an explosive tag was comparable to a Jonin-level Fire Release Ninjutsu!
Getting hit directly would be fatal or crippling.
---
The three of them stared at the explosive kunai in shock.
Sasuke hadn't expected explosive tags to be used. After all, he learned that this is just a test.
So this time, he hadn't even brought such deadly tools with him.
Naruto, on the other hand, was frozen in place. Both explosive kunai had detonated near him...
Moreover, since shadow clones transfer their memories to the original upon dispelling, the sensation of being blown up replayed in Naruto's mind dozens of times. The other clones, even if they hadn't been hit, were so scared they dispelled themselves.
But the most confused person was Sakura herself.
'All I had done was lose my kunai in an instant...'
'How had things escalated so quickly?'
'And... how did sensei know that there was an explosive kunai in my Ninja Pouch? Looking at his smooth and unhurried action, it was obvious that he had planned this countless times...'
---
Seeing that he had successfully stopped the three of them, Kakashi spoke up.
"Speaking of which, calm down first. I haven't even explained the rules yet..."
"See these two bells in my hand?"
As he spoke, Kakashi shook the bells, producing a jingling sound.
Team 7, realizing they were outmatched, obediently listened and looked at the bells in Kakashi's hands.
Kakashi continued, "These two bells... mean that only two of you can pass my test and become Genin."
"W-what?"
"Huh? How can that be?"
…
Seeing the three of them were stunned, Kakashi was pleased, "That's right. Only by grabbing a bell can you graduate. Otherwise, go back to the Academy for another year!"
As soon as Kakashi finished speaking, a small hand suddenly reached out.
"Hehe, got it~"
Naruto laughed, not realizing his hand was moving further away from the bells.
The sneak attack failed...
Kakashi tossed the two bells into the air. As they flew, they separated, landing about a hundred meters apart.
If it weren't for the sound of the bells hitting the ground, even with a Ninja's sharp vision, it would have been hard to spot both at the same time.
Along with the sound of the bells landing came Kakashi's voice...
"Now, the test begins."
Only two of the three could pass, and the last one would have to repeat a year at the Academy...
The three Genin from Team 7 looked at each other.
Sasuke was the first to speak. "You two, just stay out of my way. Fight over the other bell however you want."
Then Naruto immediately fired back, "You jerk! If you hadn't thrown shuriken at me, I would've taken down that late, masked guy already!"
"Idiot, you're the problem here!"
"You are!!!"
Seeing the two of them arguing again, Sakura quickly stepped in to mediate.
"Stop fighting! Only two of us can pass. How about we decide by rock-paper-scissors..."
'Rock-paper-scissors?'
"No!"
"I… I don't want to either!"
The suggestion was unanimously rejected by both of them.
Meanwhile, Kakashi was guarding one of the bells, clearly hearing their argument and feeling utterly exasperated.
"Hey, hey, I didn't say you could decide the winner among yourselves. If you don't get the bells by noon, none of you will graduate."
At this, the three of them panicked.
It was almost noon. If they didn't give it their all now, they'd really have to repeat the year...
And then...
"Isn't this the Uchiha genius? I thought he was amazing, but he has to repeat the year with us..."
"Sigh, your father and I thought you'd become a Genin. I'm so disappointed in you, Sakura."
"Demon fox! Demon fox! Drive him away! He's a monster... he's here to ruin us!"
---
The three of them had their own thoughts, but one thing was certain... they all wanted to graduate! To become proud Genin!
The three members of Team 7 looked at each other again and simultaneously took a step forward.
What should have taken only a few seconds to reach ended up taking nearly twenty due to their constant interference.
In the end, Sasuke was the first to get close to the bell.
He used shuriken to push back Naruto and Sakura.
Sakura, having lost her Ninja Pouch earlier, had no weapons to use.
Naruto, on the other hand, had already used his Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu again, which made Kakashi envious.
'He can use it twice in a row...'
Seeing that Sasuke and Naruto fought over the bell, Sakura was on the verge of tears but refused to give up.
She had graduated from the Academy with perfect scores, but now she was being told to repeat a year... No one could accept such a blow.
So she wouldn't give up until the very end!
However, when she was just three meters away from the bell, Sasuke was already reaching for it...
At that moment, Kakashi, who had been guarding the other bell while playing on his phone, carefully tucked the device into his pocket.
The next second...
Sasuke smiled for the first time in a long time and said, "Heh, I win..."
But then, a flash of lightning struck.
Kakashi grabbed Sasuke's wrist with his left hand, stopping him from touching the bell, and then pinned him to the ground with his elbow.
His right hand, charged with the Raikiri, came down...
But it struck the ground beside Sasuke's neck, and the electricity dispersed harmlessly.
Sasuke wasn't hurt, but the sudden attack made his heart race, his pulse pounding in his ears.
When Sasuke opened his eyes, he wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he thought he saw a pair of furious eyes staring back at him.