Sasuke and Sakura had been waiting since 5 a.m., and now it was noon. After such intense exertion...
Especially Sasuke, his stamina was completely drained.
Although Naruto had arrived at 8 a.m., he hadn't eaten breakfast either, so his stomach was growling.
The two of them took the lunch boxes, and Sakura quickly ate a few bites. She hadn't even had breakfast before rushing over.
Then, she noticed Sasuke was silent, staring at his lunch box with a somewhat somber expression.
"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke didn't answer Sakura's question.
Instead, he kept his head down but handed his lunch box to Naruto.
"You eat it, I don't need it."
"But... if you do that, all three of us will be sent back to the Academy."
Although Naruto was very tempted by the lunch box, he still remained rational and did not take it.
Sakura sighed upon seeing this.
"Sasuke-kun used up a lot of energy earlier. Naruto, if you don't mind, you can have mine..."
"Sakura-chan..."
Naruto was so moved he almost cried.
Sasuke took back his lunch box and muttered, "Hurry up. He could come back any moment."
Since Naruto was tied up, Sakura had to feed him herself. But at this point, she didn't feel embarrassed anymore...
Kakashi, who is hiding behind a tree and observing everything, silently continued playing the game on his phone and didn't intervene.
---
Half an hour later, Kakashi reappeared and said, "Let's continue. This is your last chance. Don't cry if you fail."
This time, the three of them exchanged smiles and repeated their previous strategy.
Sasuke would distract Kakashi, while Naruto and Sakura went for the bell farther away.
Sakura grabbed the bell and stayed in place, while Naruto went back to support Sasuke.
It seemed like they were replaying the previous round.
But this time, the person Kakashi caught is Sasuke.
However, Naruto ignored the bell nearby. With some of his stamina restored, he instantly created countless clones, surrounding Kakashi.
Facing the swarm of clones, Kakashi said calmly, "Think carefully. This is your last chance. Are you sure you don't want to become real Ninja?"
Naruto, however, grinned and said, "But right now, we just want to beat you up!"
Kakashi used Earth Release: Earth Flow River to dispel the clones closing in and threatened, "You two alone aren't a match for me! You've already tried once. You still have a chance to back out..."
In response, a kunai came flying through the air, with a bell tied to its end...
"But now there are three of us!"
A voice came from behind Kakashi. He turned to see it was none other than Sakura!
Sakura, using the momentum from her sprint, threw a powerful punch, "Take this!"
Kakashi became furious upon seeing this, and released some of the Chakra replenished by the Special Soldier Pill, forming a powerful aura.
"You guys!!! Don't you want to be Ninjas anymore?"
Naruto took the chance to rescue Sasuke, though the aura also made him uncomfortable.
But he still managed to shout back, "Haha, if becoming your Ninja means losing our friends, I think we'd rather repeat the year!"
"…"
Hearing this, Kakashi suddenly retracted his aura and smiled at them for the first time.
"A Ninja must remain calm and make careful judgments. But more importantly, they must value their companions!"
"Congratulations, you've passed my test. My name is Hatake Kakashi, and from now on, I'll be your Jonin Instructor"
---
As the sun set in the west, Yuto, having just finished designing level 2-8, got up to get some water.
But then he saw Kakashi standing at the door. Although he looked a little tired, he couldn't hide the smile on his face.
"Good afternoon, Kakashi. Though it's almost evening now... You seem really happy."
Kakashi smiled broadly, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, "Yes, where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire of the Will of Fire burns eternally..."
"I think I've found the new leaves worth my falling leaves for fertilizer and my burning body for nourishment..."
As he spoke, Kakashi looked toward the horizon, where the crimson sun bathed the earth without being harsh.
The clouds around it, shaped like various things, resembled newborn flames.
'Rin, Obito, and Minato-sensei... In today's Konoha Village, there are still children like our team, and I have become the Jonin Instructor of these children.'
…
At that moment, Kakashi recalled the ending lines of the twelfth level, which he had cleared countless times.
[The test is over. Understanding each person's resolve, Kakashi allowed all three to pass the exercise.]
[With their own dreams in mind, they took their first firm steps on the path to becoming true Ninja!]
At this time, Kakashi pulled out his phone. The screen was not turned off, and a dark picture was displayed on it.
In the darkness, white text gradually appeared.
The setting sun wasn't blinding, but it illuminated the black screen and white text... making it shine brightly.
[The Bonds Begins Volume, End]