C8 Survival Drill

The next day, Hong, who was well-versed in the original story, had planned to sleep in before heading to the training field. But the ever-energetic Sakura wouldn't let him lounge in the comfort of his bed. She burst into his room early in the morning, yanked off his warm blankets, and woke him up by force.

Groggy and bleary-eyed, Hong tried to reason with Sakura, explaining there was no rush since even Kakashi had been late for the class division, and the survival exercise surely wouldn't start that early. Sakura, however, was having none of it. She didn't even allow Hong to grab breakfast before dragging the reluctant boy to the agreed-upon training field.

As expected, Kakashi was late. Hong greeted the three youngsters with a nod and climbed up a tree to catch some more sleep. Meanwhile, Naruto and the others sat aside, resting and conserving their energy in anticipation of the upcoming assessment.

As the sun climbed higher into the sky, Hong, deep in slumber, cracked open his eyes to gaze at the distant forest. He smiled and then drifted back to sleep.

Kakashi, perched on a branch, observed the four individuals each doing their own thing and felt a twinge of dissatisfaction. He pulled out four kunai from his blade tool pouch and hurled them at the group. Hong couldn't be bothered to evade; without standing, he casually tossed a shuriken, deflecting the incoming kunai. The others, alerted by the whistling sound, managed to dodge the kunai's assault.

Kakashi hadn't intended to injure them; his aim was to jolt them out of their complacency with a sharp reminder to stay alert.

Naruto and the others assumed combat stances, but relaxed their guard when they saw Kakashi saunter out at his own leisurely pace. "Mr. Kakashi, you're late!" Hong called out as he leapt down from the tree, eyeing Kakashi with a mix of annoyance and disbelief.

"Sorry about that," Kakashi replied with his usual nonchalance. "I got lost on the path of life today."

"Never mind that," Kakashi continued, addressing the group's lax attitude. "You're all so careless and completely off guard, especially you, Hong. You even fell asleep. Do you think you can truly become a Ninja like this?"

"Mr. Kakashi, we're simply conserving our energy," Hong retorted with a hint of defiance. "It shows we're taking the upcoming exam very seriously!"

Kakashi listened to Hong's clever excuse without judgment and then declared, "Well, let's get started with today's test!" He produced three bells and held them up. "Here we have three bells. Only those who manage to get one can pass the test and officially become a Low Ninja!"

"Remember, if you're not prepared to take me down, you won't stand a chance of getting those bells from me!"

"Get ready!"

"Begin!"

At Kakashi's command, Sasuke and Sakura leaped away, each seeking a place to conceal themselves.

Only Naruto and Mr. Hirome remained standing in place.

Naruto glanced at Mr. Hirome, "Mr. Hirome, please let me handle this. I want to challenge him to a fair match!"

"Ah, I was just too slow and failed to find a hiding spot in time. Don't worry about me, Naruto. Go ahead and show us what you've got!" With that, Mr. Hirome shifted to the side and took a seat on the grass, ready to watch the spectacle unfold.

"I'll give it my all, Mr. Hirome. Just watch!"

"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Naruto's standard opener sent a barrage of Shadow Clones charging at Kakashi.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the sheer number of Shadow Clones Naruto had created. Considering Naruto's lineage, he quickly came to terms with it.

'But with this many clones, I need to step up my game a bit!'

Setting aside the book he was about to pull out, he engaged Naruto's Shadow Clones.

Yet, the anticipated easy takedown did not occur.

Naruto's Shadow Clones, employing Physical Techniques, exchanged blows with Kakashi. Even if Kakashi was holding back, it was evident that Mr. Hirome's training had significantly improved Naruto's physical prowess.

As the battle continued, Kakashi realized that Naruto, once the class underdog, possessed commendable physical skills, rivaling that of a Middle Ninja.

Now, with the Multiple Shadow Clone technique, Naruto was showing the potential of an elite Middle Ninja.

Kakashi wasn't the only one taken aback. Sasuke and Sakura, hidden in the distance, were utterly astonished by the display of power Naruto was showcasing.

The Naruto before them was a far cry from the one they had pegged as the weakest link.

"Damn, Naruto's gotten so strong. Even with my Sharingan activated, I'd struggle to beat him without any wide-range Ninjutsu at my disposal!"

Sakura, without drawing comparisons to herself, was equally shaken by Naruto's performance, a flicker of doubt crossing her mind. Was this truly the same Naruto who would never retaliate, no matter how much he was teased?

"Konoha Tornado!"

"Konoha Raging Wind!"

Naruto unleashed a flurry of physical techniques he had learned from Mr. Hirome, throwing Kakashi into disarray.

As Naruto's attacks grew more intense, Kakashi decided he had assessed enough and used the Instant Movement Technique to evade Naruto's assault.

"Fire Escape: Dragon Fire Technique!"

A jet of flame erupted, obliterating Naruto's Shadow Clone.

Amidst the distraction of the Shadow Clone, Naruto had stealthily moved behind Kakashi and delivered a powerful kick.

Thinking he had triumphed, Naruto was surprised to find that the Kakashi before him had transformed into a log.

Simultaneously, a tremendous force from beneath yanked Naruto into the earth.

"Heart Slash Technique!"

Watching Naruto yell for release, Kakashi chuckled and remarked, "You might as well stay put underground for a bit longer!"

"So, who's next?"

"Uh, Mr. Kakashi, perhaps you should deal with those two first. I'm merely a Medicine Ninja, posing no threat!"

Hong tried to look innocent as Kakashi's gaze fell on him.

"Is that so? Well, it might be wise to take care of the other two troublemakers first!"

With those words, Kakashi vanished from Hong's sight.

"Naruto, you let your guard down!"

"I apologize, Mr. Hirome. I've disappointed you, but next time I won't fail!"

"Don't sweat it, you've performed admirably, even better than I anticipated!"

After a short wait, Kakashi returned.

"Now that those two are out of the way, only Mr. Hirome remains!"

Mr. Hirome quietly activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, along with its secret feature.

"Fire Escape: Gougakyu Arts!"

"Divination!"

"Fire Escape: Gougakyu Arts!"

Mr. Hirome, preferring not to exert himself, simply stood in place, using the divination's predictive ability to anticipate Kakashi's movements. He then preemptively launched the Gougakyu Arts at Kakashi's expected location.

In that moment, Mr. Hirome became a veritable barrage of spells, relentlessly casting Gougakyu Arts.

Kakashi realized he was unable to evade Mr. Hirome's relentless assault.

Mr. Hirome seemed to have an uncanny ability to predict Kakashi's next move, launching his Ninjutsu ahead of time to strike where Kakashi was about to materialize.

Narrowly evading the Gougakyu, Kakashi finally began to take the fight seriously.

He decided to stop dodging.

"Water Escape: Water Wall!"

"Pfft!"

The fireball collided with the water barrier and was extinguished, sending up billows of steam.

Realizing he couldn't just stand and deliver, Mr. Hirome drew the Heaven Leaning Sword he had purchased from the system and charged at Kakashi.

The two engaged in a fierce melee, the clashing of their blades echoing relentlessly.

As the battle with Mr. Hirome unfolded, Kakashi grew increasingly wary. Intelligence had indicated that Mr. Hirome excelled in Medicine Ninjutsu and Physical Techniques.

Setting aside Medicine Ninjutsu for the moment, Mr. Hirome's talent for Ninjutsu was clearly formidable, having demonstrated proficiency with a Grade C technique.

But it was the speed of his seals and the volume of Chakra in his Ninjutsu that truly revealed Mr. Hirome's mastery.

Then, Mr. Hirome showcased his swordsmanship. As the son of White Fang, Kakashi could discern the caliber of Mr. Hirome's skills, even though swordsmanship wasn't his primary focus.

A Medicine Ninjutsu prodigy with robust Ninjutsu abilities, Upper Ninja level swordsmanship, and the Physical Techniques mentioned in the reports—it was no wonder the Third Generation took such an interest in him!