Chapter 83: The Bell Test
There were three graduating classes in Liumu's year. By sheer coincidence, the class he was assigned to proctor was his own former homeroom.
Looking at the beaming, familiar face that greeted him…
"Why? Haven't seen me in a few years and don't recognize me anymore?"
Liumu: "..."
"Can't blame you. Got married in the last few years, put on some happy weight." The man chuckled, utterly unselfconscious about his expanded waistline.
Hearing his jovial tone, recognition finally dawned. A figure solidified in Liumu's memory.
"Teacher… Umino? Is that you?"
Umino Ikku—Liumu's homeroom teacher back in the day. The same Chunin instructor Jiraiya had barged in on to assess a five-year-old Liumu.
Looking at his former teacher, whose face now seemed… fuller, Liumu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "How… how did you…"
"Get so fat?" Teacher Umino finished for him with a hearty laugh, showing no offense. "It's the good life! You'll understand when you're older."
Inside the Ninja Academy Classroom
A collective gasp went through the room as Liumu walked in alongside Teacher Umino.
Might Guy, standing at the back, blurted out, "Liumu! You said you weren't proctoring!"
"Quiet!" Umino-sensei called out gently but firmly. "The assessment is about to begin. Shouldn't you all be reviewing the Clone Technique?"
This class had learned the Clone Technique years ago, back when Liumu was still a student. For a graduation exam, it wasn't a particularly demanding task.
True to form, Inuzuka Hana was the first up. Before Teacher Umino could even give the signal, she performed the hand seals flawlessly.
Poof!
A perfect clone materialized beside her.
"Pass. Next." Liumu stated simply, taking a Konoha forehead protector from Umino-sensei and handing it to Hana.
"Thank you!"
Liumu offered a small smile in return before turning his attention to the next student.
The assessment proceeded smoothly. Most of the class passed without issue.
After about half an hour, only one student remained. Liumu looked at him. "Uchiha Obito. You're up."
"He's become much more focused since you graduated," Teacher Umino remarked quietly beside Liumu, his tone appreciative. It seemed Obito had made a positive impression on his teacher in the later years.
"Does he still play pranks?"
Umino-sensei gave a wry chuckle and nodded. "But it's alright now. They've all learned to keep it within reasonable limits."
Back when Liumu was in class, the pranks ranged from flour bombs to surprise water buckets—typical childish mischief, often led by Obito and his crew of troublemakers.
Watching Obito successfully execute the Clone Technique, Teacher Umino stepped forward. He gently removed Obito's signature goggles and placed the forehead protector on his head.
"Prepare yourself. Your Jonin-sensei will be here to pick up his team soon."
Obito, for once completely serious, bowed deeply to his teacher. "Thank you, sensei."
"Go on, now. Go on."
Partings between teachers and students were always emotional. No matter how mischievous a student had been, after years of guidance, watching them step onto the right path was a teacher's greatest pride. Umino-sensei watched Obito, the boy who'd grown up under his care, with fondness.
With the assessments complete, Liumu stood and stretched with a loud yawn.
Beside him, Teacher Umino said, "I heard you're up for promotion to Special Jonin. Congratulations."
Liumu was momentarily taken aback, then smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.
Liumu didn't know most of the Jonin assigned to lead teams this year. He watched from the classroom as his former classmates were picked up one by one, until only Rin and Obito remained, waiting.
"Yo!"
A cheerful greeting came from the classroom window. Everyone turned to see Namikaze Minato perched on the sill. He hopped down gracefully into the room.
Spotting Liumu, he gave a brief, acknowledging smile before addressing the two genin.
"Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, correct? I'll be your Jonin-sensei. Namikaze Minato. I look forward to working with you."
Rin: (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
Obito: (╥﹏╥) Tears of a mixed sort—excitement and terror.
A standard genin team, including the sensei, was a four-person cell. Team Minato was currently one short.
Rin, looking confused, glanced at Liumu and then back at Minato. "Minato-sensei… our class is missing one person."
"Not missing!" Minato said with a light smile. "There's one more member waiting for us at Training Ground 7. Let's head over."
"Someone's already there?" Obito exclaimed in surprise. All the other students had been picked up. Who could Minato-sensei be talking about?
"Well, I'll be heading home then," Liumu said, having no particular interest in watching team evaluations. Since Obito and Rin had ended up on Team 7 as expected, his curiosity was satisfied.
"Oh, no, you come too," Minato said, his smile turning slightly sly. "Help me evaluate their capabilities."
Training Ground 7
"Kakashi?! Why are you here?!"
From a distance, Obito spotted the familiar figure on the training field, and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head.
He never imagined the "one more member" Minato-sensei mentioned would be Hatake Kakashi, who was already a Chunin.
And… Obito scanned the field several times. No one else was there.
This completely shattered Obito's expectations.
"Kakashi!" Rin smiled and ran forward to greet him.
Meanwhile, Liumu squatted on a tree branch some distance away, observing how Kakashi and the others would handle the assessment Minato had devised.
The familiar bell made its appearance. Minato addressed the trio. "This was the method the Third Hokage used to test the Legendary Sannin years ago. Today, I'll use it to test you."
The rules of the Bell Test were simple: Kakashi, Obito, and Rin had to take the two bells from Minato before sunset.
Simple in concept, impossibly difficult in practice. After all, their sensei bore the title "Yellow Flash." Speed was his signature. For two fresh genin and one chunin, snatching a bell from Minato seemed a hopeless task.
"A single touch will count as a success," Minato added.
Liumu, who understood the deeper purpose of the test, leaned back against the tree trunk, a faint smile on his lips as he watched the first-generation Team 7 being toyed with by their sensei.
Poof! Poof!
Kakashi created two shadow clones. Together with his real body, they moved to pin Minato down from three directions.
At that precise moment, Obito—who had somehow positioned himself above Minato—finished a rapid set of hand seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A roaring sphere of flame shot downward, aimed directly at the top of Minato's head.
(End of Chapter)
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