By a clear stream on the edge of Konoha Village.
Four people sat facing each other.
The three Genin of the newly formed Team One and their Jonin Instructor, Yamato.
The atmosphere was somewhat stagnant.
Tejima Shinichi, Kobayashi Takeshi, and Satō Yū all had their eyes fixed on the honest-looking man in the Jonin flak jacket opposite them.
Yamato looked back at his three students, for a moment not knowing how to start the conversation.
He subconsciously raised a hand to scratch the back of his head, a gesture that made him seem even less like a formal Jonin.
The air was so quiet that only the sound of the gurgling stream could be heard.
'This is bad... my first time being a Jonin Instructor...'
Yamato felt a bit embarrassed inside.
'Why did Sandaime-sama suddenly assign me to be a Jonin Instructor... I'm completely unprepared.'
Yamato had a massive headache, so much so that he had consulted Kakashi Hatake overnight.
But that lazy guy Kakashi just tossed him a sentence: "Do whatever you want, just don't kill them," and then stuffed a notebook into his hands, calling it some kind of "Crash Course Guide for Instructors"!!?
Crash course... Yamato's head was a mess of tangled thoughts when a flash of inspiration hit him!
Right, the notebook!
Like grasping at a life-saving straw, Yamato hurriedly fished out the crumpled little notebook from his ninja tool pouch, flipped it open with a rustle, and quickly scanned the scrawled handwriting.
"Uh... well..." Yamato cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound more steady as he read from the notebook, "According to the procedure... next, let's introduce ourselves."
He looked up, trying hard to put on a serious expression, but the greenness in his eyes could not be hidden.
"Getting to know each other is the first step of squad cooperation. Um... that's it."
Watching Yamato's performance of needing to check a notebook, Kobayashi Takeshi's lip twitched, and he couldn't help but whisper to Satō Yū beside him:
"Hey, Yū... why do I feel like our instructor is... a bit... unreliable?"
Although Satō Yū didn't speak, her slightly furrowed brows and the touch of helplessness in her eyes showed she clearly felt the same.
But Tejima Shinichi saw more.
He knew what lay behind the name "Yamato"—
The dark experiments of Root, the subject of First Hokage's cells, the inheritor of Wood Release power, and... the Ninja who finally struggled out of the shadows to find his own path under the guidance of Kakashi Hatake.
A former tool was now trying hard to become a "teacher."
Yamato obviously heard Kobayashi Takeshi's whispering. A flash of embarrassment crossed his face, but he stuck to the procedure and pointed to himself:
"Since I am the teacher, let's start with me. My name is Yamato. Things I like... are... uh, clean environments and... um... architecture?"
He tried hard to recall what was written in Kakashi's notes:
Show an approachable side by mentioning some trivial hobbies, but saying it out loud felt awkward.
"Things I hate... are breaking rules and... waste? My dream is..." He got stuck. A dream? He hadn't really thought about that. After a long pause, he finally muttered vaguely, "...hope for world peace?"
This perfunctory answer made the speechlessness on Kobayashi Takeshi and Satō Yū's faces even more obvious.
Yamato also seemed to realize his introduction was terrible and quickly changed the subject, looking at the three of them:
"Alright, my introduction is over. Next is your turn. Um... let's start with you."
Yamato pointed randomly at Kobayashi Takeshi.
Seeing this, Kobayashi Takeshi sighed but stood up anyway, hands on his hips, full of energy:
"My name is Kobayashi Takeshi! I'm good at Taijutsu and Shurikenjutsu. I like to Cultivate and eat ramen, and I hate complicated things. My dream is to become a reliable Ninja who can protect his comrades!"
"Very good, full of spirit," Yamato nodded and made a few notes in his book, "Taijutsu and Shuriken, huh... next."
Yamato looked at Satō Yū.
Satō Yū stood up, gently tidying the stray hairs on her forehead, her voice gentle but clear:
"I am Satō Yū. I am relatively good at tactical analysis and trap setting. I like quietly researching tactics and hate actions without a plan. My dream is to become an excellent tactical Ninja."
As two civilian Ninjas, they hadn't been exposed to any Ninjutsu other than the Three Basic Techniques so far; they only knew some Taijutsu and throwing techniques!
Yamato nodded again, made another note, and finally turned his gaze to the quietest one from start to finish, Tejima Shinichi.
"Then, the last one."
The three of them simultaneously focused their gaze on Tejima Shinichi.
Kobayashi Takeshi couldn't help leaning forward slightly, Satō Yū also cast a focused look, and even Yamato put down his pen. As the undisputed Top Student of this class, leading by a landslide, his abilities and ambitions were undoubtedly the most intriguing.
Tejima Shinichi slowly stood up.
"My name is Tejima Shinichi. Currently, I mainly specialize in Wind Release, Water Release, and Earth Release. I have mastered several techniques like Water Dragon Bullet Technique, Earth Flow Wall, and Shadow Clone. At the same time, I can also use Medical Ninjutsu.
I like efficient Cultivation and solitary reflection. I hate trouble and meaningless hot-bloodedness. My dream is to master enough power to freely choose the life I want to live."
Listening to Tejima Shinichi's introduction, a flash of surprise crossed Yamato's eyes. He nodded and praised:
"Wind Release, Water Release, and Earth Release, plus Medical Ninjutsu... to master so many types of releases at this age and even dabble in Medical Ninjutsu is remarkable."
A massive Chakra pool, proficient in three elemental Ninjutsu, and possessing medical capabilities.
Is this the boy Hokage-sama specifically told me to pay close attention to?
He truly is gifted, not falling behind Kakashi Senior at all!
As soon as Yamato finished speaking, Kobayashi Takeshi stared at Tejima Shinichi with wide eyes, his face full of shock:
"Really, Shinichi? You're so strong, I didn't expect you to even know Medical Ninjutsu?! That's amazing! Great! We won't have to worry about getting injured during missions in the future!"
Satō Yū also had a look of admiration on her face:
"I didn't expect you to be proficient in Medical Ninjutsu as well... as expected of our class's Top Student. With you around, the team's survivability will increase a lot."
Facing his teammates' praise, Tejima Shinichi merely nodded. Showing his medical abilities was partly a truthful introduction and partly a setup for using it during missions in the future.
Yamato took in their reactions, closed his notebook, and stood up.
"Since everyone has gotten to know each other's abilities, next..."
Yamato's voice suddenly became serious, and the pressure belonging to a Jonin naturally radiated out.
"We are going to begin the test."
"Test?" Kobayashi Takeshi blurted out with a confused look, "Haven't we already passed the graduation exam?"
Satō Yū also furrowed her brows slightly, clearly puzzled by this sudden test.
She asked, "Yes, why do we still need a test?"
Yamato's gaze swept over the three of them, his tone unchanged, even becoming a bit colder:
"The graduation exam only proved you possess the basic abilities to become a Ninja. But this test will determine if you are qualified to become my subordinates."
Kobayashi Takeshi and Satō Yū froze in place at the same time, a strong sense of unease rising in their hearts.
Yamato took out two old Bells tied with strings from his ninja tool pouch and shook them gently with his fingertips, making a crisp sound.
"The test will take place at the Third Training Ground. The rules are simple: the three of you work together to take these two Bells from me before noon."
He paused deliberately, letting the sound of the Bells echo in the silence.
"There are only two Bells." Yamato's tone suddenly turned cold, "This means at most only two people can pass the test and officially become my subordinates. And the one who fails..."
His gaze swept over their faces one by one, saying each word slowly:
"...will be judged as failing and immediately sent back to the Ninja Academy to repeat the year."
"What?!" Kobayashi Takeshi suddenly stood up, his face full of disbelief, "Sent back to the academy? This... this is too unreasonable!"
"Yeah... and with only two Bells, doesn't that mean no matter what, one of us three has to go back and repeat the year!?"
Satō Yū protested, her face turning pale instantly, her hands on her knees tightening unconsciously.
This sudden, cruel rule caught her off guard, just as she was immersed in the joy of becoming teammates.
Yamato looked at their protests expressionlessly, his eyes not wavering in the slightest, as if these doubts were all expected.
Tejima Shinichi's brow furrowed slightly as he looked at the Bells in Yamato's hand and glanced at his two teammates with their varying expressions; he already understood.
This routine again.
The classic scene for testing teamwork.
And looking at this setup, he must have learned it from Kakashi.
He hadn't even learned it fully, just the gist of it, otherwise he might have made them go hungry and start the test at noon the next day!
Tejima Shinichi could almost guess the subsequent development —creating tension and observing their choices and interactions under pressure.
Sure enough, facing the two's unwilling questioning, Yamato ignored them completely and just continued in a cold tone:
"Remember, do not approach this with the mindset of a drill. If you don't want to be eliminated, come at me with the intent to kill. Otherwise..."
He didn't finish the sentence, but the sudden spike in pressure and the increasingly ugly expressions on Kobayashi Takeshi and Satō Yū's faces said everything.
"Now, the test begins in ten minutes at the Third Training Ground. Anyone who is late will be directly judged as failing."
As the words fell, Yamato's figure vanished in a "poof" of white smoke, leaving only the crisp sound of Bells seemingly still echoing in their ears, and the three Genin looking at each other with heavy hearts.
Kobayashi Takeshi looked at Tejima Shinichi and Satō Yū, opening his mouth as if to say something, but not knowing what to say.
They were just happily becoming teammates, and the next second they were to become competitors...!
The originally harmonious atmosphere instantly became subtle and tense because of these two Bells.
Tejima Shinichi was the first to stand up, brushing the grass clippings off his pants. His gaze swept over his two teammates' varying expressions and finally stopped on Kobayashi Takeshi's face, which was full of internal conflict, his lips curling up slightly:
"Do you... trust me?"