Chapter 18 — The Plan to Defeat Minato Namikaze
The moment Minato Namikaze finished speaking, he lightly tapped the ground with his foot and shot upward, his figure blurring as he leapt through the air. In a single motion, he landed atop the thick trunk of a towering tree nearly a hundred steps away.
Reaching behind him, he grabbed a sturdy branch and swiftly tied the three bells onto it, spacing them evenly—each about a meter apart. The cords swayed gently as he secured them.
A breeze passed through the forest, stirring the leaves. The bells chimed softly, their clear, crisp sound echoing through the clearing and drifting far into the surrounding woods.
"The bells are on the tree behind me," Minato said calmly, his gaze sweeping across the four of them. "Show me how you plan to defeat me and take them. Once you're ready… begin."
The four exchanged quick glances. There was no hesitation in their eyes—only eagerness and determination.
"Watch me!"
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Obito was the first to act. In an instant, he split into two, his clone forming beside him. Gripping a kunai tightly in his hand, he dashed forward at full speed toward the tree where Minato stood waiting.
Seeing Obito charge ahead without warning, the remaining three had no choice but to follow. They pushed off the ground and rushed forward together, closing the distance as quickly as possible.
Minato remained perched calmly on the tree, unmoving.
He drew a kunai from his waist—not to attack, but to strike downward beneath his feet.
With a sharp slice, something snapped.
A rope—perfectly camouflaged to match the bark of the tree—was severed.
In the next instant—
Shhh! Shhh! Shhh!
The air was torn apart by a piercing barrage of sound as countless kunai burst forth from hidden compartments, launching outward in all directions.
Hundreds… no, thousands of kunai surged forward like a violent storm.
The four of them ran straight into it.
"Traps!"
Obito, at the front, was the first to face the overwhelming onslaught.
At that very moment, unnoticed by the others, his left eye suddenly shifted—turning crimson as a single tomoe appeared within his pupil.
The one-tomoe Sharingan activated silently.
In an instant, the chaotic barrage of incoming kunai slowed in his perception. Their trajectories, angles, and speeds became clear, as if the world itself had been laid bare before him.
No one knew when he had awakened this power.
Obito and his clone reacted immediately, raising their kunai to deflect incoming attacks while twisting their bodies to evade the rest. With the Sharingan's assistance, his movements became sharp and precise, narrowly slipping through gaps that would have been impossible to perceive otherwise.
But the rain of kunai was simply too dense.
Within a single breath, the clone was struck repeatedly—its body pierced from multiple angles before dispersing in a puff of smoke.
Poof!
The forward momentum of their charge was completely halted.
Yet the barrage didn't stop.
Instead, it intensified.
More kunai poured out endlessly, the assault growing heavier by the second.
Focused entirely on defending themselves, none of them noticed that Minato had already severed a second rope—triggering another hidden mechanism and doubling the output of the trap.
The storm of steel showed no sign of slowing.
"No formation, no coordination—just rushing in blindly. And you think you can take the bells?" Minato's voice carried lightly through the chaos, calm yet laced with faint amusement. "You're far too naive. Do you really think it would be that simple?"
Watching them struggle under the relentless pressure, forced into retreat, Minato's lips curled into a subtle, knowing smile.
"Fall back!"
Obuya shouted sharply.
Kakashi reacted first. Realizing brute force would accomplish nothing, he deflected several incoming kunai with swift, efficient movements before leaping onto a nearby tree, retreating to a safer distance.
Obuya and Rin followed closely behind, withdrawing while avoiding the trailing barrage.
Obito, having charged the furthest ahead, was forced to lag behind during the retreat, narrowly escaping as the last wave of kunai tore through the space he had just occupied.
Only after they had completely withdrawn from the attack range did the barrage finally cease.
From behind them, Minato's relaxed voice rang out once more:
"Remember—you're preparing for the Chūnin Exams. If you can't even pass this trial, then in the first preliminary round… your lack of coordination will ensure your failure."
…
Elsewhere in the forest, the four regrouped beneath the shade of dense trees.
Aside from Kakashi, the other three looked noticeably disheveled.
Although Minato had deliberately dulled the edges of the kunai to prevent serious injury, the sheer number of them—and the indiscriminate nature of the attack—left faint cuts and scattered bloodstains across their clothes and skin.
"That was insane…!" Obito said, still catching his breath, his voice tinged with lingering shock. "Good thing this was Minato-sensei's test. If that had been a real enemy, walking into that kind of trap… we might not have made it out at all."
"That's what happens when you charge in without thinking," Kakashi replied coldly. "You ran straight into it. Who else would've survived that? Because of you, I didn't even get the chance to use any jutsu."
Obito immediately bristled. "Oh please, Kakashi. You mess up and then try to pin it on me? That's pretty shameless."
"Enough, both of you."
Rin stepped in quickly, her voice firm despite her gentle nature.
"Arguing won't help. Right now, we need to figure out how to deal with Minato-sensei and take all three bells."
Obuya nodded in agreement. "Rin's right. None of us can defeat Minato-sensei on our own. If we want any chance at all, we'll have to work together."
"Minato-sensei is way too strong," Obito admitted without hesitation. "He's the Yellow Flash. People say his enemies don't even know how they died. There's no way the four of us can beat him individually."
Obuya gave a small nod. "Exactly. And Minato-sensei knows that too. This isn't about defeating him outright—it's a test. He'll control his strength. What he really wants to see… is whether we can coordinate as a team."
Hearing this, the others fell silent for a moment before nodding. Their confidence began to return.
Kakashi spoke next, his tone steady. "Direct attacks won't work. The only way is to disrupt his position. If we can destroy the tree he's standing on—separate him from the bells—our chances will improve."
Obuya agreed. "That means we need a detailed plan. Every jutsu, every step—what it's supposed to do, and how the next person follows up if it fails. If even one part falls apart, the whole thing collapses."
The four of them gathered closely, lowering their voices as they began to discuss.
Time passed.
One idea after another was proposed, refined, and discarded. They analyzed Minato's speed, his likely reactions, and the limitations he might impose on himself during the trial.
Gradually, a complete plan began to take shape.
Two hours later—
"Hahaha! Perfect!" Obito laughed, unable to hide his excitement. "If we follow this exactly, there's no way we can fail. So what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Obuya glanced up at the sky.
The sun had already reached its peak.
"It's noon," he said calmly. "The longer someone waits, the more impatient they become. Minato-sensei is probably expecting us to attack soon."
He paused, a faint smile appearing.
"So let's make him wait longer. We'll move at dusk—when the light starts to fade."
Obito frowned, clearly not understanding the reasoning.
Kakashi, however, nodded slightly. "When someone grows impatient, they're more likely to make mistakes. Some of his prepared measures might not even be used."
Obuya added, "And when facing someone stronger than you, operating under dim light is always an advantage."
Obito scratched his head. "You two make it sound so complicated. To me, it doesn't really matter—but fine. I'll just take a nap until then."
With that, he leapt onto a tree branch and lay back without a care in the world.
In contrast, Kakashi immediately resumed training.
As a true prodigy, he pushed himself relentlessly—repeating hand seals over and over, refining each movement to its most efficient form so that when the time came, he could execute his jutsu with perfect precision and minimal delay.
"Obuya, your arm was cut by a kunai earlier. Let me heal it."
Rin walked over, her voice soft but filled with concern.
"It's fine. It's just a scratch," Obuya replied, shaking his head.
Among the four, his injuries were the lightest.
The original owner of this body had come from a small, obscure village, with little exposure to formal chakra training. His physical foundation had been average at best.
Even after Obuya took over, he had trained for less than a year. His speed, reflexes, and overall conditioning naturally couldn't compare to Kakashi or Obito—both of whom came from prominent clans and had been trained rigorously since childhood.