The Third Hokage pondered for a moment, but in the end, he still couldn't ignore the matter.
He tapped the desktop, and an Anbu wearing an animal mask appeared silently in front of his desk.
"Keep an eye on Uchiha Yao, especially at night. I want to know everything he does!" the Third Hokage ordered.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
The Anbu vanished after receiving his orders.
That night, deep in the quiet hours, the Uchiha Compound lay still.
The Anbu assigned to surveillance used his excellent stealth and sensory abilities to keep a close watch on Yao's room.
Like a ghost, he waited in silence, keeping watch.
Everything in the room seemed normal!
However,
right at nine o'clock that night, Yao's chakra disappeared without warning, vanishing from the room!
The Anbu was startled and immediately expanded his sensory range.
At the same time, he quickly searched the Uchiha Compound and the surrounding area.
He found nothing!
The target...
had really disappeared.
It wasn't until five the next morning that the chakra belonging to Uchiha Yao reappeared in his room.
Early the next morning, the Anbu went straight to the Hokage Office and reported the matter to the Third Hokage.
Although he'd been mentally prepared, hearing the Anbu confirm it firsthand still left the Third Hokage incredulous.
"Did you find out where he went?"
The Anbu lowered his head. "While Uchiha Yao was gone, neither I nor the accompanying Sensor Team could detect any trace of his chakra anywhere in the village."
If they couldn't sense him anywhere in the village, then the only possibility was that he'd left!
The Third Hokage fell silent, his pipe suspended in midair as he remained motionless for a long while.
The result all but confirmed Danzo's suspicions.
He could come and go freely, slipping past the village barrier and the Anbu's surveillance.
There was hardly any other explanation besides a space-time ninjutsu.
And the Flying Thunder God Technique was the most typical example.
Of course, the Reverse Summoning Technique could do it, too!
Summoning Technique itself was a form of space-time ninjutsu.
If Yao had used the Reverse Summoning Technique, what was his Summoning Animal? When had he learned the Summoning Technique?
And if it was the Flying Thunder God Technique...
"You may go."
After a long silence, the Third Hokage waved his hand, his voice revealing nothing.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
The Anbu vanished.
The Third Hokage was alone in the office, smoke curling around him.
Uchiha Yao... Flying Thunder God Technique... Summoning Technique...
Where had he learned them? Had he figured them out himself, or had someone else taught him?
If someone else had taught him, who was it? Why did he keep leaving the village late at night?
The Third Hokage took a deep puff and looked at a team assignment list.
Team: Team 7
Members: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura
Jōnin Instructor: Kakashi Hatake
"Haruno Sakura..."
The Third Hokage murmured the name. She was a civilian girl with excellent theoretical scores and a clean background.
The original plan had been for Haruno Sakura to help ease the tension between Naruto and Sasuke.
But now, that plan seemed ill-suited to the situation.
A Uchiha who might have mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique posed a level of danger and importance that went far beyond the scope of a "balanced team."
The Third Hokage picked up his pen and crossed out "Haruno Sakura."
Then he wrote another name beside it: Uchiha Yao.
Team: Team 7
Members: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Yao
Jōnin Instructor: Kakashi Hatake
As the Third Hokage gazed at the list, his eyes grew distant.
Without a doubt,
this was Konoha's most complicated group of "problem children," with the greatest potential risks.
The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!
The last Uchiha!
A Flying Thunder God user?
Putting all three of them on one team might seem reckless, but it was a decision the Third Hokage had made after careful consideration.
Splitting them among different teams would mean using three times as many people to monitor and guide them separately.
Not only would that be inefficient,
it would also make mistakes more likely.
But if they were all put together,
under the care and instruction of his most trusted and capable elite Jōnin—Kakashi Hatake—
it would undoubtedly be the most efficient and safest option available.
Kakashi's strength, intelligence, Anbu experience, and connection to the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze,
made him the best choice to manage Team 7.
"Then it's settled."
The Third Hokage set down his pen. "Whether this turns out well or badly is up to you now... Kakashi, don't let me down!"
A week later.
Yao and Sasuke entered the classroom one after the other. It was already full of people.
The students were gathered in small groups, chattering away.
"Hey, who do you think we'll be teamed up with?"
"I hope we get a strong Jōnin teacher! A handsome one would be even better!"
"Big Forehead, you'd better not end up on my team!"
"Hmph, I don't want to be on your team either, Ino-pig!"
"What a drag... I don't care about the team assignments. I just hope we get easy missions."
"Whoever I'm teamed up with, Akamaru and I will still be the strongest!"
Yao and Sasuke found seats. Sasuke was as cold and unapproachable as ever.
Yao listened to the chatter around him, feeling a little curious about which team the old Third Hokage would put him on.
Just then,
the classroom door swung open.
Naruto bounced inside, hands on his hips, and announced loudly:
"Good morning, everyone!"
The classroom fell silent. Everyone stared at him in surprise.
Naruto clearly hadn't passed yesterday's Graduation Exam.
Sakura furrowed her brow. "Naruto? What are you doing here?"
"Hehehe!"
Naruto held up his thumb and pointed proudly at his forehead.
A headband bearing the symbol of a Konoha ninja was tied there!
"Get a good look!"
Naruto puffed out his chest, beaming with pride. "I'm an official Konoha ninja now!"
"What?!"
"No way!"
"Didn't he...?"
Everyone was surprised.
Naruto clearly hadn't passed yesterday's Graduation Exam.
Enjoying everyone's astonishment, Naruto adjusted his headband.
"Iruka-sensei gave me a special exam! I passed!"
"So, starting today, I, Uzumaki Naruto, am a real ninja! Hahahaha!"
Yao looked at Naruto, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. It was obvious that what was meant to happen had happened after all.
That guy had definitely stolen the Scroll of Sealing last night after Mizuki talked him into it, and learned the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
That wasn't a bad thing. If Naruto didn't have the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, would he even be Naruto?
Perfect!
He'd find some time to learn the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique for training.
Yao believed that with his Sage Body, he'd be even better suited to the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique than Naruto.
Just then, the classroom door opened again, and Iruka walked in with a document in his arms.
The noisy classroom fell silent at once, and every student looked at the list in Iruka's hands.
Iruka looked around at them, then opened the team assignment list.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! I'm about to announce the graduation team assignments!"
"Team 1..."
"Team 2..."
"..."
"Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Yao!"
"Waaah!!"
Naruto sprang up from his seat and grabbed Yao by the arm, shaking him excitedly.
"Yao! Did you hear that? We're on the same team! We're on the same team! This is great!!"
His face beamed like a sunflower. He was clearly overjoyed to be teamed up with Yao.
Of course!
Yao was Naruto's only friend in Konoha. Naturally, Naruto was thrilled to be on the same team as him.
As for the other teammate being the stuck-up Sasuke... It would've been perfect if they could swap him out for Sakura!
Naruto shook Yao until he felt a little dizzy. He gave Naruto a gentle smile, though he was a little surprised.
Had the original Team 7 really been broken up? Had Sakura been kicked out?
Poor Sakura!
Yao wondered which team she'd been assigned to.
"Team 8: Hinata Hyuga, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Haruno Sakura!"
"Uh..."
Sakura's face stiffened, disappointment written all over it.
Why was she on Team 8? She wanted to be on the same team as Yo-kun!
"Four people?"
Kiba looked at Shino and Hinata beside him, then at Sakura, their new teammate. Scratching his head, he asked, "Why does our team have four people?"
A quiet stir of murmurs and discussion spread through the classroom.
Teams of four weren't unheard of in the ninja world, but they were certainly unusual for initial assignments among recent graduates.
"This was Hokage-sama's decision, made after taking everything into consideration," Iruka explained.
"Team 8's instructor, Kurenai Yuhi, specializes in Illusion Technique and mental guidance!"
"Sakura has a talent for Illusion Technique. I'm sure she'll receive excellent instruction."
"Team 10: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, Ino Yamanaka."
"Just as I thought..."
Shikamaru yawned. "Being on a team with a girl is going to cause a lot of trouble."
Choji kept eating his chips and said indifferently, "As long as I'm on a team with you, Shikamaru, I don't mind Ino."
Ino looked just as dejected. She'd wanted to be on the same team as Yao, too.
But she knew she was destined to be on a team with Shikamaru and Choji. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio couldn't possibly be split up.
Before you continue