Sakura Was Kicked Out?

The Third Hokage pondered for a moment, but ultimately could not bring himself to ignore it.

He tapped the desk, and an Anbu wearing an animal mask appeared silently before it.

"Keep an eye on Uchiha Yao, especially at night. I want to know his every move!" the Third ordered.

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

The Anbu acknowledged the order and vanished.

That night, in the dead of silence, the Uchiha Compound lay still.

The Anbu assigned to surveillance, relying on exceptional stealth and sensory ability, locked firmly onto Yao's room.

He waited like a ghost, silent, watching.

Everything in the room was normal!

Yet.

At exactly nine o'clock in the evening, Yao's chakra fluctuation vanished—without warning, it disappeared from the room!

The Anbu was startled and immediately expanded his sensory range.

He quickly swept the Uchiha Compound and the surrounding area.

The result was nothing.

The target...

had truly vanished.

Not until five o'clock the next morning did Uchiha Yao's chakra reappear in the room.

Early the next day, the Anbu went straight to the Hokage Office and reported the matter to the Third.

Though he had mentally prepared himself, hearing the Anbu's confirmation still left the Third incredulous.

"Do you know where he went?"

The Anbu lowered his head: "During the time Uchiha Yao disappeared, this subordinate and the cooperating Sensor Team detected no residual chakra of his anywhere in the village."

If even the village's sensors couldn't detect him, he could only have left the village!

The Third fell silent, his pipe pausing mid-air, unmoving for a long time.

This result all but confirmed Danzo's suspicions.

To come and go freely, bypassing the village's barrier and Anbu surveillance.

There was almost no other explanation than a space-time ninjutsu.

And the Flying Thunder God Technique was the most typical of these.

Of course, the Reverse Summoning Technique of the Summoning Technique could also achieve this!

The Summoning Technique itself was actually a type of space-time ninjutsu.

If it was the Reverse Summoning Technique, what was Yao's Summoning Animal? When had he learned the Summoning Technique?

If it was the Flying Thunder God Technique...

"You may go."

After a long pause, the Third waved his hand, his voice unreadable.

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

The Anbu vanished in acknowledgment.

Only the Third remained in the office, wreathed in smoke.

Uchiha Yao... Flying Thunder God Technique... Summoning Technique...

Where had he learned them? Self-taught, or taught by an outsider?

If taught by an outsider, what kind of person had taught him? What was his purpose in frequently leaving the village late at night?

The Third took a deep drag from his pipe 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 murmured the name—a civilian girl with excellent theoretical scores and a clean background.

The original arrangement had been for Haruno Sakura to somewhat balance the conflict between Naruto and Sasuke.

But now, that arrangement seemed ill-timed.

An Uchiha suspected of mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique—his danger and importance had far exceeded the scope of "balancing the team."

The Third picked up his pen and crossed out the name "Haruno Sakura."

Then, beside it, he wrote another name: Uchiha Yao.

Class: Team 7

Members: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Yao

Supervising Jōnin: Kakashi Hatake

Looking at this list, the Third Hokage's gaze grew somewhat profound.

Without a doubt.

This was Konoha's current collection of "problem children" with the most complex composition and highest potential risk.

The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!

The Uchiha survivor!

The one who mastered the Flying Thunder God?

Concentrating them in a single squad seemed risky, but it was actually the Third's choice after deep deliberation.

Scattering these three among different teams would mean needing three times the manpower to monitor and guide them separately.

Not only was that inefficient.

It was also more prone to mistakes.

But gathering them together.

And placing them under the unified management and instruction of his most trusted, most capable elite jōnin—Kakashi Hatake.

Was undoubtedly the most efficient and safest plan at present.

Kakashi's strength, wisdom, Anbu experience, and his connection to the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

All made him the most suitable candidate to lead Team 7.

"Let's go with this!"

The Third put down his brush: "Whether it brings fortune or disaster depends on your fate... Kakashi, don't let me down!"

A week later.

Yao and Sasuke walked into the classroom one after the other, which was already full of people.

Everyone gathered in twos and threes, chattering away.

"Hey hey, who do you think we'll be grouped with?"

"I hope it's a cool jōnin teacher! Preferably handsome!"

"Big Forehead, you'd better not end up in my group!"

"Hmph, I don't want to be in your group either, Ino-pig!"

"What a pain... splitting into groups, whatever, I just hope the missions are easy."

"No matter which group I'm in, me and Akamaru are the strongest!"

Yao and Sasuke found seats and sat down. Sasuke still wore that cold, keep-away expression.

Listening to the chatter around him, Yao felt a bit curious too. Which group would the old Third Hokage put him in?

Just then.

The classroom door slid open.

Naruto jumped in, hands on his hips, and announced loudly:

"Everyone! Good morning!"

The classroom instantly fell silent. Everyone stared at him in shock.

He hadn't passed yesterday's graduation exam, had he?

Sakura frowned slightly: "Naruto? Why are you here?"

"Hehehe!"

Naruto stuck out his thumb and jabbed it toward his own forehead.

There, tied around it, was a forehead protector symbolizing a Konoha ninja!

"See this clearly!"

Naruto puffed out his chest, smug and triumphant: "Right now, I'm a full-fledged Konoha ninja!"

"What?!"

"No way!"

"Didn't he fail yesterday..."

Everyone was a bit surprised.

He hadn't passed yesterday's graduation exam, had he?

Naruto basked in everyone's astonishment, pushing up his forehead protector:

"Iruka-sensei gave me a special exam! And I passed!"

"So, from today onward, I, Uzumaki Naruto, am a real ninja! Hahahaha!"

Yao watched Naruto, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. Obviously, what was bound to happen had happened.

Last night, this guy must have stolen the Scroll of Sealing under Mizuki's instigation and learned the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

This wasn't bad either. If Naruto lost the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, would he even be Naruto anymore?

Perfect timing!

He'd find a chance to learn the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique himself and use it for training.

Yao believed that with his Sage Body, he was more suited for the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique than Naruto.

Just then, the classroom door slid open again, and Iruka walked in carrying a file.

The noisy room instantly fell silent. Everyone's eyes locked onto the list in Iruka's hands.

Iruka looked at them and opened the assignment sheet:

"Sorry to keep you waiting! I'll now announce the graduation team assignments!"

"Team 1..."

"Team 2..."

"..."

"Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Yao!"

"Whaaa—!!"

Naruto shot up from his seat, grabbed Yao's arm, and shook him wildly in excitement:

"Yao! Did you hear that! We're on the same team! We're on the same freaking team! Awesome!!"

His face bloomed like a sunflower, clearly overjoyed to be grouped with Yao.

That was a given!

Yao was his only friend in Konoha. Of course Naruto was thrilled to be on the same team as him.

As for the other teammate being that cocky Sasuke... if only they could swap him for Sakura, it'd be perfect!

Yao felt a little dizzy from the shaking but gave Naruto a gentle smile, a bit surprised inside.

The original Team 7 had been broken up? Sakura got kicked out?

Poor Sakura!

Yao was curious—which team had Sakura been assigned to?

"Team 8: Hinata Hyuga, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Haruno Sakura!"

"Uh..."

Sakura's face froze instantly, disappointment written all over it.

Why Team 8? She wanted to be on the same team as Yao-kun!

"Four people?"

Inuzuka Kiba looked at Shino and Hinata beside him, then at the newly added Sakura, scratching his head: "Why's our team a four-man squad?"

A ripple of murmurs and discussion spread through the classroom.

Four-man teams weren't unheard of in the ninja world, but they were rare in initial graduate assignments.

"This is Lord Hokage's decision, based on comprehensive considerations!"

Iruka explained: "Team 8's supervising Jōnin, Kurenai Yuhi-sensei, specializes in Illusion Techniques and mental guidance!"

"Sakura has talent in genjutsu, and I believe she'll receive excellent guidance."

"Team 10: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, Yamanaka Ino."

"Just as I thought..."

Shikamaru yawned: "Stuck in a group with a woman. There's gonna be a ton of trouble later, for sure!"

Choji kept munching on chips, unconcerned: "As long as I'm with you, Shikamaru, Ino's fine."

Ino looked equally gloomy. She wanted to be in Yao's team too.

But she knew she was destined to be with Shikamaru and Choji. The Ino-Shika-Cho formation couldn't be split.