Team Seven

"And this 800,000 ryo. It may not be much, but it should cover your ninja tool expenses for quite a while."

"As for weapons, I remember your father left behind a fine one, so I needn't worry about that either. This is all there is, but consider it a small token from the clan." Uchiha Yashiro said as he forcibly stuffed the bundle into the boy's hands.

"This..." The boy's expression shifted with emotion.

"Isn't this a little too much?" The boy raised his head and met Yashiro's gaze.

"Not at all. You are a member of the Uchiha Clan, and one of its finest. Your parents were also elite shinobi who made tremendous contributions to the clan," the man said solemnly.

"In my view, this is not nearly enough. It is actually rather shabby. But for the sake of fair distribution, this is all I could secure for you. You deserve it, child."

"After all, you voluntarily chose not to intern with the Guard Force and instead join a team. Some people in the clan have grievances against you because of that." Uchiha Yashiro scratched his head as he explained.

"Yes. My choice will not change, Lord Yashiro. I need to learn more about the village. That will benefit our position." The boy raised his head, determination gleaming in his bright eyes.

"Ah, of course I know, and I trust you as well. Believing in the potential of the younger generation is one of the few things old men like us can do. It is only natural for you to have your own ambitions and aspirations."

As he spoke, Yashiro's tone abruptly changed.

"Still, Kai, I hope you understand this: no matter when, you are a member of the Uchiha Clan. The Uchiha will always be your steadfast support... Do you understand what I mean?"

Uchiha Yashiro spoke to the boy in a grave tone.

The corner of the boy's mouth lifted slightly. He nodded, giving a firm response.

"Lord Yashiro, you know that I was raised by the clan. I lost my parents before I was old enough to remember, and now I cannot even recall what they looked like..."

"But throughout all that time, I have never forgotten, nor would I dare forget, the help the clan and its people gave me. I am an Uchiha, born and rooted here, no matter where I may be." Solemnity filled the boy's youthful face.

"As long as I am still myself, I will never forget my identity as an Uchiha, Lord Yashiro."

"Good, good! What a fine child..." The man was immediately filled with joy upon hearing those words.

"With those words, I can rest easy. With a good child like you in the Uchiha's future, how could the clan fail to prosper..."

"You flatter me. It is simply my duty." The boy shook his head slightly.

"All right. Young people need their private space, so this old man will not disturb you any longer."

"Congratulations on your graduation, Kai. Don't slack off after becoming a shinobi. You must be even more cautious than before. Missions are extremely dangerous..." After offering his advice, Yashiro waved his hand and vanished in a flash.

"I will..."

After watching Uchiha Yashiro leave, the boy suddenly revealed a faint, imperceptible smile. Humming a tune, he turned and went inside.

Under the lamplight, dinner was especially satisfying.

Early the next morning, Konoha's streets were livelier than usual. Many shops had opened far earlier than normal.

There was no other reason: today was graduation day at the Konoha Ninja Academy. After being assigned to teams, most graduates would go with their friends to shops they normally could not bear to spend money at, gathering properly to celebrate.

Outside the Sweet Chestnut Shop, Uchiha Kai had just finished his morning training and bought some candy. He was about to reward his sore, weary body when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Well now~ Eating strawberry candy again, Kai-kun? If you eat so much, you'll get cavities!" The girl appeared out of nowhere, deftly taking half the candy from Uchiha Kai's hand with a twirl of her fingers.

"Ah... Robbery is robbery, but isn't it too much to lecture me while you're at it? I brush my teeth twice a day..." The boy rubbed his forehead, looking helpless.

"Haha... Is that so?" The girl gave an awkward laugh, trying to muddle her way through it.

"You should be the one worried about cavities. You eat so much at once and never brush your teeth diligently. You'll behave once you get a toothache." Seeing the girl unwrap several candies at once and pop them into her mouth, the boy could not resist flicking her forehead.

"Huh? That hurt... Kai-kun, what if you break my head by hitting it..."

"Then I'll fix it. I'm pretty good at that."

"Really? That sounds awfully unreliable..."

"You know it sounds unreliable, yet you still eat so much candy."

"Then never mind."

"..."

"Kai-kun~"

"..."

"Hahaha, Kai-kun, are you looking forward to today's team assignments? Is there anyone in particular you want to be assigned with?"

"You."

"Huh!?"

"And Kei. It would be best if the three of us could be placed in the same team."

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing... Want to go eat barbecue after the assignments?"

"Sure. The three of us together?"

"...That wouldn't be impossible."

"Great. We'll tell Kei in a bit. He'll definitely be the most enthusiastic."

Inside the graduates' classroom at the Konoha Ninja Academy.

"Team Six: Mibu Nin, Taketake Sota, Hyuga Tetsu. Come with me. From now on, I will be your jonin instructor."

After another ninja in a flak jacket led three students out of the classroom, Uchiha Kai spoke up.

"By the way, have you seen Mitaraishi Anko? Didn't she pass the examination? Why didn't she come for team assignments?" After looking around and confirming that Anko was not hiding in some corner, the boy was somewhat puzzled.

"Oh, right! I was wondering why I was in such a good mood today. That stuck-up girl isn't here!" Morino Kei suddenly realized.

"Haha, that was a good one, Kei." Hyuga Rei covered her mouth in agreement.

"All right, we're classmates. There's no need for this." Uchiha Kai patted the two of them, stopping their elementary-school-style squabbling.

"Well~ She's Orochimaru's disciple, so of course she's different from ordinary people like us. She gets to follow one of the Three Sannin directly. Why would she need to suffer alongside us?" Hyuga Rei said teasingly.

"Is that so? That does sound nice." The boy wore an envious expression, though inwardly he began to mutter to himself.

Heh, you two have no idea how miserable Anko will be in the future. Envious? Only a ghost would envy her...

"But it's fine. They haven't called our names after all this time, so we're probably assigned together. There aren't many people left in the classroom." Hyuga Rei spoke with certainty, her eyes occasionally drifting toward Uchiha Kai.

Morino Kei, the honest-looking, simple-minded big guy beside them, happened to notice this and immediately broke into a mischievous grin.

Morino Kei deliberately turned sideways, putting his face out of Uchiha Kai's view. Then he repeatedly waggled his eyebrows at Hyuga Rei, his gaze bouncing between the two of them as he gave her a thumbs-up and silently mouthed words.

I think you've got this. Go get him already.

The next instant, the girl ruthlessly smashed her iron fist into Morino Kei's forehead.

"Oww! Murder! Kai, hurry and do something! Rei's trying to silence me!" Morino Kei clutched his head and shouted dramatically, as though he were about to die.

"What? Silence you? What's going on with you two? Why are you suddenly saying such nonsense?" Uchiha Kai turned to look at the noisy pair in confusion.

"Rei just..." Morino Kei had only gotten halfway through his sentence when he suddenly felt a terrifying killing intent from behind. From an angle only he could see, the girl had already activated her Byakugan, her gaze constantly sweeping over his vital spots.

Gulp~

"Hahahahaha! It's nothing! I tried to steal Rei's candy, and she hit me. It hurt so much, ow! It really hurts..." Morino Kei's brain raced at full speed, and only after exhausting every ounce of his wits did he barely come up with an excuse. He could feel the guillotine hanging above his head disappear.

"You two should act more seriously too. You're both shinobi..." The boy was about to lecture them some more when the voice they had been waiting for finally rang out in the classroom.

"Team Seven: Uchiha Kai, Hyuga Rei, Morino Kei."