A Peaceful Day in Konoha

Inside the archives room.

Mizuki smiled as he took Sasuke's file from a drawer. After signing a few places on it, he handed over a document envelope.

"Handle it carefully. This is your ninja registration file. The teachers have already filled out some of it for you. You only need to attach your own photo to it, then hand it to your assigned jonin."

"Thank you, Teacher Mizuki." Sasuke thanked him softly and turned to leave. After taking a few steps, he seemed to recall something. He stopped at the door and turned around.

"By the way, Teacher Mizuki, I remembered something."

Mizuki asked with a smile, "What is it?"

"I ran into Senior Tsubaki before coming to school this morning."

Mizuki froze slightly, unable to understand why Sasuke had suddenly brought up his fiancée.

Then Sasuke's calm voice continued, "As I passed by, I seemed to hear Senior Tsubaki muttering something about an anniversary. Teacher Mizuki, if you have nothing to do today, you should go home early. It would be best to buy a bouquet of flowers and bring a small gift or something."

Rather than becoming someone else's discarded pawn and spending the rest of his life in prison,

it was better to cherish what was in front of him. A plain, ordinary life might not be so bad.

With that thought, Sasuke turned and left the archives room.

"An anniversary? What anniversary?"

Mizuki murmured softly, his face full of confusion.

"Is today some special day?"

That afternoon, after school ended, Mizuki walked out of the Ninja Academy with a somewhat gloomy expression.

Because Naruto had mastered the Shadow Clone Technique early on and had also placed second in the practical assessment, he had passed the graduation exam without issue despite doing slightly worse on the written test.

So Mizuki no longer had an opportunity to manipulate Naruto as he had in the original timeline. But he was not foolish enough to try manipulating other students who had failed.

Naruto's identity was special, allowing him to obtain the Scroll of Sealing. If it were anyone else, it would definitely be impossible.

Walking through Konoha's streets, Mizuki still wore his usual gentle expression, but a shadow passed through his eyes.

It seems I have no chance to defect to Lord Orochimaru for the time being.

During a previous mission, he had personally killed an injured companion in order to complete the mission.

If that had happened in Kirigakure, it would have meant an immediate promotion and raise.

But in Konoha, killing a companion had cost him his qualification to serve as an academy instructor. He had also been placed on Konoha's gray list, effectively cutting off his path to advancement.

Thus, Mizuki had begun entertaining the idea of defecting to Orochimaru.

Forget it. I should buy Tsubaki a bouquet of flowers first.

Without realizing it, he had arrived outside a flower shop. Mizuki suddenly remembered what Sasuke had told him that day.

Though he still could not remember what day it was, when he thought of his fiancée who had been by his side for so many years, he decided to buy a bouquet of flowers and a small gift.

A night passed. Konoha remained as peaceful as ever, and nothing major happened.

Late that night, after the meeting regarding the assignment of instructors for the new graduates had ended, Kakashi was kept behind alone by the Third Hokage.

The Third Hokage handed him a document envelope and said, "Kakashi, these are the members of Team 7 that you will be responsible for guiding. Take a look."

Just as expected.

Sasuke was in the class I would be assigned to.

After opening the document envelope, the information of the first student entered Kakashi's sight.

Name: Second Pillar.

Gender: Male.

Rank: Genin.

Date of birth: July 23. Age: 12.

Ninja registration number: 0.

Information: First place in the written examination, first place in the practical assessment, first place in the graduation examination.

Received guidance from Konoha jonin Hatake Kakashi one year ago...

This made the assessment two days from now rather troublesome.

Kakashi had a slight headache. He knew full well that Sasuke's strength had already reached the jonin level.

More importantly, Sasuke also knew the purpose of his assessment.

With a headache brewing, Kakashi flipped past Sasuke's file and looked at his next student.

The teacher's son, Naruto?

Looking at the second registration form, he saw that the boy in the photo had strange markings all over his face and wore a bizarre expression.

A nostalgic look appeared in Kakashi's eyes. A moment later, he could not help but smile.

Name: Uzumaki Naruto.

Gender...

Information: Thirty-fifth place in the written examination, second place in the practical assessment, third place in the graduation examination.

He had learned quite a few ninjutsu and Taijutsu from Second Pillar, and the two often sparred together...

Two years ago, he became the disciple of a retired ninja in the village and learned Taijutsu...

Taijutsu?

Kakashi narrowed his eyes slightly. Although Taijutsu was not his specialty, he often sparred and fought with Might Guy. He was no stranger to Taijutsu and had even mastered part of the Eight Inner Gates.

His Taijutsu could also be considered among the best of Konoha's jonin. Although Naruto's file clearly stated that he was highly proficient in Taijutsu,

Kakashi did not take it too seriously. He planned to test Naruto with Taijutsu during the assessment in two days.

Thinking this, Kakashi pulled out the third registration form lying beneath the others.

A girl with pink hair, dressed in a red high-collared athletic outfit, looked forward with bright green eyes and a radiant smile.

Name: Haruno Sakura.

Gender: Female.

Information: Second place in the written examination, third place in the practical assessment, second place in the graduation examination.

Two years ago, she became the disciple of the village genin Maruboshi Kosuke and learned ninja skills and Water Release techniques...

Skilled in Water Release?

Kakashi shook his head slightly. He himself was known as Konoha's Number One Technician and the Copy Ninja, and he possessed chakra of every nature.

Though he was not a master specializing in Water Release, many elite jonin from Kirigakure might not even surpass him in Water Release.

Furthermore, it was Kakashi's first time hearing of Haruno Sakura's teacher, Maruboshi Kosuke. He was merely a genin, so he was clearly not some exceptionally powerful Water Release ninja.

Could a ninja who had just graduated from the Ninja Academy really do anything extraordinary with Water Release?

Having just finished reading Haruno Sakura's file, Kakashi planned to use Water Release to humble this naïve little girl in two days.

It seemed the main focus of the assessment two days later would still have to be Sasuke.

Otherwise, it would be easy to capsize.

After reading all three files, Kakashi pondered in secret.

Knowing Sasuke's strength perfectly well, he decided to use most of his own strength against Sasuke.

As for the other two, no matter how strong they were, he believed they could at most barely reach the chunin level. He would only need to spend a little effort to deal with them easily.

"I've finished reading them, Lord Third Hokage."

Kakashi respectfully responded as he placed the three files back into the document envelope.

"Mhm." The Third Hokage nodded. "Since that is the case, go back and rest early. Prepare yourself for the assessment two days from now."

"Yes!"