Introductions × Assessment

Before long, the other two members of the team arrived one after another.

The second to arrive was a girl. Her white eyes made her identity unmistakable: Hyuga. The Forehead Protector tied tightly across her forehead also revealed another, less obvious fact: she belonged to the Hyuga Branch Family.

The girl seemed to know Kakashi and had wanted to greet him, but then she remembered his reputation for being difficult to approach. After a moment's thought, she stayed where she was.

The third to arrive was an ordinary-looking boy with short brown hair. His Forehead Protector was worn properly, while his slightly faded ninja clothes showed that his finances weren't in the best shape.

The three weren't familiar with one another, and none of them were the outgoing type. Keeping some distance between themselves, they waited for their Jonin instructor to arrive.

"Thud, thud, thud."

Heavy footsteps, far weightier than those of an ordinary ninja, sounded as Nara Dan came walking from the Hokage Office.

Seeing their Jonin instructor arrive, the three youngsters stood neatly in a row.

"Good. You're not late."

Nara Dan's sharp gaze swept over the three Genin, and he nodded. His burly frame cast a shadow over them, and an unmistakable, fierce pressure spread across the Training Ground.

Kakashi, the most sensitive of the three, couldn't help tightening his fists. His scalp prickled; the man before him didn't seem human at all, but some kind of dangerous, enormous beast. His ninja's Sixth Sense kept warning him to get away from Nara Dan.

The other two also felt the oppressive atmosphere. The Jonin standing before them had an overwhelming presence.

"Nara Dan, huh."

Kakashi knew a little about the name. Dan was a Taijutsu Jonin who had recently made a name for himself. Supposedly, he'd earned a title out in the field, just like his father, Konoha's White Fang. Without a doubt, he was an exceptionally powerful ninja.

More importantly, Nara Dan seemed to have known his father before he died.

"Since this is our first meeting, getting to know one another comes first."

"I'll introduce myself."

As he spoke, Nara Dan quietly studied their expressions, already able to make a rough assessment of their respective talents.

Hatake Kakashi was undoubtedly the most outstanding. He could keenly sense Dan's presence, and though he kept his composure, the subtle signs of caution in his movements showed that he had the makings of a proper ninja.

The Hyuga girl wore a polite smile, but the sweat beading on her forehead showed that she was under considerable pressure. Still, she had good endurance.

The civilian boy, on the other hand, seemed restless beneath Nara Dan's powerful presence. He didn't seem to know what to do with his hands and feet.

"I'm Nara Dan, born into the Nara Clan. I'm a Special Jonin, and I specialize in Taijutsu. What I like most is a hot bath after training, and my favorite food is anything hard."

"As for my dream—or rather, my goal—it's to become the strongest."

Nara Dan casually stated his astonishing ambition, then looked at the three before him. His meaning was clear.

The three Genin exchanged glances. The girl, Hyuga Nana, was the first to speak.

"My name is Hyuga Nana. I'm from the Hyuga Clan, and I'm a Genin. I specialize in sensing and the Hyuga Gentle Fist. What I like most is traveling. I don't have a favorite food at the moment."

"My dream is to travel everywhere as a traveler."

Hyuga Nana wore a women's ninja outfit and stood tall and graceful. Her delicate features and poised manner gave her the bearing of a young lady from a traditional, prestigious ninja clan.

If Nara Dan hadn't had such keen eyesight, he might have mistaken her for the Main Family's young lady. But when he glanced over her, he could make out the faint seal markings behind her Forehead Protector.

"My name is Ino Rinya. I'm a civilian ninja and a Genin."

The plain-looking boy spoke next, seeming a little nervous.

"I don't really specialize in anything. I know a little Taijutsu and Water Release. I like making things by hand, and I don't have any particular favorite food."

"As for my dream, I hope to become a craft artist."

Ino Rinya was thoroughly ordinary, just like any civilian Genin. He had no specialized ninjutsu and knew only some basic Taijutsu. On the battlefield, he'd most likely be cannon fodder, with a very low chance of survival.

"Hatake Kakashi. Genin. I specialize in ninjutsu and Kenjutsu. I like training."

Kakashi spoke abruptly, introducing himself like a machine. His introduction was especially brief, much like the author's updates.

But his youthful voice still gave away that he was the youngest of the three, not yet seven years old.

Nara Dan sized up the three Genin. In truth, none of them could be pushovers if they'd been assigned to his team. Each had something that set them apart.

Kakashi went without saying. He was a problem child. Hyuga Nana, as a member of the Hyuga Branch Family, was surely entangled in her own share of disputes. Her large eyes stayed fixed on Nara Dan, though he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

Even the least remarkable one, Ino Rinya, wasn't ordinary. According to the information Nara Dan had obtained, he'd been reassigned to a new team because every member of his previous team had died on a mission.

He was the only one who'd survived. You could say he was terrible luck for his teammates.

"Alright, that's enough small talk."

Nara Dan smiled with interest. He wasn't going to lecture them about the Will of Fire or how unity meant strength. His real task was to whip these kids into shape.

"Come on, let's see what you're made of."

"Treat this as if you have to kill me."

"Otherwise, you might be the ones who die."

With that, he unleashed his killing intent without holding back.

The air instantly froze. A tangible pressure crashed down on the three of them like a mountain.

"So this is the presence of someone on Father's level."

Beneath his mask, Kakashi's face went blank. Cold sweat poured down his body, and he could barely move. He spent every day with White Fang, but White Fang would never use his full strength against his own child.

"I can't even draw my Kunai."

For the first time, Kakashi gained a clear understanding of his own abilities. Against one of the Ninja World's top fighters, his title as a genius gave him no advantage over any other ninja.

"If I fought him head-on, I'd die in an instant."

Thinking that, Kakashi felt the pressure ease. He found the courage to risk his life in a desperate fight.

Purple lightning crackled around Kakashi as his cells began to grow active. He drew the White Fang Blade and charged straight at Nara Dan, slashing at him.

"Oh?"

Nara Dan watched Kakashi's remarkably skilled change in Lightning Release nature with interest. Had he already started learning it at this age, or was it something he'd inherited from White Fang?

The distance between the two was short to begin with. As Kakashi charged, he closed in almost instantly, and at some point, he had also gripped the short blade on his back.