Team 7

"Hey, Big Brother Mufeng, why hasn't Kakashi Hatake arrived yet? Could he have overslept?"

Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba had already left with their respective teachers, leaving only him, the Uchiha brothers, and Sakura Haruno in the classroom.

"Naruto Uzumaki, keep your shirt on. I've been training with Kakashi Hatake for years; him being late isn't a one-time occurrence. Just wait patiently."

Mufeng Uchiha sat cross-legged on his chair, refining his Chakra, while Sasuke Uchiha was currently blowing hard into a large gourd, veins bulging on his neck and his entire face flushed red.

"Sasuke Uchiha, you look so cool even when you're working hard!"

Sakura Haruno cupped her face with both hands, gazing at Sasuke Uchiha with a lovesick expression as he struggled to blow the gourd until it burst, praying in her heart that she would be placed in the same squad as him.

After waiting too long, Naruto Uzumaki couldn't help but start a prank, placing a dust-covered blackboard eraser on top of the door as he left it slightly ajar.

"Naruto Uzumaki, Kakashi Hatake is a Jonin. How could such a small trap work? Let me handle it."

Fearing the world wouldn't be chaotic enough, Mufeng Uchiha specifically swapped the white chalk dust on the eraser for black powder, intending to give Kakashi Hatake a new hairstyle.

"Sorry, sorry, I forgot to set my alarm this morning and woke up a bit late. Let's head to the rooftop to gather."

As he spoke and pushed the door open, the eraser slammed onto his head, the black powder falling onto his half-white hair, turning it half-black and half-white—the exact hairstyle of Itama Senju.

"Kakashi Hatake fell for it."

"Is he really a Jonin?"

Sakura Haruno had black lines running down her head, unable to help but feel worried about the future.

"Alright, the four of you, head to the rooftop together. Don't be late."

Kakashi Hatake said this with a huff before vanishing on the spot.

The four followed his instructions and arrived at the rooftop, where Kakashi Hatake was already waiting.

Looking closely, one could see water droplets still on Kakashi Hatake's hair; he had prepared this specifically, as it would play a major role in the bell-snatching test later.

"Alright, let's start with self-introductions. Naruto Uzumaki, you go first."

"Yo, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. My favorite thing is Ichiraku Ramen, I hate guys who act all high and mighty, and my dream is to become the strongest Hokage in history!"

"My name is Sakura Haruno. As for what I like, I suppose it's more about the person I like. I hate people who are clingy, and my dream is to become a virtuous wife."

As Sakura Haruno spoke, her eyes kept darting toward Sasuke Uchiha, but he remained with his arms crossed, staring at Mufeng Uchiha with eyes full of fighting spirit.

"Sasuke Uchiha. I don't have anything I like. I only want to kill a certain man, and my dream is to restore the Uchiha clan."

"Mufeng Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha's older brother. I like training. I hate the same things as Sasuke, and my dream is to travel the ninja world."

"I'm the older brother, Mufeng Uchiha!"

After the four finished their introductions, Kakashi Hatake nodded and said:

"Now that you all know each other, gather at the Konoha Training Ground tomorrow morning at eight sharp. Remember, don't eat breakfast, and absolutely no tardiness."

With that, Kakashi Hatake touched his half-dyed hair, muttering about needing to wash it clean before leaving.

"Hey, Big Brother Mufeng, to celebrate us being in the same squad, let's go eat at Ichiraku Ramen. My monthly allowance just came in, so it's my treat."

"Idiot, Mufeng Uchiha is coming back to train with me. We don't have time to mess around with you."

"Stuck-up Sasuke Uchiha, what did you say! I'm not an idiot, you want to fight?"

"Boring, dead-last. You should go back and practice more."

Naruto Uzumaki jumped in anger, while Sasuke Uchiha remained in his usual pose with arms crossed, looking down his nose at others. Sakura Haruno wanted to play peacemaker but stood there, not knowing how to start.

"Sasuke Uchiha, I have things to do. You guys go ahead and play on your own. I'm leaving."

Mufeng Uchiha didn't want to get involved and chose to leave immediately. He still hadn't gotten a clear answer from Kabuto Yakushi about the Mizuki situation, and this time, he was going to demand to know what exactly was going on with those Hashirama Cells.

Mufeng Uchiha arrived at the orphanage, and sure enough, Kabuto Yakushi was there.

"Brother Kabuto Yakushi has things to discuss with Brother Mufeng Uchiha. You kids go play for now."

Noticing Mufeng Uchiha, Kabuto Yakushi gave the children a brief excuse before pulling Mufeng Uchiha into a corner.

"Kabuto Yakushi, you're getting bolder. You know you're a spy, yet you dare to show your face at the orphanage so openly. Aren't you afraid of being caught?"

"Isn't that why I have you, Mufeng Uchiha, an Anbu member, to provide cover? I trust you wouldn't let me fall into danger."

"Cut the crap. Tell me what's going on with the Hashirama Cells in Mizuki! You'd better come clean."

"Mufeng Uchiha, no need to be so tense. This was just a small experiment conducted by Lord Orochimaru."

"You know the danger level of the Hashirama Cells yourself; experiments are always necessary. This was just a minor accident, and didn't you resolve it anyway?"

"Rest assured, the data from this experiment satisfied Lord Orochimaru. Combined with the White Zetsu you provided, we will soon be able to create Hashirama Cells without side effects."

Under the gaze of Mufeng Uchiha's Sharingan, cold sweat streamed down Kabuto Yakushi's face. If he truly angered Mufeng Uchiha, given the Uchiha temperament, he might really just kill him without a second word.

"One month. That's my final ultimatum to you. If Orochimaru is truly sincere, and you can't produce results that satisfy me within this time, our cooperation ends here."

Having said that, Mufeng Uchiha suddenly pulled out a Kunai and threw it toward the corner, pinning a white snake to the wall.

"Mufeng Uchiha, you've really set us a difficult task. We will get the Hashirama Cells into your hands as soon as possible. If there's nothing else, you should leave quickly."

Before leaving, Mufeng Uchiha walked up to Kabuto Yakushi, patted him on the shoulder, and then departed.

Kabuto Yakushi's years of spy experience made him instinctively reach for his pocket, only to realize that the Hashirama Cells he had been hiding had been swiped by Mufeng Uchiha.

He really doesn't let anything slide, nothing escapes his notice. I was hoping to keep a vial for experiments.

Along the way, Mufeng Uchiha used his speed to shake off the Anbu tailing him, slipping back into his own house unnoticed.

This dose of Hashirama Cells seems to be the same type as the one given to Mizuki. In the end, the side effect of turning into a tree still appeared. Where exactly is the problem?

Honestly, he did not trust Orochimaru. All these years of working with him, Orochimaru had been constantly trying to plant a Cursed Seal on him, hoping to seize his body. It was hard to guarantee that he hadn't tampered with the Hashirama Cells.

Terrifying vitality. Based on my observations, the reason for Mizuki losing control was that his mental energy couldn't adapt to a body that was strengthening too rapidly. Perhaps it wasn't a failure, but rather it requires sufficiently powerful mental energy. I'll wait until I awaken the Mangekyo before injecting it.

Putting away the vial of Hashirama Cells, Mufeng Uchiha hummed a little tune as he began preparing his bento for tomorrow.