Hobby is Taming Demons...

Kakashi Hatake found an empty chair and sat down, crossing one leg over the other as he flipped through his book twice.

"Teacher, couldn't you at least apologize first..." Sakura Haruno said, clutching her forehead.

Kakashi lowered his book slightly, revealing one squinting eye: "In any case—"

"Wait a second!" Naruto Uzumaki slammed his palm directly onto Kakashi's desk.

"I, the great me, never accept teachers who are late for no reason!"

"Well now." Kakashi's tone was languid, "An old lady asked for directions on the way here, so I helped her out."

"Liar!" Naruto poked his finger toward the tip of Kakashi's nose.

"There's a receipt from the Dango Shop in your book! You actually made three future elite ninjas wait here just to eat dango!"

Kakashi pulled out the receipt and tucked it into his pocket: "Good observation skills."

"Of course!"

"However, I am the teacher, and you are the students. If I say I was helping an old lady with directions, then I was helping an old lady with directions."

A vein throbbed on Naruto's forehead as he prepared to step forward and square up with Kakashi, but Sasuke Uchiha pressed a hand onto his shoulder.

"Wait for him to finish speaking first," Sasuke said.

Kakashi looked at the hand pinning Naruto down, then at Naruto, who had obediently shut his mouth, and his right eye curved into an even deeper squint.

"Then let's start with self-introductions." Kakashi placed his book on his knees.

"I'll go first. Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and dislike... I don't want to tell you. My dream is a secret. As for hobbies, I have all sorts."

"You didn't say anything at all!" Naruto shouted.

"It's your turn." Kakashi pointed at Sakura, "Starting from the right."

Sakura pinched the strap of her forehead protector and took a slight breath.

"My name is Sakura Haruno. Things I like... um... there's nothing I particularly dislike. My current hobby is training."

She turned her head to look at Sasuke, then at Naruto, before continuing to Kakashi.

"My goal is to become a ninja that my comrades can feel safe and rely on."

Kakashi nodded, his gaze shifting to Naruto.

Naruto stood on his chair with his hands on his hips.

"Naruto Uzumaki! The thing I like is Ichiraku Ramen! And the ramen that Iruka treated me to!"

"As for things I dislike, the three minutes it takes for instant ramen to be ready. And people who aren't punctual."

The corner of Kakashi's eye twitched, but he didn't bother to explain anything.

"My current hobby is also training. Because my dream is to become Hokage and have everyone acknowledge me!"

Naruto pointed at Sasuke.

"Especially you! Sasuke!"

Sasuke shook his head: "I never said I didn't acknowledge you."

"You call that acknowledging? That's just brushing me off!" Naruto poked his finger forward again.

"Just saying 'Naruto, you've gotten stronger' to try and gloss over it—is that what you call acknowledging?"

"Alright Naruto, stop talking for now. Next, it's your turn, Sasuke." Kakashi pointed at Sasuke with the spine of his book.

Sasuke pulled his hand out of his pocket and stood up.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"I like people I consider good. I dislike people I consider bad. My hobby is subduing de... never mind, that's not important."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

Sasuke seemed to have some secrets.

But it didn't matter; the Uchiha clan had always had plenty of secrets, especially someone like Sasuke.

"As for my dream, in the short term, it is to obtain the Impure World Reincarnation."

Sakura's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't.

Naruto frowned; it wasn't the first time he had heard that term, but every time he heard it, he still felt a sense of unease.

Kakashi rested his book on his knees.

Sasuke's dream sounded very much in line with his background.

It had been many years since the Uchiha massacre, and if there was anything more tormenting than a blood feud, it was an attachment one could not let go of.

He didn't want power to protect Konoha, nor was it for revenge; he simply wanted to see the dead again.

Kakashi sighed and stood the book up on Sasuke's desk.

"That really is a terrible dream."

Sasuke withdrew his gaze: "You aren't qualified to judge my dream. I am merely stating a fact."

"Enough, enough." Kakashi waved his hand. "That's enough for the self-introductions. Since you all know each other now, meet at Training Ground 3 tomorrow morning."

He stood up from his chair and stretched his shoulders.

"Oh, right. This is a test with a 66% failure rate. Those who can't snatch a bell will have to go back to the Ninja Academy for another year. Remember not to eat breakfast, or you'll throw up."

After saying this, he looked at the three students in front of him.

Naruto had his hands behind his head, Sakura was twirling the end of her ponytail with her finger, and Sasuke was leaning back in his chair, his gaze fixed outside the window, looking at who knows what.

Not a single one of them showed any expression of nervousness or fear.

"You... don't have any reaction?"

Naruto lowered his arms and tilted his head to look at Kakashi.

"Because we're definitely going to pass."

"That confident?"

"If the people in the class were anyone else, maybe I wouldn't be so confident." Naruto grinned.

Sakura took over the conversation: "But since the three of us are in the same class."

She looked at Kakashi, her tone even more certain than when she had introduced herself.

"Then it's absolutely certain."

A solid bond, huh.

Jiraiya had mentioned it once, saying that these three brats had been together for three years and already had deep trust in one another.

It seems he wasn't just saying that for the sake of it.

Kakashi shifted his gaze from the two confident ones and landed it on Sasuke, who was leaning by the window.

"What about you? Do you think so too?"

Sasuke withdrew his gaze from outside the window and looked at Kakashi.

"Teacher, don't underestimate them." Sasuke stood up and brushed off his pant legs. "It will surprise you."

Kakashi looked into Sasuke's eyes, and in those eyes, there was only a very calm conviction.

It wasn't even just "I think we can win," it was "We will absolutely win."

"Fine." Kakashi stuffed Make-Out Paradise into his ninja tool pouch, turned toward the door, and gave a casual wave.

"Don't be late tomorrow morning."

The door closed behind him.

The Nine-Tails jinchuriki, the last survivor of the Uchiha, and a medical ninjutsu genius recognized by Tsunade.

And putting the Nine-Tails jinchuriki and Sasuke Uchiha in the same class—was this an intentional arrangement by the Third Hokage, or a coincidence?

"Recognized, huh..." Kakashi shoved the book back into his pouch and pushed open the door to the teachers' office.

Iruka was sitting by the window, flipping through a stack of genin registration forms, and looked up when he heard the door.

"Kakashi-senpai? You haven't left yet?"

"Just finished the self-introductions. Those three brats are quite interesting."

Kakashi pulled a chair from a nearby workstation, sat on it backward, and rested his hands on the backrest.

Iruka put down the registration forms in his hand: "You mean Naruto and the others?"

"Do you know what Sasuke's dream is?"

Iruka was stunned for a moment, then shook his head.

"That kid doesn't talk much. Aside from training, he's either at the library or occasionally spends a few days outside the village."

"I was his homeroom teacher for two years, and whenever we spoke, it was mostly him asking me questions."

Iruka paused.

"What... is his dream?"

"Impure World Reincarnation."

The pen in Iruka's hand slipped from his fingers and rolled to the edge of the registration forms.

Kakashi lowered his head and rested his forehead on his hand: "He said he wants to obtain Impure World Reincarnation."

Kakashi took his hand off his forehead and looked at Iruka.

"How much do you know about that kid's situation?"

"Not much." Iruka bent down to pick up the pen, rubbing his thumb against the barrel.

"After the clan was wiped out, he was lying in the hospital, and both the Third Hokage and Danzo visited him."

"The Third Hokage said he acted overly calm at the time, not like a child who had just lost his parents. Danzo wanted to recruit him into Root, but Sasuke refused him directly."

Iruka placed the pen next to the registration forms.

"It seems like he doesn't need anyone."

Kakashi remained silent for a long time.

After the clan massacre, he had ceased to trust anyone, burying all his emotions deep within; only the dead could bring him a sense of peace.

The boy appeared calm on the surface, but in the depths of his heart, he was likely collapsing.

Kakashi stood up and walked toward the office door.

"I will report to the Third Hokage after the training session ends tomorrow," Kakashi said, leaving those words behind as he stepped out of the office.

Kakashi would likely never know in this lifetime that Sasuke's goal was actually to resurrect someone who no longer belonged to this world.

Training Ground 3.

The morning air was still crisp, and a thin layer of dew clung to the grass.

Sakura crouched to the side, tightening the straps of her ninja sandals, while Naruto sat cross-legged on the ground with a blade of grass between his teeth, his hands braced behind his knees as he rocked his shoulders back and forth.

Then, he bit the grass stem in two and pointed it sharply toward the wooden stakes.

"He's late again!"

Sakura stood up, brushed the grass clippings from her hands, and walked to the center of the clearing, shielding her eyes as she looked toward Konoha.

A figure strolled slowly toward them from the distance.

"Yo, morning."

Kakashi tucked his book into his ninja tool pouch and raised a hand in a casual greeting.

Naruto flipped to his feet, pointing a finger straight at Kakashi.

"You're late! You're more than two hours past the agreed time!"

Kakashi said, "There was an old lady on the way—"

"Is that the only excuse you ever use!"

Sakura grabbed Naruto by the back of his collar and pulled him aside, then watched as Kakashi pulled something from his pouch.

Kakashi reached into his ninja tool pouch and pulled out two small bells, tying them to his waist.

"Two bells," Kakashi said, holding up two fingers.

"The rules are simple. Before noon, as long as you can snatch the bells from me, you pass. Those who fail will be sent straight back to the Ninja Academy to repeat the course."

He looked at Naruto on the ground, then at Sakura beside him, and finally glanced at Sasuke, who was leaning against a wooden stake.

"There are only two bells. Which means—"

"Which means at least one person will be eliminated," Sakura stared at the two bells.

"Correct." Kakashi's eyes curved into crescents as he lowered his hand.

"So, the three of you are rivals from this moment on. If you don't want to be eliminated, then come at me with the resolve to kill."