Konoha 63

Konoha 63rd year

Land of Fire

Konoha

At the Ninja Academy, the graduating ninjas sat together. After the clock struck nine, their homeroom teacher, Umino Iruka, pushed open the door and walked in.

Class teacher Umino Iruka walked slowly to the center of the blackboard, his face gentle. After scanning the students in the classroom, he said in a deep voice:

"Congratulations on your graduation, students."

From today onwards, you are all independent ninjas.

However, he was still just a novice Genin; the real hardship was just beginning.

From now on, you will be divided into groups of three, each assigned to a Jonin instructor, and will carry out missions together."

Umino Iruka's words caused some students to whisper among themselves.

Umino Iruka was a gentle man. As his class of students graduated, Iruka felt a mix of emotions. After a long pause, Iruka finally spoke loudly:

"Alright, quiet! To ensure a balanced learning environment, the teacher will be dividing the class into groups. Now, I'm going to announce the results!"

Umino Iruka picked up the list, glanced at the names, then his gaze fell on Uchiha Tensuke, and he shouted:

"Team One: Uchiha Tensuke, Uzumaki Hideki, Kurama Red Cloud."

"Ha?"

"Hateful..."

"Tensuke!"

The girls in the class were very disappointed that they weren't grouped with Uchiha Tensuke, and they couldn't help but complain.

Uchiha Tensuke his long, black, curly hair and fair skin, rested his head on his right hand, looking somewhat languid, showing no reaction to the class assignments or the female classmates' discussions.

Umino Iruka heard the students' complaints and inwardly remarked on their precocious maturity. However, Umino Iruka did not stop and continued to call out the students' names and divide them into groups.

Umino Iruka divided the group into six groups. When he got to the seventh group, Iruka saw Naruto's name, looked up at Naruto, and shouted:

"Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto's initial excitement at being paired with Haruno Sakura vanished the moment he heard he would be paired with Sasuke, leaving him instantly dejected.

"Huh? You're in a group with Sasuke?"

Haruno Sakura, sitting in the middle of the three, couldn't help but have stars in her eyes when she heard that she and Sasuke were in the same group.

Iruka, ignoring the whispers below, continued calling out names and assigning students to classes.

"Team 8, Hyuga Hinata!"

"Hi!"

The shy and honest Hinata responded immediately when her name was called.

"Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino!"

"Team 9... and finally Team 10: Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji! That's how the classes are divided!"

After Iruka finished dividing the ten groups, he breathed a slight sigh of relief and was about to offer some encouragement to the graduates when Naruto stood up.

"Iruka-sensei! Why am I, someone as excellent as me, assigned to be grouped with this guy?"

Naruto is not tall and likes to play pranks. Because of the low-key style of the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, towards his family, the Fourth and Fifth Hokage continued this style and were very low-key about their families.

These young students were unaware of their classmates' backgrounds, including the son of the Fourth Hokage, the current Daimyo, and the son of the Fifth Hokage.

"Um?"

When Umino Iruka heard Naruto question him, his face hardened, and he adopted the authority of a teacher, saying in a deep voice:

"Sasuke graduated with the highest score out of the thirty graduates. Naruto, you're the worst!"

Hahahaha

As soon as Umino Iruka finished speaking, the classroom erupted in laughter.

Umino Iruka continued to explain:

"In order to ensure that each class is of equal strength, this is the only way."

"Please don't drag me down, you bottom-of-the-barrel guy."

With his hands clasped together and his chin resting on his hands, Sasuke delivered a timely blow.

"What did you say, you bastard!"

Naruto was furious upon hearing Sasuke's words.

"Want a fight? You bottom-of-the-barrel guy?"

Sasuke then pointed out the key word again. "Bottom of the class."

What does "the tail of the car" mean?

Naruto is a poor student; he doesn't even quite understand what "bottom of the class" means. I don't know if it's because he's a reincarnation of Asura, but his personality is somewhat inherited from him.

"That's enough, Naruto!"

Sakura, who was sitting between the two, stopped their conversation.

Looking at these innocent and carefree students, Umino Iruka shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice:

"This afternoon I will introduce the Jonin's teacher. Before that, you may all disperse!"

Iruka's words brought an end to the dispute over class assignments.

Hokage Building

In the Hokage's administrative office, Namikaze Minato sat in the main seat, with a crystal ball on the table, and seven or eight Jonin gathered around him.

"Teacher, are these three my students?"

Kakashi, wearing a mask, stood behind Namikaze Minato, watching the class assignments.

In the 61st year of Konoha, Kakashi was removed from the Anbu by Naraku and placed in the Jonin team as a Jonin to train Genin, with the hope that Kakashi could cultivate some excellent ninjas for Konoha.

However, in the past two years, not a single class of Kakashi's Genin students passed his test; they were all sent back to the Ninja Academy to repeat their studies.

Namikaze Minato looked at Naruto inside the crystal ball, a smile on his face, and said softly:

"Yes, Kakashi, I think your situation is the most suitable."

When Kakashi heard his teacher say that, he knew he couldn't escape this time. His teacher's son had already been put into his hands, and there was no chance to refuse.

"My tests are very rigorous. If they fail, I will send them back to the Ninja Academy as usual."

Kakashi answered his teacher, the Fifth Hokage Namikaze Minato, in a soft voice, then took out a book called "Intimate Violence" from his ninja tool pouch on his waist and began to read it by himself.

The Jonin nearby were somewhat surprised by Kakashi's nonchalant demeanor.

Hatake Kakashi, one of the Konoha Seven Ninja Swordsmen, a disciple of the Fifth Hokage, rumored to be the Fourth Hokage's bodyguard, and a renowned Jonin of Konoha known as the "Konoha Technician".

"Haha, Kakashi, I believe Naruto will pass your test. I have faith in him."

Namikaze Minato smiled slightly, unconcerned by Kakashi's words, confident that Naruto could pass Kakashi's test.