Just as Hayato was about to step through the door of the Hokage's office, Hiruzen's steady, powerful voice suddenly stopped him.
"Hayato, wait a moment. Let me introduce you to your Jonin instructor."
At his words, Hayato's steps came to an involuntary halt, a flash of surprise crossing his face.
I've only just gotten my ninja ID today. Are they already assigning me a mission?
Isn't the usual procedure to announce the assignments a few days later?
As he wondered about it, a soft knock came from the door.
Hiruzen called, "Come in."
A figure then slowly entered the office.
Hayato took a closer look and was immediately startled. The person who had come in was none other than Kakashi's father, Hatake Sakumo!
Hayato quickly turned to Hiruzen, his eyes full of questions.
Hiruzen smiled faintly and explained, "Hatake Sakumo will be your Jonin instructor from now on."
Well, would you look at that. It really was him. Hayato couldn't help feeling astonished.
He had wondered who his Jonin instructor would be, but this man standing before him had never crossed his mind.
"Nice to meet you, Sakumo-sensei!" Whatever else, he ought to start with a proper greeting.
Sakumo smiled and nodded. "Hello, Hayato."
Hayato couldn't help thinking that he had officially become a Genin now.
So that means I've already earned the Third's approval, right?
With a thought, he brought up the system interface.
Unfortunately, no partially completed mission appeared on its own.
Did I fail? Or does it only show up once I've completed everything? This system is way too unintuitive.
It seemed he would have to complete everything first before checking whether he had earned Hiruzen's approval and become a Jonin.
"Lord Hokage, we'll take our leave now," Sakumo said, bowing to Hiruzen.
Hiruzen nodded slightly to show that they could go.
Hayato followed Sakumo to Training Ground 3.
Looking around, Hayato couldn't help asking, "Sakumo-sensei, where are my other teammates?"
Sakumo felt a little helpless at the question. Hiruzen hadn't explained this to Hayato himself earlier.
That was why he had waited here—to discuss it with him.
He sighed and explained, "Due to some special circumstances, our squad only has the two of us for now."
Hayato was a little surprised, but then he thought it over and decided that it wasn't so bad.
At least he wouldn't have to take the bell test on his first day.
After all, the bell test was mainly meant to assess teamwork, and right now there was only him.
So Hayato waited quietly for Sakumo's next instruction.
Sakumo abruptly changed the subject. "That's enough small talk. Let's see what you can do."
Sakumo didn't mention an assessment, or what would happen if Hayato failed it.
Hayato couldn't help being taken aback. They still had to fight?
Couldn't they have a nice team-building meal on the first day?
Maybe Sakumo had heard that Kakashi had lost to him before and wanted to get even on his son's behalf?
After a brief moment of thought, Hayato drew a Kunai and assumed a fighting stance.
Fine, they could fight. He wasn't afraid.
Sakumo drew the short sword from behind his back and said with a smile, "Fight as if you're trying to kill me."
Before he had even finished speaking, Hayato charged at Sakumo like a bolt of lightning, his Kunai flashing as it clashed with Sakumo's short sword, sending sparks flying.
"Your Taijutsu fundamentals are solid, but your Kunai attacks are a bit all over the place," Sakumo remarked as he fended off Hayato's blows.
Hayato had to admit to himself that while he knew a thing or two about hand-to-hand combat, he still had a lot to learn about using weapons.
But he didn't lose heart. Instead, he swiftly put some distance between himself and Sakumo, then quickly formed Hand Seals.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Hayato spat out a blazing fireball that hurtled straight toward Sakumo.
A glint appeared in Sakumo's eyes. "It's hard to believe someone who can make a Great Fireball this size only just graduated from the Ninja Academy."
But he didn't just stand there like a fool. With a light sidestep to the left, he evaded Hayato's attack.
At the same time, Hayato was already preparing his next move. "Lightning Style: Earth Flash!"
Streams of lightning surged from the ground, racing toward the spot where Sakumo had landed.
But Sakumo was clearly no rookie. He easily evaded the attack with the Substitution Technique, reappearing ten meters away from Hayato.
"Your ninjutsu combinations are good, and your battle sense is too. But constantly using ninjutsu isn't wise. You need to learn to control your chakra," Sakumo remarked.
He figured that Hayato was only three years old. How much chakra could he possibly have?
He wouldn't be able to cast ninjutsu of that scale more than a few times.
Hayato, however, paid no attention to his advice.
He knew that for him, ninjutsu of this level didn't use up much chakra.
"Now it's my turn to attack!" Sakumo said with a smile. In his mind, this assessment was more like a sparring session meant to teach Hayato.
At his words, Hayato's expression instantly turned serious.
He gripped his Kunai tightly and focused, waiting for Sakumo's attack.
Sakumo vanished like a ghost, appearing in front of Hayato in an instant.
His short sword came down in a flurry of blows, leaving Hayato struggling to keep up.
"So fast!"
Hayato was secretly shocked, but he didn't just sit there and take it. He abruptly activated his Sharingan.
A flash of shock crossed Sakumo's eyes. "You already have the Three-Tomoe?"
He had some understanding of Hayato's situation, but seeing it with his own eyes still surprised him.
After his brief moment of shock, Sakumo's attacks grew even more ferocious.
Relying on the Sharingan's keen observation, Hayato gradually began to see the trajectory of Sakumo's attacks.
But being able to see them didn't mean his body could keep up.
This won't work. I'll lose sooner or later if this goes on!
He tried once more to put some distance between himself and Sakumo, but Sakumo stayed right on his heels.
Sakumo swung his short sword relentlessly, giving Hayato no chance to catch his breath.
"One important use of swordsmanship in a fight against a ninja is to keep your opponent from forming Hand Seals," Sakumo explained as he attacked.
Hayato nodded inwardly, but the corner of his mouth lifted.
If this had happened before, he might have had no choice but to reveal a few of his trump cards.
But things were different now.
He blocked Sakumo's slash with his right hand while gathering a blue-white sphere of chakra in his left.
"Rasengan!"
Since he had managed to advance the Rasengan, he could naturally use it too.
Given the situation, there was no need to use the more powerful Spirit Bomb.
It was always wise to keep something in reserve.
The change caught Sakumo off guard. "That's... a hand-seal-less technique?"
"Sakumo-sensei, you're right. Swordsmanship can keep an enemy from forming Hand Seals, but it also keeps you from forming them!"
Before he could say another word, the Rasengan slammed into Sakumo like a cannonball, knocking him backward.
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