Meanwhile-
In an office in the Hokage Tower, a group of Jonin team leaders were reviewing the files of their squad members. The newly graduated Genin listed in those files would soon become their subordinates.
The Jonin team leaders included Kakashi, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, Hayama Shirakumo, and other Konoha Jonin.
Because of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and the Uchiha Orphan, old man Sarutobi had given Kakashi the heaviest responsibility. He had already taken Kakashi to visit Naruto and Sasuke and see their living conditions. Sakura was merely an extra in their trio, a minor character.
That was indeed how things had started, but after Sakura became Tsunade's apprentice, her status changed. She became a Hokage's disciple, a Hokage Successor just like Kakashi, with a chance to take the Hokage position in the future.
Ino-Shika-Cho had always belonged to the Hokage's faction, so putting old man Sarutobi's son, Asuma Sarutobi, in charge of them was perfectly reasonable. Kurenai Yuhi was a newly promoted Jonin who specialized in genjutsu. Genjutsu required mastery of Yin Release, which was tied to mental strength, and mental strength was in turn tied to sensory abilities.
As a genjutsu master, Kurenai Yuhi naturally possessed impressive sensory abilities. Leading Hinata, Kiba, and Shino as a sensory team specializing in tracking would pose no problem for her.
Old man Sarutobi had brought in Hayama Shirakumo because Lin Chuan had told Maruboshi Kosuke that he wanted to learn Wind Release and hoped to have a teacher proficient in it after graduation. Maruboshi Kosuke had found a moment to mention it to old man Sarutobi, and that had settled the matter.
As the village's Kage, he would naturally accommodate a village prodigy's request rather than suppress him. Suppressing talent went against the ideals of the Will of Fire. Besides, the village