Konoha: Starting with the Tenseigan and Taking Over Team 7

Aogetsu Hyuga put on his teacherly air and said earnestly, "The Chunin Ninja Exams are an important experience. Even if I knew everything that would be on them, there'd be no need to tell you. Whether you do well or badly, you'll gain something from trying. Just do your best."

"Here's a piece of advice from your teacher: there's a shortcut to everything, but a shortcut you don't understand will only teach you through failure." Aogetsu glanced at Sakura Haruno's pocket. "Money can't decide everything, but it can change a lot."

"..."

Team 7 paused, thinking over his words.

"Mr. Aogetsu, this is all the money I have." Sakura reacted first, taking a Pink Wallet from her pocket. It was so flat that it could hardly hold much.

It was her pay from the Land of Waves mission.

"Money is the root of all evil. Too much of it would only hurt you. I'm looking out for you, so I'll take this off your hands." Aogetsu took the wallet and swiftly tucked it into his trouser pocket.

"You bastard! After all that preaching, you're still asking your students for money!" Naruto Uzumaki pulled out his Frog Wallet and gazed mournfully at how flat it was.

Damn it!

I'd only just earned a little money in the Land of Waves, and now Mr. Aogetsu's taking it. When will I ever save enough to stuff myself with ramen?

But for the Chunin Ninja Exams...

Grit your teeth and bear it!

"It's fine. As an adult, I have a duty to help you save." Aogetsu took the Frog Wallet and slipped it into his pocket. He could more or less guess what Naruto was thinking.

You want my help when there's no Master-Disciple Mission?

Without a bribe, why would I bother?

Sasuke Uchiha's mouth twitched. He put his hands in his pockets, turned his head away in embarrassment, and said coldly, "Put it on my tab."

Aogetsu nodded in satisfaction. "It's good that you understand how the world works. You three have bright futures ahead of you."

Sakura asked curiously, "Mr. Aogetsu, what's on the exams?"

"First, the opening exam is written." Aogetsu rubbed his chin as he thought. "Sakura, you should be able to answer the questions. Sasuke can use his Sharingan to copy yours."

"Don't worry. The examiners will generally overlook cheating if you use some skill. Just don't openly copy from someone else's paper."

Aogetsu looked at Naruto and smiled faintly. "As for you... hand in a blank paper."

"Huh? A blank paper?" Naruto pointed at himself and stared at Aogetsu in disbelief.

"Yep. You can pass even with a blank paper," Aogetsu said.

"Mr. Aogetsu, save me!" Naruto clung to his leg and looked up at him pitifully.

The mere mention of a written exam made his scalp tingle. He thought Mr. Aogetsu had given up on him and was telling him not to bother answering.

Pass with a blank paper?

Who'd believe that?

"Stop pestering me. Trust me." Aogetsu picked Naruto up and hurled him into the distance.

"The second exam is about collecting the Heaven and Earth Scrolls," Aogetsu explained. "You'll start with either a Heaven Scroll or an Earth Scroll, then take the other from another team. Get a matching pair, and you pass."

"So it's a battle for information." The corners of Sasuke's mouth rose. If they had to fight over scrolls, they would inevitably clash with other teams.

Good!

I'll use this chance to prove I'm the strongest Genin!

"The third exam is combat. When you face someone, don't show your full strength right away. Say a few words about how grateful you are to me first, then bring out your strongest move."

"In other words..."

"'Wow, that kid's incredible! What? Aogetsu Hyuga trained them? No wonder they're so strong at such a young age!' That's the effect you're aiming for." Aogetsu looked calmly at Team 7. "Understand?"

That's right.

That's exactly what they need to do!

After all the work he had put into making Team 7 stronger, he deserved something worthwhile in return. This time, he would use his little helpers to make himself look impressive.

"Uh... got it." Sakura was speechless. She felt as though she had wasted her money. He had hardly given them any useful information.

With his hands in his pockets, Sasuke said coolly, though gratitude flashed in his eyes, "Hmph. I'd have done that even if you hadn't said anything. You're the one who helped me gain this power."

He knew exactly who had helped him grow stronger and who had helped him gain his power.

"Is that so?" Aogetsu replied casually.

Uchiha Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha.

They had the same mother and inherited the same father's genes.

Sasuke knew how to repay kindness. So why was Itachi, that little bastard, so ungrateful?

Whatever noble cause he claimed, anyone who killed his own parents was a monster!

He slaughtered his clan and killed his father and mother, yet still had the nerve to talk about the Will of Fire?

What a complete clown!

Madara Uchiha cared deeply about his clan. If he knew what that little bastard Itachi had done, he'd probably kick the lid off his coffin in fury.

[Ding!]

[Side Mission unlocked: Teach every member of Team 7 the Summoning Technique.]

[Time limit: seven days.]

[Summoned creature: any.]

[Reward: one random Lottery Pack.]

The system's pleasant, even female voice sounded in Aogetsu's mind.

Aogetsu paused and considered the Side Mission.

A Side Mission?

Teach Team 7 to summon?

Another Side Mission so soon? This lousy system... No, I take that back. This system's pretty good.

Teaching every member of Team 7 to summon would be several times easier than the previous Side Mission!

The Lottery Pack reward was practically being sold at a discount.

They're giving it away!

Excellent.

Last time, I drew a pair of Rinne Sharingan. I wonder what I'll get this time. A Zanpakuto to play with would be nice.

Zanpakuto look cool. I could really show off with one!

"Since you know how to repay kindness, your teacher will teach you one more technique." Aogetsu paused.

Every member of Team 7 brightened and looked at him expectantly.

Aogetsu raised a finger. "You'll owe me for it, of course."

"If I remember right, Genin get paid every month." Aogetsu chuckled. "Hand over your wages on time until each of you has paid me a hundred thousand."

All ninja received a steady wage. Even Genin earned a fairly decent sum each month.

"..." Words of gratitude died on Team 7's lips when they heard about their new debt. All three felt the pressure.

Being a Ninja is so expensive...

Other Genin spent their earnings freely, buying whatever they wanted. Some treated themselves to a huge grilled meat dinner; others at least bought a couple of new outfits.

And Team 7?

We have to pick up used Kunai, wipe them down, sharpen them ourselves, and keep using them!

All our money goes to Mr. Aogetsu for tuition!

We can't afford new Kunai even when the old ones are worn out!

But thinking it over, perhaps it was a good thing. The little money they had could never have persuaded a top Jonin to teach them techniques.

Yet Mr. Aogetsu taught all of Team 7 without charging them much.

When you put it that way... Mr. Aogetsu's actually pretty nice!

He really is an excellent teacher worthy of respect!

"You can have all my money. Just give me—" Sasuke caught Aogetsu's indifferent gaze before he could finish. He turned his head away awkwardly and corrected himself. "Please teach me a new technique, Mr. Aogetsu."

Mr. Aogetsu probably had no need for the small sums they earned as Genin. If he charged them tuition for every lesson, it must be because he wanted to teach Team 7 something.

There was no such thing as a free lunch. If they asked someone for help, they had to do it sincerely.

Was he teaching Team 7 gratitude and the importance of repaying kindness?

That's Mr. Aogetsu for you.

He even used tuition fees to teach his students the right attitude.

"Impatient little brat. Everyone, sit down." Aogetsu sat cross-legged on the ground.

Summoning, huh.

He had never used it himself. He could crush any enemy he met, so there had been no need for techniques like summoning.

Though, come to think of it...

After obtaining the Rinne Sharingan, he could easily summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—the Ten-Tails' physical husk.

Team 7 certainly could not summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.

So what should I teach them to summon?

Forget it.

I'll let the little brats choose for themselves.

"Mr. Aogetsu, is this new technique powerful?" Naruto sat on the ground and looked at him eagerly.

All three members of Team 7 had taken their seats.

"Just wait here." With that, Aogetsu turned into a streak of azure lightning and shot away so fast that he seemed to vanish into thin air.

Team 7 looked puzzled.

Three minutes later...

Bzz! Azure lightning flashed, and Aogetsu appeared out of nowhere before Team 7, carrying a huge pile of unusual scrolls.

"These are Summoning Contracts. They should have descriptions on them. Pick one you like, you little brats, and sign it in blood." Aogetsu tossed the heap of scrolls in front of the three of them.

He had just visited the village's secret storehouse, knocked out the two Root Ninja guarding it, and taken every Summoning Scroll inside.

Aogetsu glanced over the mountain of Summoning Contract scrolls. There were wolves, dogs, eagles, snakes, toads, slugs—practically an entire zoo.

That old dog Danzo must have collected plenty of junk. His storehouse had so many Summoning Contracts.

"Contract Scrolls?"

"Mr. Aogetsu, you're teaching us the Summoning Technique?"

All three members of Team 7 lit up with excitement. They had seen the Summoning Technique before. It was both impressive and powerful.

Sasuke frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "Doesn't a summon have to accept you before you can sign a contract?"

Aogetsu waved a hand and said casually, "It's fine. Just pick whichever you like. I'll make those beasts agree."

Would a summon dare refuse?

I'd slap the little beast dead!

"As expected of Mr. Aogetsu!" Naruto said excitedly.

Sasuke and Sakura nodded in agreement. He could even force summons to accept a contract.

That's Mr. Aogetsu for you!

Summon an Egg? Katsuyu Appears!

The three members of Team 7 sat around the mountain of Summoning Contract Scrolls, opening them one after another to read their contents.

"How am I supposed to choose?" Sakura leafed through a Contract Scroll and read the information about the summons on the Scroll. "Snake-type summons... used by Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin."

What are the legendary Sannin?