A heavy gloom hung over Konoha. Although seven days had passed since the massacre of the clan, fear and unease still lingered, like an inescapable fog shrouding the hearts of every villager. Yet, the Ninja Academy's class placement ceremony proceeded as scheduled amidst this oppressive atmosphere.
Hokage Tobirama Senju, clad in a dark robe, stood calmly yet authoritatively on the platform, his gaze sweeping over the eight nervous students below. In his hand lay a pair of red and black slips of paper, simple objects that now seemed like a judgment that would decide their fate.
"Draw lots. This will determine Mirai you are lucky enough to become Hokage's direct disciples. I've always believed that luck is very important for a ninja." Tobirama Senju's voice was deep and clear in the quiet classroom.
The first to step forward was Hiruzen Sarutobi. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and his slightly trembling hand slowly reached into the fortune-telling container. The moment he touched the bamboo stick, his family's expectations and his own aspirations for the Mirai flashed through his mind. When he drew the stick and saw the red color, his eyes instantly lit up, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up, his excitement and joy almost overflowing. "I... I drew a red stick!" His voice trembled slightly with excitement.
Tobirama Senju nodded slightly, a hint of encouragement in his eyes. "Not bad, Hiruzen. I hope you won't let this good fortune and opportunity slip away."
Shimura Danzō closely behind, his eyes filled with eagerness and longing. His hand rummaged through the fortune sticks, seemingly trying to find the most ideal one. The Setsuna he drew a red stick, his tense face finally relaxed, a hint of pride appearing on his face as he muttered to himself, "I knew I could do it. I'm going to be the Hokage." Tobirama Senju watched this, only slightly frowning, without saying much.
Kagami Uchiha's expression was cold and stern as he calmly reached out to draw a lot. After drawing a red lot, he merely nodded slightly, but his heart was filled with turmoil. As a member of the Uchiha Clan, he knew that this was not only a matter of personal honor but also a matter of the clan's reputation. He silently vowed in his heart to prove the pride of the Uchiha with his strength.
Torifu Akimichi Earth Flow casually and drew a fortune stick. Seeing the red one, he jumped up excitedly and shouted, "Haha, I knew my luck wouldn't be bad!" Tobirama Senju looked at him and smiled helplessly, "Don't be too smug. You can't afford to be careless in your future training."
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu stepped forward to draw lots together. After drawing a red lot, Mitokado Homura breathed a sigh of relief, her face full of satisfaction; Utatane Koharu, on the other hand, covered her mouth with excitement, her eyes glistening with tears. They looked at each other and saw the joy and anticipation for the Mirai in each other's eyes.
However, Nannen Uchiha and Kyūgen Aburame had completely different fates.
As Nannen Uchiha stepped forward, a hint of stubbornness and resentment flickered in his eyes. He slowly drew a lot, and the moment he saw the black one, his body stiffened abruptly, and the color drained from his face. He bit his lip tightly, his hands clenching unconsciously until his knuckles turned white. As a member of the Uchiha Clan, failing to become the Hokage's direct disciple made him feel as if he had become a sinner against his clan.
"Why..." he murmured to himself, his voice filled with disappointment and pain.
Tobirama Senju looked at him, his gaze softening slightly. " Nannen Uchiha, this doesn't represent your strength. You just lack a bit of luck. There will be many more opportunities in the Mirai."
When Kyūgen Aburame drew a black lot, he seemed to lose all his strength. He slowly lowered his head, his hair obscuring his dejected expression. He muttered softly, "It's because I wasn't good enough..." Tobirama Senju stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder. "There's more than one path to training. As long as you work hard enough, you'll find your own direction."
After the draw, the atmosphere in the classroom was somewhat heavy. The six who drew red lots were overjoyed, but also understood the heavy responsibilities Mirai; while the two who drew black lots, though disappointed and frustrated, secretly resolved, encouraged by Tobirama Senju, to prove themselves in the future.
The atmosphere in the Ninja Academy's auditorium was tense and oppressive, as if shrouded in an invisible veil. In the recently concluded selection of Hokage's direct disciples, Nannen Uchiha and Kyūgen Aburame drew black lots, missing their chance to become Hokage Tobirama Senju's direct disciples. They returned dejectedly to the line of students waiting for class assignments, heads hanging low, their faces filled with disappointment.
"What bad luck, why didn't I draw a red card..." Nannen Uchiha muttered under his breath, his fists clenching unconsciously, his heart filled with resentment. He hadn't really taken becoming the Hokage's direct disciple seriously, but failing due to bad luck made him extremely unwilling to accept it. He vowed to train even harder in the future, defeat the six who became the Hokage's direct disciples, and bring greater glory to himself and his clan. Now, he could only hope that the ordinary class placement wouldn't hold him back.
Kyūgen Aburame remained silent, but his slightly trembling shoulders betrayed his inner frustration. He felt he had let his family down and couldn't imagine how he would face his elders' punishment when he returned.
Just then, Mr. Yamaki walked up to the podium, cleared his throat, and broke the silence in the auditorium. "Students, let's begin the class assignments." His voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet auditorium, instantly attracting everyone's attention.
" Team 1: Hidemune Hatake, Koboku Ito, Tai Chiba," Mr. Yamaki read out, and with each name he called, a slight commotion arose from the audience. Some of the students whose names were called stood up excitedly, while others took deep breaths nervously, their faces filled with anticipation and anxiety for the Mirai.
"Your team leader is Uchiha Tomioki."
Uchiha Tomioki stood up. He was tall and imposing, and the fiery red Uchiha Clan Gunbai stood out prominently on his black ninja uniform. He glanced at the students of Team 1, his eyes sharp as an eagle, and said, " Team 1, come with me." His voice was deep and powerful, carrying an unquestionable authority.
Hidemune Hatake's cheeks flushed with excitement. He stood up, his legs trembling slightly, trying to calm himself down. He whispered to Koboku Ito beside him, "I'm finally going to become a real ninja! And the instructor leading the team is actually the Uchiha Clan Head chief! I'm both excited and a little scared. What about you?"
Koboku Ito swallowed hard, his voice strained. "Me too, I don't know how difficult the training will be in the future..." Before he could finish speaking, he was met with a stern gaze from Uchiha Tomioki, and the two quickly shut up and caught up with the group.
As they left, the remaining students in the auditorium became even more nervous, their eyes fixed on the list in Mr. Yamaki's hand.
"The three students in Team 2 are Aoki Kawa, Zeya Hyuga, and Muranzi. Your teacher is Tennin Hyuga."
As the Hyuga Clan, Tennin Hyuga possessed the white eyes characteristic of the Hyuga Clan. He approached the students of Team 2 with a faint smile and said softly, "Welcome to my class. From now on, you'll all be a team, so please help each other."
Aoki Kawa Scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and asked, "Teacher, will our missions be very dangerous in the future?"
Tennin Hyuga gently patted his head and comforted him, "With your teacher here, don't worry too much. As long as you train diligently and master your Ninjutsu, you will definitely be able to protect yourselves and your comrades."
As one class after another was announced, the number of students in the auditorium dwindled.
" Team 3, Nannen Uchiha, Gekko Hakuqing, Utatane Gōgun." Teacher Yamaki's voice came through. "Your team leader is Natsuki Gekko."
Upon hearing her name, Nannen Uchiha abruptly raised her head, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes—a mixture of relief at being assigned to her class and regret at not becoming a direct disciple of the Hokage.
Natsuki Gekko was thin and always wore a large straw hat, obscuring his expression. He walked up to the students of Team 3 and said in a low voice, "Come with me."
Moonlight Bai Qing curiously stepped forward and asked, "Teacher, why do you always wear a straw hat?"
Natsuki Gekko was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "When you are strong enough, you will naturally know. For now, focus on your cultivation."
" Team 4: Mokubon Kurama, Kyūgen Aburame, Tōya Hyuga; the instructor is Dansuke Shimura."
Upon hearing her name called, Kyūgen Aburame paused slightly, then stood up and silently followed the group.
Dansuke Shimura, a burly man, looked at the students of Team 4 and said loudly, "From today onwards, you are my students! I will train you to be incredibly strong. Do you have confidence?"
"Yes!" Mokubon Kurama and Tōya Hyuga responded loudly, and Kyūgen Aburame echoed softly.
" Team 7: Biwako, Tora Inuzuka, Eijō Yuhi, led by Sasuke Sarutobi."
Sasuke Sarutobi was especially happy today. His son had become the Hokage's direct disciple, and the Lord First's daughter had become his student. He ran up to the students of Team 7, opened his arms wide, and exclaimed, "Haha, welcome to Team 7! We're sure to have a super fun training time from now on!"
Tora Inuzuka was so excited he was practically dancing with joy. "Teacher, when can we go on our mission? I can't wait!"
Sasuke Sarutobi chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, "Don't rush, don't rush. Once you've learned your skills, there will be plenty of missions for you to carry out! Don't complain about being tired then!"
In this class assignment, the students, filled with both anticipation and uncertainty about their Mirai ninja lives, embarked on their new journeys. The teachers, with their unique personalities and formidable strength, became their guides on their ninja paths. Whether it was Nannen Uchiha and Kyūgen Aburame, who were previously rejected, or the other fortunate students, they would all face unknown challenges in their respective teams in the days to Mirai.