After the team assignments were announced, the mood in the classroom shifted. There was a sense of anticipation hanging in the air, each student waiting for their Jonin instructor to arrive. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were the only ones left in the room now, seated in silence.
Suddenly, the door slid open with a smooth motion.
A tall man stepped in. He had brown eyes, olive skin, and short black spiky hair accompanied by a well-kept beard. His presence was calm yet grounded, like a tree deeply rooted in the soil. He wore the standard Konoha ninja uniform, but his sleeves were rolled up halfway. A green flak jacket hung neatly over his torso, and around his waist was a sash bearing the kanji for "Fire" (火). Bandages wrapped his forearms, and a pair of black bangles clinked softly as he moved.
"Team 10," the man said with a steady tone.
Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji stood up. Shikamaru stretched lazily, muttering a tired "troublesome," while Ino threw one last glance at Sasuke. Choji munched the last bite of his chips before stuffing the empty bag into his pocket. The three of them walked past Naruto.
Shikamaru gave a brief nod to Naruto, who returned it with a calm expression. Ino, slightly blushing, smiled faintly. Choji waved casually. The trio followed their sensei out the door, which slid shut with a soft thud.
Five minutes passed in relative silence.
The door opened again, and a woman entered this time. She had a slender build, with long, untamed black hair cascading to her upper back. Her most striking feature was her red eyes with unique concentric rings, lined with purple eye shadow and a touch of red lipstick that gave her a mature, elegant look. Her outfit was unconventional—a red mesh armor blouse that left her left shoulder bare, with thorn-like bandage wrappings along her limbs and upper thighs. A Konoha forehead protector rested firmly on her brow.
"Team 8," she said in a cool, composed voice.
Hinata shyly stood up, brushing her fingers together. Shino adjusted his glasses in silence. Kiba jumped up, Akamaru barking excitedly from his head.
The woman's gaze briefly landed on Naruto. Her eyes narrowed, as if sensing something unusual, but she said nothing. The trio exited the room, the woman following them with quiet grace.
Now, only Team 7 remained: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno.
Sasuke sat quietly, arms crossed and expression unreadable. Sakura kept glancing sideways at him, blushing and occasionally sighing to herself. Naruto, on the other hand, had closed his eyes and sat cross-legged on the floor in a calm lotus position. In his hand, he held a small black stone with silver veins—his void stone. He had begun refining the energy stored within, his presence quiet but intense.
Two hours passed.
Sakura began groaning in frustration. "Why is our sensei so late?! Ughhh! I could've spent time with Sasuke-kun!"
Just as her voice echoed across the empty room, the classroom door creaked open once more.
A tall man with silver hair, styled in a gravity-defying manner, stepped inside. He wore his forehead protector tilted to the side, covering his left eye. The lower half of his face was obscured by a black mask, adding an air of mystery to his laid-back demeanor. He stood with a relaxed posture, yet something in his presence hinted at hidden power and sharp awareness. His lone visible eye, calm and calculating, swept across the three of them.
Without much of an introduction, he spoke in a casual tone. "Team 7… Meet me on the rooftop in five minutes."
With that, he disappeared in a blur, using the Body Flicker Technique.
Naruto stood up gracefully. Sasuke silently walked toward the door, and Sakura followed closely behind, chattering about how cool their sensei looked. The three made their way to the rooftop, the wind softly rustling around them.
When they arrived, the silver-haired man was already sitting atop a water tank, one knee propped up, reading a small orange book titled *Icha Icha Paradise*.
He looked up, closed the book, and motioned for them to sit.
"Alright, let's introduce ourselves," he said, leaning back casually.
Sakura raised her hand. "Wait! Shouldn't you introduce yourself first, sensei?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Hmm… Me? Well, my name's Hatake Kakashi. I have no intention of telling you my likes or dislikes. My dreams for the future… I've never really thought about them. As for hobbies… I have many."
There was a brief pause as Sakura blinked. "That… didn't tell us anything…"
Sasuke spoke next, his voice cool. "Uchiha Sasuke. I don't like much. I hate a lot of things. My dream is not a dream… I have an ambition. To revive my clan and kill a certain someone."
Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly, sensing the darkness in Sasuke's tone.
Sakura blushed as she began. "My name is Sakura Haruno. What I like is…" she glanced at Sasuke and giggled. "My dream is…" she covered her face, flustered. "And I hate Naruto!"
Naruto tilted his head and gave a small smirk. He stood up, his presence suddenly becoming focused and commanding, like an ancient warrior returned from countless battles.
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki," he began. His voice was steady, with an underlying warmth and steel. "I carry the will of those who've come before me. I've trained under a man whose strength once shook the heavens. I've walked a lonely road of fire and silence, and now I stand here—not as a prankster, not as a fool, but as a shinobi."
He paused, looking at Kakashi and cupping his hand in an old-fashioned martial greeting. "I hope to learn from you, senior."
The words, though strange to Sakura and Sasuke, carried a gravity that even Kakashi silently acknowledged. The boy before him no longer radiated the clumsy, loud aura he was once known for. He stood firm, like an ancient blade pulled from a forgotten battlefield—refined, sharp, and full of quiet strength.
Kakashi blinked, his lone eye gazing at Naruto for a moment longer than the others.
"Huh," he said, "Interesting kid."
Then his tone turned serious.
"Now that introductions are over, tomorrow morning, training ground 7, 5:00 A.M. sharp. Don't be late."
He began walking away, then paused.
"Oh, and skip breakfast… unless you want to puke it up."
And with that, he disappeared once more, leaving Team 7 behind on the rooftop as the wind carried his final words into silence.
To Be Continued…