“As for the 41 who graduated early, each of them has good potential. They should at least be able to become Chunin, and about half of them have the potential to become Special Jonin. So I need to assign 14 Jonin Sensei to them.”
“Although Konoha’s population has mostly recovered, in terms of high-end power, we are still weaker than before the Third Shinobi World War. Therefore, we need to train all 41 of them with the goal of raising them to Jonin level. Even if not all of them can become Special Jonin, becoming Elite Chunin is enough.”
“As for becoming Jonin, that’s hard to say. I believe Uchiha Mieko will become a Jonin like Senju Terui last year. Like him, she also has the potential to become an Elite Jonin. But I can’t comment on the others. Alas, I hope this batch can produce at least 10 to 12 Jonin. The Nine-Tailed attack killed many of our Jonin.”
Then he informed the school teachers to start forming teams and busied himself with the necessary paperwork.
After the school teachers drafted a proposal, some disagreements arose, just like in previous years.
They approached the Hokage to discuss the matter. Hiruzen said,
“So, what are the top teams you’ve formed?”
Genshu immediately replied,
“Based on their performance, Hatake Rai, Uchiha Mieko, Suzuki Kazemasa, Hyuga Hodaka, and Hyuga Hana showed the highest potential. However, Hatake Rai’s situation is a bit special. His mother has now received treatment, but we are not sure if he will continue to train with the same enthusiasm, and two Hyuga cannot be on the same team. So I suggest a team composed of Uchiha Mieko, Suzuki Kazemasa, and Hyuga Hodaka.”
However, soon another teacher, Hatake Rai’s homeroom teacher, spoke up.
“I disagree. In just half a year, Hatake Rai has made tremendous progress. In fact, his talent can even be said to be above Mieko’s. He should be placed in the top team. I suggest forming a team consisting of Uchiha Mieko, Hatake Rai, and Suzuki Kazemasa.”
Another teacher commented,
“Actually, Suzuki Kazemasa is just a civilian orphan. His future won’t be as smooth as that of children from Ninja families. Even his Great Breakthrough Technique was given to him by Genshu. So I think a team of Hatake Rai, Uchiha Mieko, and Hyuga Hodaka might be a more suitable choice.”
Genshu retorted,
“I disagree. Although Kazemasa is just a civilian with no background, his performance is the most stable in our class. He deserves to be in that team. Moreover, he is also a Sensor Ninja and possesses Wind Release Chakra.”
“As a Sensor Ninja, he can complement the Byakugan’s abilities, and his Wind Release Ninjutsu can enhance Mieko’s Fire Release Ninjutsu, making them more lethal. Furthermore, he and Hodaka have a competitive relationship in Taijutsu, so their teamwork will be more suitable.”
He thought to himself,
“Besides, he is so reclusive and has almost no other friends. So I don’t know if he can work with others.”
The previous teacher was about to rebuke him again.
“But…”
However, he was interrupted by Hiruzen.
“Alright, enough. I’ve decided. This lineup will consist of Mieko, Kazemasa, and Hodaka.”
Hatake Rai’s homeroom teacher was clearly unhappy about this. He was about to speak when Hiruzen said,
“Their team’s Jonin Sensei is Senju Renjiro.”
The teachers were confused by this news. One of them asked,
“But Hokage-sama, we didn’t choose him as the team’s teacher.”
Hiruzen shook his head and said,
“No. This change is because Kazemasa wants to learn Samurai Swordsmanship. Renjiro was once a student of a Samurai, and he is an expert at countering the Sharingan, skilled in using Water Release Ninjutsu and Earth Release Ninjutsu. This provides Mieko with an opportunity to understand how to counter her own abilities and helps her grow further. Hodaka can learn Water Release Ninjutsu from him, and his Taijutsu is strong enough to handle Hodaka’s obsession with Taijutsu.”
Then he looked at Hatake Rai’s homeroom teacher and said,
“It’s a pity Hatake Rai doesn’t practice his family’s Swordsmanship, otherwise I would have put him in the team instead of Hodaka.”
Everyone was satisfied with this explanation. They turned to arranging the remaining students.
It took them over 13 hours to form all the teams and decide on their teachers.
Once everything was done, Hiruzen sent an Anbu member to convey the news to everyone selected as a teacher.
If they had any questions, they could contact him the next day.
The next day, many people came to meet Hiruzen. Around noon, Renjiro also came to visit him.
As soon as he entered, he greeted Hiruzen, saying,
“Old man, I don’t agree to be a teacher for those brats. Besides, I’ve already led a Genin team.”
Renjiro had a somewhat close relationship with him growing up. So Hiruzen didn’t mind his words.
Hiruzen looked at Renjiro. He was dressed casually, so Hiruzen could see all the scars on his face and arms from his professional career.
Hiruzen sighed and said,
“You’ve been on missions almost non-stop since the war ended. This mission is for a few reasons. One is to give you a break. The second is because one of them wants to learn Samurai Swordsmanship.”
Renjiro looked at Hiruzen in confusion and asked,
“As you know, I can’t easily teach this technique to just anyone. So what other reason do I have to teach him?”
Hiruzen sighed and said,
“He ranked first in his class. That’s the reward he wants.”
Renjiro asked,
“Uh, what reward?”
Hiruzen replied,
“This is an incentive I’m taking to encourage students and make them train harder.”
Upon hearing this, Renjiro nodded. He knew about Konoha’s Ninja shortage problem. He sighed and said,
“Can’t you just let him ask for something else?”
Hiruzen didn’t answer, but sweat dripped down his face when he thought of the “something else” Kazemasa had asked for.
After chatting for a while and learning a bit about the students, Renjiro left.
He wasn’t surprised by the fact that his team was the most promising. After all, he had been an Elite Jonin for over ten years!
Later that day, Kazemasa went to a shop that sold Ninja clothes to buy new clothes.
He bought a set of all-black clothes. He noticed that the fabric used for these clothes was very sturdy.
The Restaurant Owner said it was harder to cut, had some resistance to fire and lightning, and was less prone to getting wet or dusty.
He put on a set and examined himself in the mirror. His entire outfit, including his boots, pants, and shirt, was all black.
