"Good morning, Naruto-kun!"
Naruto turned from his door after locking up to see his neighbour Shizune greeting him, looking chipper.
"Yo, Shizune." Naruto replies casually.
"Good morning, Naru-nii!" A chipper, tiny voice piped up.
"Huh?" Naruto looked around 'obliviously'. "I heard a voice but I don't see anyone? Who could that have been?"
"Naru-nii!" The little voice whined before Naruto was forced to fend off a vicious attack.
Of the 'hug-around-the-legs-until-he-falls-over' variety.
"Minako-chan? Is that you? When did you get here." Naruto manages to pry her arms from him and pick up the bouncy 4-year-old.
"I've been here forever!" Minako wraps her arms around his neck instead and snuggles in, squishing Naruto's long spikes down.
Naruto gives a dry look to Shizune, who only giggles.
"Minako-chan found out that her Naru-nii was graduating today so she just had to wish him good luck."
"She did?" Naruto looked down at the excited girl, silver hair bobbing around when she gave him rapid nods to confirm her mothers statement.
"Awww!" Naruto teases, making the girl blush and bury her head into his shoulder again.
From behind Shizune, a male voice makes itself known.
"Yo, Naruto."
Naruto nods at him. "Kakashi. The old bat gave you both today off?"
"Hokage-sama gave us both today off, yes." Shizune corrects and affirms in exasperation, and Kakashi gives a signature eye-smile. "And Kakashi can't go on missions right now anyway."
"Why?" Naruto turns to Kakashi. "Injured? Pregnant?"
"Mah mah," Kakashi deflects lazily, but there was a smile in his voice. "Hokage-sama has deemed it necessary to burden me with some Genin candidates this year."
"Shame. I hope I don't get put on your team, you've been here twenty-seconds and I'm already sick of your face."
"I agree. It's insulting to put up with the presence of those who are significantly less skilled than you."
Shizune bonked them both on the head lightly when she practically saw sparks fly between their eyes, leading to Minako giggling.
"No more prank wars." She orders with her tuned 'mother-voice'. She switches to her kindly self again. "But since we have today off, we thought we'd come by the Academy and scout out the students during their test. Kakashi will get to see who he might get and Minako gets to watch her Onii-chan."
"In that case I better not disappoint." Naruto pokes Minako in the side, eliciting a squawk.
"We better be on our way. You don't want to be late for your own graduation." Shizune frets over him.
Naruto is fond of his neighbours. Shizune had been one of the people to teach him how to live on his own, things like cooking and cleaning were practically beaten into his head and she always encouraged him to keep his home in order. Kakashi was someone he thought highly of too. His mannerisms were more calm and helped him understand the behavior of men a little more, plus playing rough with him while he was younger was a nice change from the women who rarely wanted to do so. It helped him understand how rough was too rough that it wasn't fun for anyone anymore, and was a valuable tool when he was still in close contact with other orphans a while after Tsukimi-baachan passed away. Fighting was one thing, but playing rough was something different when you wanted to make friends or interact with little fragile people like Minako.
Plus, he couldn't go everywhere being stinky and unclean. Kakashi told him it would be a good idea to groom and recently taught him how to shave.
"I'm sure it will be fine." Naruto is dismissive but does lead on to the Academy, Minako climbing onto his shoulders unassisted.
"Giddy-up! Mush!" Minako orders imperiously.
"Yes, Minako-hime."
"-Some of you are here to make your family proud, and some of you are here because you have something to prove. But today, you're here to let yourselves and all of Konoha know that you are worthy of serving beside the finest shinobi in the world!"
Tsunade finished her speech and the teachers clapped, followed by students and parents. She steps down from the podium and Naruto... admires the bounce to her chest with every foot down. He hoped no-one noticed him ogling the Hokage.
He looks at Kakashi, who is smirking at him while clapping.
'Damn.'
There is about half-an-hour of mingling while the some of the teachers set up the outdoor tests. Open field Shurikenjutsu ranges are set up as well as a large Taijutsu ring. Most of the students head in to chat to eachother instead of put up with their embarrassing parents. Naruto is watching it all and basking in the sun rather than head in just yet, and Tsunade decides to approach him.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do today Naruto. I hope my decision to let you study and train on your own was a good one."
Naruto carefully looks her in the eyes and not an inch down. He didn't want to get caught by the subject of his indecent observation.
"You won't be disappointed. I'm stronger than anyone else in my class." Of that he had no doubt. Teachers included.
"Then your confidence won't be unearned then." Tsunade smiles at his bravado.
She turns to face Kakashi and Shizune, who had just finished talking with some civilian parents. Her smile becomes almost motherly at the site of Shizune holding the squirming child. She turns her attention to them and Naruto heads in to the Academy.
"Tsunade-sama." Kakashi and Shizune greet in unison, giving a respectful half-bow.
"I see you decided to see who you'd be sending back to the Academy this year."
"Perhaps I'll be unfortunate enough to have a good batch instead." Kakashi jokes back dryly and Shizune pinches him for it.
Tsunade smiles, though her attention is still drawn to their child.
"And here's a little munchkin." Tsunade leans in as preperation to issue the cute child with affection, wanted or otherwise. Minako snuggles into Shizune, hiding her face momentarily.
Shizune tries to coax her out to say hello. "Mina-chan, Tsunade-sama is talking to you. What do you say when someone says hi?"
A small, cold shiver works down Kakashi's spine.
Kakashi looks up slowly to the small stairwell Naruto paused on before he stepped into the Academy.
The boy wore a smile. One of nightmares. One of pure evil.
He turns back around and walks through the door.
The Jonin's stomach dropped and he turned slowly to his daughter, her face peeks out after watching Naruto look back at her and seemingly received a transmission of confidence from him.
"Tsunade baa-chan!" Minako chirps up at her.
Kakashi's heart stopped. Shizune's jaw dropped.
Every other parent and family member in the courtyard is looking at them now.
'That little bas-'
"Aren't you adorable?!" Tsunade-sama gushes and scoops Minako into her arms.
Simultaneously, every person in hearing range gave the same reaction.
"EH?!"
"My mom was getting clan stuff done yesterday at Hokage-sama's office, and guess what?"
"W-what is it, Ino-chan?" the little voice could be mistaken for a whisper.
"You know that Naruto guy? The tall one who's never here? He gets to sit the Genin exam! He got to skip Academy while we all had to suffer doing this boring junk!" Ino throws her hands up in the air, clearly frustrated.
Naruto-san had been coming to the Academy for the last two weeks, and while there was no chance that he would get rookie of the year by any means given his attendance record, some of the boys were frustrated that someone who was away so often was effortlessly defeating them in Taijutsu spars and class activities. Even Sasuke-san couldn't hit Naruto, but at least the former never complained openly and came back at Naruto with more zeal every time.
"O-oh." Little Voice responds, unsure if she was meant to be feeling indignant at the truancy of someone she didn't know very well. "I-I don't think th-that Naruto-san needs instruction-"
"You're so lucky, Hinata!" Ino interrupts and slumps back into her seat in a mood flip, face sitting atop her forearms with an overdramatic frown. "You're probably gonna get Shino or-" Her mood flips again to 'dreamy'. "Sasuke-kun."
Hinata is overwhelmed. She doesn't want Ino's oppressive personality to make her more skittish than she already was. Father already probably considered her a lost cause as it was and she didn't want to disappoint him further, she thought morosely.
Ino still has more to say. Annoyingly.
"Meanwhile, I'm gonna get stuck with that lazy-bones Shikamaru and 'too-busy-eating-to-win' Choji! This sucks!"
"Maybe they realized that you're as hopeless as they are."
Ino's head snaps around to the smirking pinkette across the room. If looks could kill, there'd be one less Genin aspirant today.
Hinata practically shrinks, frozen on the spot. She knows that a fight is on the cusp of breaking out.
As if summoned by the Ghost of School Fights past, Iruka-sensei waltzed into the room as if there wasn't the next Shinobi War about to start in it.
"Good Morning! Everyone take your seats."
He goes ignored. The yapping refuses to stop.
"Students, take your seats." His voice is not as chipper.
The volume goes up. Hinata covers her ears.
"SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!"
Silence. Blissful silence, Hinata sighs in relief.
"Back to your seats." Iruka glances over the students suspiciously before his expression evens out. "Don't make your last day here a bad one. You still need to pass this test, so I want all of you to act as befitting a shinobi. Professional! Do you understand?"
"Yes Iruka-sensei." The droning chorus confirms.
The door opens immediately after, and Hinata recognizes the tall boy who walks in as Naruto. The mostly truant student.
"You're late." Iruka-sensei seems resigned. He has probably tried and failed many times to get Naruto to show up on time.
"The test has started?" Naruto asks, his voice a smooth and pleasant rumble.
Iruka-sensei shakes his head. "Just take a seat Naruto." Clearly not making a fuss about it, he probably didn't think it was worth it in the end.
Naruto walks up the steps to the open spot next to her and naturally, there are spiteful boys sticking their feet out to trip him. He steps over them easily and without looking silly. He takes a seat next to her and crosses his arms over his chest. His muscular chest.
She hopes he didn't notice her eyeing him up.
He looks at her and she sees his visible eye wink at her.
'Damn.'
Thankfully, Mizuki-sensei is already passing out the written tests and she isn't afforded the opportunity to blush at being caught.
"You will each have one hour to complete your test as well as you can. If you are caught cheating in any way, shape or form, you will be disqualified immediately."
Hinata nearly gulps at the size of the test. Every page was completely filled out with questions. She takes a look at the boy sitting next to her and sees that he is unconcerned as he writes his name down. She wishes she could have his confidence.
'No!' She sucks her lips in nervously. 'I have to do my best! Be like Naruto!'
She looks at the questions on the first page again.
It would be a long hour.
Half of the students don't even finish the exam. They'd still have the opportunity to catch up in the practical tests but it seemed that the only people that would be getting decent written marks would be Naruto and Sasuke who finished by a significant margin, as well as some of the other clan children. Plus Sakura.
Iruka and Mizuki collect the papers and Suzume-sensei who is usually delegated to Kunoichi and espionage training, is the one who gets the grueling task of marking all of the tests.
All of the students are led out to the training field and the parents who had been mingling or taken their other children away to play had returned and were ready to watch the last stages of graduation.
"I don't recognize the tall one, did he fail last year?" Nara Yoshino asks, standing in a group with her fellow Ino-Shika-Cho matrons and other mothers.
Shizune huffs at the rude question and Kakashi nearly rolls his eye.
"Mah, that's Uzumaki Naruto. Tsunade-sama gave him special permissions to train on his own since students aren't allowed to graduate early anymore." Kakashi answers instead.
"He must be very skilled then." Yoshino replies with a somewhat dubious tone.
Kakashi eye-smiles and replies, preventing Shizune from saying something. "I'm sure we'll get to see shortly." He claps politely on seeing a civilian student get an above-average score, along with the rest of the parents.
And they do. Once Sasuke displayed his own impressive Shurikenjutsu, Naruto was quick to match his perfect score shortly after.
"Go Naru-nii!" Minako cheers joyfully.
There was a smatter of laughter and another round of polite applause.
"Next up is Ninjutsu!"
Iruka leads the students to a more open area, and the parents shuffle along the boundary of the children so they could all watch clearly.
The students come forward in the same order they were called previously, and Shizune has something to say about one particular candidate.
"She has remarkable control for someone so young." She comments admirably. "Haruno was it? She could make a Medic-nin if she trains some more."
A pair of civilians beam at the praise of the daughter.
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
Squeals echo from nearly every young girl and Kakashi openly rolls his eye this time.
Sasuke makes two perfect clones, performs an unusually fast subsititution and follows with an impressive transformation into Iruka.
"Not bad." Kakashi gives his own comment. The kid was pretty good at the jutsu provided by the Academy at-least. It was hard not to see the prodigy that was Uchiha Itachi in him, even though he knew it wasn't fair. Kakashi wondered what kind of potential he had, and how far he could have come under the guidance of people who could teach him better than what he was currently receiving. Kakashi doubted anyone could anyone besides Sasuke's own family could have taught him to use his gifts.
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
Naruto steps forward, ignoring the jeers from his male peers.
"Bunshin no Jutsu." As Kakashi expected, Naruto provides two perfect clones of himself.
"Kawarimi no Jutsu." Also as expected, Naruto casts his Jutsu at the same speed as Sasuke.
There is a forboding pause before Naruto uses his next Jutsu.
"Henge!"
Kakashi's eye nearly pops out its socket.
"Ahhh!" An erotic moan cuts through the silence. "Where ever did my clothes go?"
A stunning, young woman with silky black hair that reached her ankles revealed herself, and wisps of smoke are the only protection of her modesty there is.
Nosebleeds and blushes erupt all around the crowd.
"Nice Naruto!" Kakashi hollers his praise, giving an inspirational thumbs up before he and every other man in his situation are promptly put in their places by furious spouses.
"Uzumaki Naruto!" Shizune's voice was like death calling, sending shivers down the transformed boys spine.
Iruka plugs his nostrils with his fingers. "You idiot! Don't use perverse Jutsu like this!"
"I should have known." Tsunade, who had been mostly silent thus far slaps her forehead in exasperation. Of course a young boy left to play with Jutsu on his own would do something ridiculous like this.
The crowd calms down and Naruto dispels the transformation, although glares from every female including the Hokage are enough to keep him behaved for the moment.
He transforms into Iruka flawlessly, and it is the concluding Jutsu of the exams.
"Next is Taijutsu! I hope you've all got energy left for this one!"
Most of the fights are pathetic to say the least. Even a pair of the famed Ino-Shika-Cho trio children aren't happy to engage in a Taijutsu spar. Shikamaru throws lazy un-enthused punches at Choji and Choji barely deflects them at all. It could be suspected by any observer that they only put up the display at all was because their mothers were watching.
"Honestly... That boy!" Yoshino gripes and Choji's mother also gives an over-the-top sigh. The boys are rewarded with poor marks.
Kiba and Shino provide a more interesting match up, something their mother and father respectively seem happy about.
"Your boy is as gifted as you were with your clans signature style." Aburama Shibi complements after said boy defeats Shino.
"He's got the vigor for it." Tsume agrees with a proud smirk. "But he really needs to learn not to just throw himself around like that. The Mini-you nearly took it from him with that blind-spot attack in the middle. Goes to show brains matters just as much huh?"
Shibi nods an agreement, silently impressed that his son had the will to fight even knowing he was outmatched.
"Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto! Step forward please."
Both students form the Seal of Confrontation before moving into more confortable positions.
Kakashi observes Naruto and Sasuke through the ear-rattling noise generated by fangirls, and sees that Sasuke looks quite pumped up. Naruto too takes on a more serious demeanor. He hadn't actually seen Naruto use shinobi techniques before, their relationship was more akin to uncle and nephew than teacher and student. For him it was quite bizarre to see him take an unrecognizable Taijutsu stance, and look more akin to a seasoned warrior instead of the teasing big-brother and semi-prankster that stayed up far past his bedtime.
He knew that the Naruto knew wasn't just a mask, there was real joviality in him, but he couldn't help but wonder how much Naruto was hiding if he could display such technique with seemingly no influence from the shinobi forces.
"Are you both ready?" Mizuki is proctoring this time, raising his arm into the air.
Naruto and Sasuke nod.
"Hajime!"
Sasuke rushes Naruto with impressive speed and tries to kick Naruto's legs while throwing the first punch. Naruto strafes instead of moving backwards and sweeps Sasuke's legs from the side. Mid-fall, Sasuke spins and flings an axe-kick quickly enough that Naruto catches it with his hand.
Naruto isn't content to let Sasuke control the fight and throws a punch with his free hand that collides with Sasuke's chest and knocks the wind out of him. Sasuke blocks the follow-up strike and tries to disrupt Naruto's footing by swinging over his head. Naruto lets go of the foot he's clinging to instead of falling for it and springs into a kick at his opponents stomach, sending him tumbling away.
The Uchiha boy rights himself immediately and is forced to defend from the larger and faster Naruto who has decided to take the lead. Rather than try to block, he deflects and again tries gaining the advantage by controlling Naruto's footwork. The other boy is quick meet every retaliation kick with steady leg blocks.
'This... is not two students fighting.' Kakashi is floored by the speed and skill. 'This isn't even two Genin fighting.'
Sasuke strafes and dips low. He goes for a strong kick to get Naruto in the air but it doesn't work on the faster boy. Naruto reeled back instead of blocking and attacks as Sasuke reaches full extension. Sasuke does a push-up and thrusts another kick too which is pushed away roughly enough to flip him and expose his chest. A powerful kick is the greeting for it, sending Sasuke rolling across the ground again.
The Academy teacher seems content to merely watch on as the spar gets rougher. Naruto has yet to take a hit but Sasuke still seems to have energy despite the strong blows.
"You've gotten stronger, Sasuke!" Naruto grins, looking quite pleased and the seriousness bleeds away. "Come at me! Let's dance some more!"
Sasuke throws himself into a high-speed flurry and kicks, punches and deflections. Naruto's hair billows as the pace of the fight continues to climb, and he answers every strike faster and stronger than Sasuke can match. Sasuke's face gets red from exertion and Naruto is happy is escalate. The shorter boys form begins to deteriorate but keeps up his vicious assault with cry of adrenaline-fueled vigor.
"Unreal." Tsume utters beside them. She is as stunned as he is. "Those boys aren't anything to scoff at."
Kakashi mostly ignores it, his eye is wide as he notices one thing that he doubted the others had yet.
Sasuke's steam was running low but he seemed to be... reacting better than before. His moves are more efficient despite being tired and is doing better at defending from Naruto's blows than before. He is too tired out to attack effectively but his movement was more fluid. He immediately realized what had happened when the glint of Sasuke's eyes was revealed.
"This spar has gone on too long." Shibi dissaproves, probably having caught on aswell. "It is unusual that this is allowed to continue."
Kakashi silently agreed with the assessment. It had escalated too far if it could incite a change of that magnitude in Sasuke. It could be the emotional frustration at losing or being pushed harder than he had ever before. But there would be people pleased with this development.
The instructor Mizuki seemingly comes to his senses once everyone else has caught on to the change, and calls out the result.
"This spar is over! Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke receive full marks!"
Sasuke slumps instantly, having been drained of all his stamina.
Cheers erupt at the display of Taijutsu prowess. Unsurprisingly no-one had expected to see that when they came here today.
Naruto walks over to Sasuke while the girls crowd around the fallen boy. He at least gets a clear view of Sasuke's face.
"I guess I should congratulate you, Sasuke."
The panting boy manages to get a look at Naruto through the fangirls blotting out the sun around him. Naruto pays no heed and sticks out two fingers. The start of the Sign of Reconciliation.
Sasuke takes them in his own without thinking, and is pulled to his feet. Along with two 'helpful' females.
Naruto pulls out a kunai slowly and angles it squarely for Sasuke.
The boy looks at the reflection of his eyes in stunned disbelief before he collapses again.
"Oh no! Sasuke-kun!"
Most of the attending adults exchange their own looks of disbelief. Much time is wasted as they discuss the happenings of the fight and the noise level steadily increases.
Iruka is quick to rush over with a bottle of water.
"Drink it slow, Sasuke-kun. We don't want you throwing it back up again."
Sasuke nods placidly, the most cooperative he'd ever been for Iruka.
Said teacher looked over at Mizuki with a questioning look, clearly wondering if the other instructor was up to something but decided to leave it for later.
Shizune naturally head over as well and bullies the young girls out of the way, using a diagnosis Jutsu on Sasuke's forehead.
"He's perfectly fine, just physically exhausted and a bit battered." Her hands start to glow as she transferred a small amount of chakra into him and provided some first aid to his developing bruises.
A younger voice has even more to say.
"That was AMAZING Onii-chan! You were all like fwuahh! And he was like bleugh! And then-"
Iruka and Mizuki quickly tally up the results of the practical exams along with Suzume who brought out her own. A couple of Genin who had been tasked with helping out the Academy today were the ones to set up a display table with fresh, brand-new Konoha Headbands. The blue fabric didn't have so much as a speck of dust.
Generally exam results were kept private, but seeing as a considerable amount of clan children would be participating in the graduation it was decided that a spectacle would be made out of it to help provide motivation to students who didn't pass, and show parents who weren't as keen on the shinobi business as clan parents were what was required of their kids to help guide them better. Students who didn't pass the exam would be held back and provided a same-day re-test, and if they failed their second attempt they'd be brought in with their guardian to determine if they were to stay another few months to get them in fighting shape or have them drop out entirely and pursue conventional civilian education. Never let it be said that Konoha doesn't give ample opportunity for growth in its walls.
Although today's display may have the opposite of the intended effect. Seeing a pair of boys outclass them in such a way might dampen ones motivation and stop them from being shinobi at all. The aggressive and unnecessarily violent spar was eye-opening for some.
But seeing as it was the last spar of the day, hopefully the graduates would be encourage to work harder. Or at least have their parents make them work harder.
"Uchiha Sasuke, step forward please."
The exhausted Uchiha stand to attention in front of Iruka.
"Today you have proven to yourself and Konoha that you will be an excelent and worthy addition to our shinobi! You receive the title of Rookie of the Year, for your dedication! Congratulations on becoming a Genin!"
Claps sound all around and enthusiastic cheers come from a cooing squad of girls.
"Hooray for Sasuke-kun!" Ino and Sakura shout in unison before glaring at each other.
Sasuke ties the forehead protector around his head and takes his seat again quietly. This time, he is right beside Naruto.
"Uzumaki Naruto! Step forward please."
Said boy stands and his spot on the ground is taken instantly by a dog pile of frothing fan girls.
"Naruto." Iruka starts with a smile. "I'll admit that I didn't expect what we got out of you today, but I see that Tsunade-sama's intuition has proven right again. Wear this with pride, and welcome to the forces. I know you'll make a fine Konoha Shinobi."
"Thank you." Naruto answers politely and ties up his own forehead protector. Thankfully for him there is plenty of free space this time. There is applause for him as well.
"That concludes your Graduation. I am honoured to have taught such fine young shinobi!" Iruka is soft hearted, and can't help the wide and proud smile. "You've only got one day left, I swear! Come back tomorrow morning for your assignment to your Genin squad."
Naruto is accosted by the people he arrived with.
"My goodness! When were you going to tell us you could do that."
"I wasn't." Naruto replies honestly, adjusting his headband to try and get a good fit. "Didn't think that it mattered."
"Well," Shizune huffed, holding her sleeping daughter and being careful not to raise her voice too much. "Iruka-sensei wasn't lying, you're going to make an excellent shinobi if you keep that performance up."
"It's kinda weird that Mizuki-sensei had it go on for so long though, but it's cool that Sasuke got the Sharingan." Naruto ponders thoughtfully.
"Indeed it was." Kakashi smiles, but his thoughts are also along the lines that the spar was allowed to continue.
"Well, time for my celebratory Ramen." Naruto puts his hands behind his head and meanders in the direction of Ichiraku's.
"Mah, why don't you wait a second? I'll treat you." Kakashi halts him and Naruto looks at him questioningly.
Kakashi looks at Sasuke as he sees the boy watch Minako climb onto Naruto's shoulders again.
"Great work kiddo." Kakashi smiles at him. "I was impressed. You should probably get used to fighting on ground level though. Being floaty is normal for some people but you can see how Naruto controlled the fight, right? He kept you on the ground because he knew you'd be less effective. I think you've got potential though."
"Wow," Shizune utters in amazement. "You must have really left an impression if my quiet little mouse of a husband said something."
"Thanks." Sasuke says only, not really sure what else to say when a legendary shinobi like Hatake Kakashi gives him a Taijutsu tip.
Kakashi eye-smiles again and leads their little group away.
Sasuke watches enviously for a moment before he leaves aswell.
"So Kakashi, why don't you tell me why you want Naruto and Sasuke."
Kakashi nearly snorted, seeing as every other instructor had wanted at least one of them. The Jonin who were to become instructors were lined up in the late afternoon to discuss last minute changes that may need to be made.
"They're good for each other from what I've seen. Naruto is clearly gifted and Sasuke lacks a rival that can compete with him, Naruto would be that and more. According to this," Kakashi gestures to the Academy profile of Sasuke. "He has trouble interacting with his peers, but I didn't see that kind of behavior even after Naruto thrashed him. As far as I can tell, Naruto is outright encouraging Sasuke to get stronger instead of dragging him down and Sasuke responds well to it, this might even help get him to defer to Naruto, which might be a stepping stone in having him interact with other people too and build bonds with his fellow shinobi."
Kakashi paused before continuing.
"And he awoke the Sharingan today. Something that I at the very least have more knowledge on than others right now."
Tsunade looked to be considering it.
"And I want Sakura too. For obvious reasons." He tacked on, no doubt having been on the receiving end of an earful by his wife.
"Alright. Seeing as you're the only Sensei here who gave me a good reason instead of just wanting a prodigy that could learn on their own and do less work teaching, you're approved. Other teams will be as follows. Team 8 will be Inuzuka, Hyuuga and Aburame under Yuhi Kurenai. Team 10 will be Yamanaka, Nara and Akimichi-"
The list goes on until all the candidates are on teams.
"Alright, that concludes this meeting." Tsunade slaps the team list down on top of a messy pile of papers. "Everyone except Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma out now please."
Once the room is mostly cleared, Tsunade starts again.
"Kakashi, I think you're aware that what happened today at the Academy is not normal." She starts, looking at him. "I sent an ANBU to monitor the Academy instructor Mizuki but I've yet to hear back from them. Kakashi, brief them and investigate Mizuki, then report anything you find back to me."
"Hai, Hokage-sama!" Three Jonin chorused.
The cooling body of an ANBU lay dead at the feet of two men. Ones hand is lit with hissing medical chakra.
"He awoke the Sharingan you say? Well done Mizuki."
"I live to serve Orochimaru-sama." The proud instructor replies.
"Indeed? It's a shame that your little plan drew the eyes of some very important people. You might have had better use alive if it hadn't."
The hissing blue Jutsu was the last thing he saw before receiving a painless death via chakra-scalpel.
"A shame indeed."
Round glasses glint in the dark.