The courtyard was silent, with only the chirping of birds breaking the stillness. The sun had already risen in the east, and Kakashi stood in front of the gate for several minutes, enduring the suspicious glances of passersby.
Kakashi's half-open right eye seemed even more lethargic.
That strange man was lingering in front of a quiet house without moving...
The inquisitive stares of the passersby made Kakashi uncomfortable. Just as he was contemplating whether he should go in and wake up Logan, a voice came from behind him.
"Yo, isn't this Kakashi?"
Logan had just finished breakfast and was still holding a glass of milk in his hand with a refreshed look. Seeing the noticeable Kakashi, he couldn't help but waved his hand, "What are you doing at my house so early in the morning?"
Kakashi's gaze lingered on the milk in Logan's hand for a moment, and then Logan took a leisurely sip, clearly enjoying it.
The corners of Kakashi's mouth twitched involuntarily. After all, there's a stark contrast between Logan's relaxed appearance and his own weary state. Kakashi calmed himself down and said, "Today, the new batch of students from the Ninja Academy is graduating. Don't tell me you forgot."
"Oh, that thing was mentioned just yesterday. How could I forget?" Logan opened the door and gestured for Kakashi to come in, "It's just that the Jonin Instructor would be meeting the Genin children in the afternoon. Why are you in such a hurry?"
'Tch, this tone...are you the Jonin Instructor or am I the Jonin Instructor?'
Kakashi followed him in and sat down in the living room. He came early in the morning because of Logan, the extra person who had suddenly been added. The Hokage could whimsically make such decisions and then walk away, but Kakashi, as the responsible Jonin Instructor, had to discuss the details before the team meeting.
"We will confirm the new recruits for each Jonin in the morning. Do you think I wanted to come to find you?" Kakashi said in a bad tone after sitting down. The dark expression on his face when he left the Hokage Tower yesterday clearly showed his frustration with being involuntarily involved.
When the time came for the Jonin Instructors to gather together for a meeting, Kakashi could already imagine being stared at in surprise by his acquaintances.
"Yeah, Hokage-sama's decision is indeed very problematic." Logan skillfully shifted the focus, "I didn't expect to end up with a teaching assistant role after returning to the village."
'Teaching assistant? That term seemed quite fitting.' Kakashi, who was frowning and irritated, thought to himself.
"Hey, Kakashi, have you had breakfast? Want some milk?" Suddenly remembering that this was technically Kakashi's first visit to his humble abode, Logan waved the milk cup in his hand and offered warmly.
"..."
Kakashi silently glanced at the cup of milk, expressing that he didn't want to talk.
Seeing that Kakashi likely hadn't eaten, Logan awkwardly chuckled. He really didn't mean to be inconsiderate.
"Let's get down to business." Kakashi said, feeling a headache coming on, and he was also a little hungry. He sat upright in his seat and looked at Logan, "A Jonin would lead three freshly graduated Genin, performing missions, teaching, and helping the new blood grow into fully qualified Ninja. This is a tradition shared by Konoha and even all Great Ninja Villages."
"This method has been proven valuable by history, but now... we, two Jonin, have to lead the same team." At this point, Kakashi's face turned dark again.
"Hey, I already said it's not my fault..."
"And you're the one who was added last minute."
"..."
'Why does he keep emphasizing that?'
Logan complained in his heart.
Kakashi sighed in annoyance. Since taking on the role of a Jonin Instructor, he hadn't given any graduates a pass. And this year's performance seems to be worse than before, "The resource allocation is obviously unreasonable. I estimate that after this period, Hokage-sama will reassign you."
Logan poured the tea. Hearing this, his demeanor turned serious as he nodded in agreement. This scenario seemed very likely. Even though he was designated to lead the next year's team, the high casualty rate among Ninjas meant there were always vacant positions.
However, these are not things that Logan needs to worry about, because Konoha's tranquility was soon to be disrupted, and it is impossible to say whether he will stay or go.
"But for now, we still need to handle the team assignment properly." Kakashi said. On the surface, he appeared indifferent, but many details in the future showed that he is an excellent teacher.
"Once we officially start leading the team, you can just watch from the side most of the time." Kakashi stated confidently, assuming the stance of an elder and a senior.
"Uh, no problem." Logan agreed awkwardly, interpreting it as 'you do your thing, the traditional mode remains unchanged'. Kakashi laid down some ground rules sternly, and Logan just nodded.
"Well, it's getting late. Let's go see Hokage-sama." Kakashi stood up and said, "All the Jonin Instructor of this batch should all be there by now."
…
Ninja Academy.
The classroom buzzed with excitement. The group of students who had passed the graduation exam were sitting in their seats, waiting for the briefing that was specially conveyed to them.
"Naruto, why are you here?" Shikamaru walked by lazily and was surprised to see Naruto among the graduates.
"Of course I am sitting here after passing the graduation exam." In the eyes of most people, Naruto would definitely fail to pass. In fact, this was also the case, but it changed later.
"How should I put it? I feel like this forehead protector really suits me!" Naruto grinned, showing his white teeth as he adjusted his headband.
"Heh..." Shikamaru could only give a half-hearted response, unsure on how to continue the conversation.
During the commotion, a tragedy occurred, and then Iruka arrived in the classroom and began to tell the students about the team assignments.
The unremarkable extras, the young and fresh-faced future standouts, and finally, the fated Team 7, all formed that day.
Time passed slowly, and the afternoon sun cast its rays into the classroom. The door kept opening and closing as newly graduated boys and girls were taken away by their assigned Jonin Instructor. The classroom became empty, leaving only Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
The three of them were all eagerly anticipating their encounter with the Jonin who would guide them on their Ninja journey. They wondered what kind of person would this mysterious Jonin be.
"Why isn't our teacher here yet..." Naruto muttered as he slumped in his seat, complaining impatiently.
Sakura had also been pacing near the podium for a while now. She felt that being grouped with Naruto was unfortunate, but having Sasuke in the team was a pleasant surprise. This young girl still isn't yet aware of the harsh realities of being a Ninja. At this time, she internally agreed with Naruto's complaint.
"Maybe something came up and delayed them." Sakura said, glancing at Sasuke sitting at the desk. Her words didn't match her true feelings.
Naruto suddenly stood up, grabbed a chair, and set up a chalkboard eraser trap on the door.
"Hehehe, that's what you get for being late."
"Naruto, you are really..." Sakura lowered her voice and said, "Forget it, I won't care if something happens then."
"Idiot, do you think a Jonin would fall for that?" Sasuke commented coldly.
Well, even though they criticized Naruto, none of them stopped him. After all, they had been waiting for nearly an hour.
Not long after Naruto finished setting up the trap, footsteps could be heard outside the classroom.
A hand reached for the door.
The meeting between teacher and students began just like in the original manga.