****
In the early morning, Sasuke was enjoying the company of Yuhi Kurenai.
Yuhi Kurenai hugged Sasuke tenderly. "Sasuke, today is the day when students and instructors meet. Don't be late."
With Kakashi's notorious habit of being late, he would definitely show up late and then make up excuses. Sasuke had no patience for waiting on others.
Thinking of this, Sasuke buried his head in the tender embrace in front of him, inhaling a faint fragrance.
Kurenai hugged him helplessly, knowing that if Sasuke didn't leave, she wouldn't be able to either. She found it odd that a woman almost thirty years old had fallen in love with such a young man. But she wasn't lost anymore; she had accepted her feelings.
Outside, the village was lively, with many of Konoha's ninjas returning from missions.
At the gate of Konoha, Asuma and his team returned to the village in high spirits.
Asuma had finally settled matters with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and could now focus on pursuing Kurenai. He wondered how she felt about what he had said last time.
"Asuma, what are you thinking about? You can't be thinking about Kurenai!" said one of the jounin accompanying him, aware of Asuma's feelings for Kurenai Yuhi.
"Don't be ridiculous. I came back mainly because I missed the Third Hokage," Asuma responded, blushing and using his father as an excuse.
"Then you are truly a filial son!" the jounin teased.
Asuma quickly ran towards the village, eager to find Kurenai for an answer.
Naruto entered the Old Ninja Academy with high spirits. He was full of positivity.
As soon as he entered the classroom, he saw Sakura and quickly ran over to greet her. Sakura was looking around anxiously.
"Why hasn't Sasuke-kun come yet? It's almost time," Sakura muttered, worried.
"Damn Sasuke, making Sakura worry again," Naruto complained, but quickly shut up under Sakura's annoyed glare.
"Hmph, you are not allowed to speak ill of Sasuke-kun," Sakura scolded.
"Hahaha, I know," Naruto agreed, but he was secretly planning how to challenge Sasuke. After all, he had mastered a new and powerful jutsu.
"Hey, Sasuke, Uncle Naruto will definitely show you who's the loser," he thought.
Meanwhile, in another part of the academy, Kiba, Hinata, and Shino were also waiting for their instructor, Yuhi Kurenai.
Kiba couldn't wait any longer. "How about we go have a barbecue first? Maybe the teacher has a temporary mission and can't make it."
"Isn't that bad?" Hinata asked softly.
"What's wrong with it? There's no point in staying here," Kiba replied.
Just then, Yuhi Kurenai appeared, radiant and smiling. "Inugaya classmate, you're right. Let's go have barbecue! Think of it as compensation for my lateness."
Kiba, Hinata, and Shino followed her obediently, chatting and laughing. Kurenai was so approachable that they felt at ease with her.
Back in Class 7, Kakashi finally arrived, reading his book as he casually greeted them.
"Teacher, you are late, and your excuse is too lame. Can you be more serious?" Naruto demanded.
Kakashi put his book away and explained seriously, "When I came here today, there was a cat blocking my way. So, it's not my fault for being late."
Naruto and Sakura were frustrated with Kakashi's obvious lie.
"Huh," Kakashi noticed Sasuke's absence. "Where is Uchiha Sasuke? Why didn't he come?"
As if on cue, the classroom door opened, and Sasuke walked in nonchalantly. "Sorry, there was a mouse blocking my way."
Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi were silent. Sasuke's excuse sounded just like Kakashi's.
"Ahem, now that we're all here, let's gather at the training ground," Kakashi said, changing the subject.
At the training ground, Kakashi looked at his students. Sasuke was lost in thought, Sakura was fixated on Sasuke, and Naruto was looking up at the sky, laughing wildly.
Kakashi sighed. "Okay, now let's do a test."
He took out a bell. "You have to grab this bell from me. If you fail, you go back to the Ninja Academy."
Naruto and Sakura became serious. They didn't want to be sent back. But Sasuke didn't even open his eyes.
Kakashi felt offended. "Sasuke, do you think I'm joking?"
Sasuke opened his eyes and smirked. "Kakashi, of course not. It's just that it's not difficult to snatch the bell from you."
"Oh?" Kakashi nodded, ready to teach Sasuke a lesson about underestimating him. As their instructor, he felt it necessary to show them their weaknesses and encourage them to train harder.