From the very beginning, Ye Zi never thought he could decline this troublesome position. Being assigned to lead a team of freshly graduated genin felt like a waste of time. Moreover, with these burdens, he might be constrained from taking on high-difficulty missions until the kids grew up. This would prevent him from using missions to carry out some covert activities.
Over the years, to become stronger, he and Shokui were mercilessly devouring countless lives. But this was still far from enough. Devouring hundreds or even thousands of ordinary people's bodies was no match for the body of a single ninja with a decent amount of chakra. Thus, such a seemingly counterproductive approach required difficult conditions to sustain it.
If he had absolute power, he wouldn't mind taking out some small ninja villages first. In fact, he and Shokui had previously eliminated some obscure small ninja villages with ease.
Now, however, he was tasked with leading a team of kids. The only good news was that Kotoe was also on the team, and there were only two kids.
Ye Zi glanced at Guy and Kurenai, and made a plan in his mind. Nodding slightly to the Third Hokage, he picked up the documents from the desk and strode towards the door.
"Come with me."
As soon as Ye Zi finished speaking, Kotoe followed him.
Guy and Kurenai were a bit slower. They exchanged glances and jogged to catch up.
Leaving the Hokage Building, Ye Zi took the three to a platform not far below Hokage Rock. He found a seat and began to review the documents. Since there was no way to refuse, he decided to figure out how to make the two kids grow quickly. He didn't want to waste time on tasks like weeding.
Ye Zi focused on the documents, ignoring the others. Kotoe sat quietly nearby, listening to Ye Zi's even breathing, and gazed at the panoramic view of Konoha with a slight smile. The gentle breeze stirred her deep green hair, carrying a faint scent of plants to the distance.
She enjoyed this—whether the sun was shining brightly, the breeze was soothing, or the weather was rainy or stormy. As long as he was beside her, it was enough.
In contrast to Kotoe's tranquility, the two freshly graduated kids were more restrained. Not only was it due to the unfamiliarity, but they also felt a sense of being excluded, as if they were pushed out of a circle, and a barrier they couldn't cross.
Guy seemed accustomed to this atmosphere, so he didn't mind much. Kurenai, on the other hand, felt it more acutely. She didn't know how the other students' teachers were, but she felt incredibly unlucky to be assigned to Ye Zi's team, with the only familiar face being the muscle-headed taijutsu expert.
"Is it really necessary to spend so long on just two pages of documents? And is it really okay to leave us standing here like this? Shouldn't we have introduced ourselves first? Oh my gosh, how did I get so unlucky!" Kurenai complained inwardly, looking at Ye Zi, who seemed lost in thought.
Ye Zi was unaware of Kurenai's internal complaints. After thoroughly reviewing the profiles of the two specialized students, he began to think about what they could contribute to the team and how to make them grow quickly.
He had no intention of correcting their shortcomings. Since they were already severely specialized, it was better for them to focus entirely on their strengths. Even specializing in one area to the extreme could be a viable path.
In reality, he just didn't want to waste too much time, so from the beginning, he had no intention of helping them correct their specialization. If the two kids happened to die during missions, that would be even better.
Having a general direction, Ye Zi put down the documents and looked at the two, saying indifferently "I'm Ye Zi, a jonin. That's all for today. Meet here at seven in the morning tomorrow." With that, he used the Body Flicker Technique to disappear from the spot.
"That's it?"
Guy and Kurenai stared at the spot where Ye Zi had vanished, dumbfounded.
"What's this about? Aren't we supposed to introduce ourselves first?" After waiting so long, Kurenai couldn't hold back any longer and exclaimed.
"Our profiles are with the teacher, so maybe that's why we didn't need to introduce ourselves," Guy said, touching his dark, shiny hair, explaining to Hinata.
Kurenai glared at him angrily and said, "He has our profiles, but do we have his?"
"No, but I know the teacher. Don't you?" Guy looked puzzled. Everyone in the village knew about Sensei Ye Zi.
"Hmm…"
Kurenai staggered slightly, covering her forehead, as if seeing a future full of despair. Could she really stay in this team?
With this sense of despair, she looked at Kotoe, who was a member of the team and a jonin. Kotoe, noticing her gaze, responded with a sweet, friendly smile.
That smile was like the last ray of dawn, tearing through all the darkness.
"That's great, at least there's one reliable person."
Kurenai sighed with slight relief, thinking to herself, but then heard Kotoe say with a smile, "Although the captain rarely leads teams, I can assure you that the mortality rate in this team is much higher than in other teams in the village. Don't blame me for not warning you. When on missions, don't have the illusion that someone will come to rescue you. Take care, youngsters. Hehe."
After leaving behind a peal of bell-like laughter, Kotoe also used the Body Flicker Technique to disappear.
Watching her vanish, Kurenai was frozen in place as if petrified.
"Did you hear what she said?" Kurenai asked, turning her head to Guy with a stiff neck.
"I did," Guy nodded vigorously, then clenched his fists with a determined expression.
Seeing Guy like this, Kurenai's smile was more of a grimace than a genuine one. She asked, "Did you understand what she meant?"
"I understood. It means it's easier to die," Guy grinned, showing his white teeth, then gave Hinata a thumbs up and said seriously, "Don't worry, I'll protect you!"
Kurenai instantly turned her head away, seemingly blinded by his sparkling teeth.
"Relying on someone who ranks last in their class for protection is worse than just finding a wooden stake to run into."
She lamented inwardly, wishing she had put more effort into taijutsu back then. Maybe she wouldn't have been assigned to this team.
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