The next day, Team 7 gathered at the training grounds, waiting for their new sensei to arrive. Naruto paced back and forth, clearly impatient, while Sakura sat quietly, occasionally glancing at Sasuke and Hyuk. As for Hyuk, he stood with his back against a tree, his arms crossed, eyes closed, seemingly detached from the others.
"So, what do you think our new sensei will be like?" Sakura asked, her voice attempting to break the awkward silence that had settled over the group.
Naruto perked up at the question. "I bet he's super strong! I'm gonna make him see that I'll be the best ninja in the village, believe it!"
Sasuke, as usual, ignored Naruto's boasting, and Hyuk didn't even bother to open his eyes. Sakura's attempt at conversation fizzled out, and the group returned to the awkward quiet that had marked most of their interactions so far.
After what felt like an eternity, a figure finally appeared. A silver-haired man in a face mask and a slouched posture approached them. His visible eye carried an expression of boredom, and he didn't seem the least bit interested in the three—or rather, four—young shinobi waiting for him.
"You're late!" Naruto shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him.
The man gave a lazy eye-smile, completely unbothered. "My bad. I got lost on the path of life."
Hyuk finally opened his eyes and sized up the man before them. This was their sensei? His lazy demeanor and lack of enthusiasm were disappointing, but Hyuk knew better than to judge on appearances alone. He might actually be interesting.
"My name's Kakashi Hatake," the man introduced himself casually. "And from today onward, I'll be your Jonin instructor."
"Alright! Let's get started!" Naruto yelled enthusiastically, throwing his arms up in the air.
But Kakashi shook his head. "Not so fast. First, we're going to do introductions."
Naruto blinked. "Introductions? Like, what do you want to know?"
Kakashi's eye narrowed slightly in amusement. "Your likes, dislikes, dreams for the future, that sort of thing."
"I'll go first, as an example," Kakashi continued, leaning back on a nearby fence. "My name is Kakashi Hatake. I don't feel like telling you my likes or dislikes. My dreams for the future? Well, I haven't really thought about it. And as for my hobbies…" He trailed off, eye-smiling again. "I have many."
Naruto stared at him, mouth slightly open in confusion. "Wait, you didn't tell us anything at all!"
Kakashi waved him off. "Your turn. Blondie, you first."
Naruto puffed out his chest. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen, especially from Ichiraku, and I hate waiting for ramen to cook. My dream is to become Hokage, the greatest ninja the village has ever seen!"
Kakashi nodded, turning to Sakura. "And you?"
Sakura fidgeted slightly before glancing toward Sasuke. "I'm Sakura Haruno. My likes… well, um, my dream is…" Her face reddened as she trailed off, casting a quick look at Sasuke.
Hyuk rolled his eyes at her obvious infatuation, but remained silent.
"Alright, next," Kakashi said, moving on. His gaze fell on Sasuke, who was sitting with his usual brooding expression.
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't like many things, and I dislike a lot of things. As for my dream… It's not a dream, it's a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and kill a certain someone."
The intensity in Sasuke's voice hung in the air, making everyone fall silent for a moment. Even Kakashi raised an eyebrow, impressed with the boy's drive.
Finally, it was Hyuk's turn. He could feel the others glance at him, expecting him to share something deep or profound. He straightened up, his cold gaze meeting Kakashi's.
"Hyuk Haruno. My likes and dislikes are irrelevant. My dream?" He paused, his tone detached. "To surpass everyone and achieve the power that makes everything else meaningless."
Naruto blinked in confusion, while Sakura gave him a worried glance. Kakashi, however, seemed intrigued, though he didn't say anything.
"Well," Kakashi said, standing up straight, "now that introductions are out of the way, we'll meet tomorrow for your first mission as a team."
"A mission? What kind of mission?" Naruto asked excitedly.
Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "Survival training."
"Survival training?" Sakura repeated. "But we've already done plenty of training at the Academy!"
"Oh, this will be different," Kakashi assured them, his tone teasing. "And you should know… none of you have technically graduated yet."
Naruto's jaw dropped. "What?!"
Kakashi continued. "This test has a failure rate of over sixty percent. If you don't pass, you go back to the Academy. Simple as that."
Naruto paled, and even Sakura seemed nervous. Sasuke remained silent, though his eyes were sharp, clearly prepared for whatever came next. Hyuk, on the other hand, didn't flinch. If anything, a flicker of interest flashed in his usually unreadable eyes.
"Meet me at the training grounds tomorrow at 5 a.m.," Kakashi said, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
As the four of them stood there, absorbing what they had just heard, Hyuk's mind was already working. Survival training, huh? He had no doubt he could handle it on his own. But the real challenge wasn't just passing. It was seeing how far ahead he could get compared to the others—especially Sasuke.