Afternoon.
The Ninja Academy was unusually quiet, likely due to the holiday break.
Just as Ren was about to open the classroom door, he heard a sudden burst of chatter inside, with one laugh sounding particularly unruly.
Tightening his grip on the handle, he opened the door.
Instantly, the noise stopped. All nine students turned to look at him.
So young.
That was the first impression most had of him. Both Ino and Sasuke paused, recognizing him immediately.
It's him...
Ren's gaze swept across the room.
Some kids were sitting on desks, some at their seats, and others standing around.
"Are you our teacher?" one blonde-haired boy asked impatiently.
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the future Hokage!" he announced.
This guy… has the same cool attitude as Sasuke, thought Sakura, impressed.
This is the ninja who saved my mom and me… Sasuke thought to himself, wondering if this person might be his Jounin instructor.
"Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka," Ren called out, standing by the door.
"Here!" The three students quickly stood up, answering in unison.
"Follow me."
"Yes, sir!"
As Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino hurried out, they waved goodbye to the others.
When the door closed, Naruto slumped, looking disappointed.
"So, he's their teacher," Naruto muttered. "Guess it's better that way—he's got that same annoying look on his face as Sasuke."
"Naruto, don't talk bad about Sasuke!" Sakura scolded.
Sasuke, staring at the door, couldn't help but feel a hint of disappointment himself. He still remembered how this man had swiftly defeated five enemies that night. Other than his brother and his father, he couldn't think of anyone in the village who might match him.
He'd also wanted to ask him about that cat…
Outside the classroom, the new "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio followed Ren down the hallway, Shikamaru and Choji feeling slightly uneasy.
This guy's scary, they both thought, worrying that Ren might be a strict and unyielding instructor.
On the second floor, in the crafts classroom.
"Take a seat," Ren gestured at the chairs.
This time, even Choji sat down properly beside Shikamaru, abandoning his usual casual attitude.
"Introduce yourselves," Ren said.
"How should we do it?" Ino raised her hand.
"Just share your interests, hobbies, and dreams," he replied.
"Shouldn't the teacher introduce himself first?" Ino countered.
Ren looked at her; unlike Shikamaru and Choji, she didn't seem nervous.
"My name is Ren," he said. "I'm your Jounin instructor."
The three blinked.
"Is that all?" Ino couldn't help but ask.
"What more do you need?"
"You just asked us to talk about our hobbies and dreams," Ino pointed out.
"That's for you to share," Ren replied flatly.
The trio sighed, a bit at a loss.
"You start," Ren said, pointing at Shikamaru.
"I'm Shikamaru Nara. Interests? Well… I guess watching clouds." Shikamaru said, then added, "My dream is to get married and have kids, I suppose."
"So uninspired," Ino muttered, while Shikamaru only rolled his eyes.
"I'm Choji Akimichi. I love eating, especially trying different foods," Choji added, "and my dream is to taste all the world's delicacies."
"To eat my fill!" he added with gusto.
Hearing her teammates, Ino couldn't help rubbing her forehead. How did I end up with these two?
"I'm Ino Yamanaka," she said, straightening up. "I enjoy flower arranging and gardening, and my dream is to become a great kunoichi like Lady Tsunade!"
Ren's eyes shifted slightly. "A kunoichi like Tsunade, hmm?"
"Yes!" Ino beamed, encouraged that he seemed interested in her dream.
Ren didn't comment further and changed the topic. "Alright, we know each other a bit now."
"Aren't you going to tell us your hobbies and dreams, sensei?" Ino prodded.
"My hobby is killing people who annoy me, and my dream is to destroy the world," Ren said with a deadpan expression.
Shikamaru and Choji turned pale.
This teacher is terrifying…
Ino, however, looked skeptical. "Who would have hobbies and dreams like that? No way!"
"Sharp as always," Ren replied mildly, dropping the topic.
"Alright," he continued. "For a long time, I'll be your Jounin instructor, guiding you on missions. Of course, this only applies if you earn my approval."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Shikamaru asked.
"You'll have to pass an assessment with me. If you fail, you'll go back to the academy for another year."
"Re… retake the year?!" All three students gasped in horror.
"But we already passed the graduation exam!" Ino protested.
"That exam only determined who's eligible to become a ninja," Ren replied calmly. "To truly become one, you have to pass my assessment."
"What kind of test?" Shikamaru asked anxiously.
Ren glanced up at the ceiling. "You'll find out tomorrow."
"That's all for today. You're dismissed."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Ren vanished in a blur.
Shikamaru and Choji exhaled deeply, relieved.
"We're doomed… We've got a psycho teacher," Shikamaru muttered.
"Too scary," Choji added, still shaken.
Ren hadn't emitted any aura of menace, but just his gaze had been enough to leave them paralyzed with fear.
"Oh, come on," Ino said. "He wasn't that bad!"
"What are we going to do about the test tomorrow?" Choji asked.
Shikamaru shrugged. "Who knows what it'll be. But since he's evaluating us as ninjas, it'll probably be based on our skills."
"True," Ino agreed. "Let's rest up tonight and be ready for whatever comes."
"Doubt it'll be easy," Shikamaru muttered.
"Why did we get this teacher?" he groaned. If I don't pass, my mom will…
"Quit complaining." Ino patted his shoulder. "I'm not that worried—maybe tomorrow's test will be simple."
…
Walking home, Ren reviewed the changes in the system display.
---------------------------------------------------------
[Name]: Shikamaru Nara
[Gender]: Male
[Age]: 12
[Affection]: 65
[Relationship]: Teacher-Student
[Bond Route]: Unselected
---------------------------------------------------------
[Name]: Choji Akimichi
[Gender]: Male
[Age]: 12
[Affection]: 68
[Relationship]: Teacher-Student
[Bond Route]: Unselected
---------------------------------------------------------
[Name]: Ino Yamanaka
[Gender]: Female
[Age]: 12
[Relationship]: Teacher-Student
[Affection]: 72
[Difficulty]: A
[First Kiss Reward]: Mastery of Sensory Skills
[Full Intimacy Reward]: Infinite Mental Energy
---------------------------------------------------------
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