Morning slipped away in the blink of an eye.
In the classroom, Morino Masakazu glanced at the assessment results in his hand. With a slight nod, his voice turned cold.
"Of the 46 of you, 18 have been eliminated and will forever lose the opportunity to become shinobi."
"Don't lament or despair. In fact, I should congratulate you—you won't be losing your lives on the battlefield."
"For the remaining 28, from today onward, you are officially shinobi."
"I wish you luck in the future. Don't die too easily, my dear students."
As his words trailed off, a barely perceptible sigh flickered in Morino's deep black eyes.
For the first time, the students below the lectern found his scarred face not so terrifying after all.
"Team One: Namikaze Minato, Ueda Jima Kuma, Mitokado Hanako."
"Team Two: Mizuta Enji, Fukami Chikiri, Kamizuki Izutsu."
"Team Three: Nara Jin, Yamanaka Genichi, Akimichi Tonkotsu."
"…"
"Team Seven: Uzumaki Naruto, Uzumaki Kushina, Uchiha Mikoto."
---
Hokage's Office
Sarutobi Hiruzen examined the lineup he had arranged for Team Seven and nodded with satisfaction.
Before her passing, Lady Mito had warned him that the jinchūriki seal would weaken as the host matured, potentially leading to an uncontrollable rampage. Precautionary measures needed to be put in place.
Hiruzen's eyes darkened.
If the Nine-Tails' seal were to fail, plunging everything into chaos, the Uzumaki clan's chakra traits could suppress the beast.
As long as Uzumaki Naruto learned the clan's sealing techniques, half the Nine-Tails problem would be resolved.
The Uchiha clan, on the other hand, had once controlled the Nine-Tails with their dōjutsu. Hiruzen didn't expect Uchiha Mikoto to reach the level of Uchiha Madara.
If she could disrupt the Nine-Tails, buying time and minimizing casualties, it would be enough.
This was the best protection plan the Third Hokage could devise for now.
Unfortunately, no one from the Senju clan could inherit the First Hokage's Wood Release bloodline limit.
Even Tsunade, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, hadn't inherited it.
If that weren't the case, many of the current predicaments wouldn't exist.
After a moment of silence, Hiruzen seemed to steel his resolve.
"Send someone in."
With a soft whoosh, a shadow flitted from the corner of the office.
Clad in black, with light purple armor and a white fox mask, the figure knelt before the Hokage, speaking respectfully.
"What are your orders, Lord Third?"
"White Fox, inform Danzo that I've approved the experiment."
"Yes."
Receiving his command, the ANBU operative vanished in an instant.
Having given his final instruction, Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to age decades in mere moments.
Forgive my offense, First Hokage. All of this is for Konoha.
---
Back in the Classroom
Uchiha Mikoto froze for a moment, finding it hard to believe.
When she snapped back to reality, her face lit up with delight. Being assigned to the same team as Naruto-kun was wonderful!
Uzumaki Kushina smirked faintly, not surprised at all.
Hiruzen had sought her out just the day before to discuss two things:
One was the team assignments.
The other was the scroll of sealing techniques left behind by Mito before her death.
Although Kushina was displeased about being grouped with Mikoto, the presence of Naruto made it tolerable—for now.
Naruto gazed out the window, his expression indifferent. A moment's thought was all it took to grasp the Third Hokage's intent.
It was a calculated decision to pair his chakra traits with Mikoto's ocular powers.
After announcing the team assignments, Morino departed without any lingering sentiment, leaving the students alone in the classroom.
While they now knew their teammates, they remained unaware of their assigned instructors, forcing them to wait in silence.
Gone was the childish noise of their younger days. Faces once innocent now carried faint traces of worry, weighed down by the uncertainty of what lay ahead.
Not long after, one by one, shinobi clad in green flak jackets entered to take their respective students away.
Gradually, only Teams One and Seven remained.
As the sun dipped lower, they had spent an entire afternoon waiting in the classroom.
"What kind of teacher is this? So unreliable. I'm losing all hope for my future," Mitokado Hanako grumbled loudly.
Naruto turned to look. It was one of Minato's teammates.
Mitokado had delicate features, though her personality seemed to embody the typical Mitokado bluntness. Ueda Jima Kuma, with his small eyes and honest demeanor, seemed the epitome of a straightforward soul.
These two weren't give attention in the original story—likely casualties of some mission.
"I've had enough! I'm going to give that teacher a piece of my mind!" Kushina fumed, her vivid red hair swirling with emotion.
Even at her young age, Kushina already displayed the fiery temper that would earn her the nickname Red-Hot-Blooded Habanero.
Her outburst even stirred Mikoto, usually calm, into frustration.
What kind of teacher kept their students waiting for an entire afternoon?
Just as Mikoto prepared to complain, the classroom door creaked open, and two men entered.
One had striking white hair and a handsome face, with two red streaks running down his cheeks.
The other had jet-black hair, pale skin, and an enigmatic, almost eerie beauty.
"Jiraiya-sama and Orochimaru-sama," Mikoto murmured, stunned. She hadn't expected their teachers to be two of the Legendary Sannin.
Without further ado, Orochimaru stepped forward and spoke.
"Team Seven, follow me."
=================
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