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Kaito strolled down the familiar school corridor, the sun filtering in through the windows casting warm patches of light onto the wooden floor. It was summer, so he dressed for the heat...casual shorts, a T-shirt, and, of course, his newly earned forehead protector resting snugly on his head. The metal plate reflected the light slightly as he walked.
If he had already graduated, then why was he back here?
Simple. Team assignments.
He had no clue who would be on his team or who his sensei would be, but honestly, that didn't matter as much as what came next...Missions and more importantly, access to the Konoha Library. Giving him more freedom to start moving the way he wanted.
After this, he figured he'd swing by the Konoha Library to grab a few scrolls.
Coming to a stop, he slid open the door to the assigned classroom. Walking into the room, Kaito's gaze landed on a girl with long brown hair and dark black eyes. Izumi.
She was already seated, casually leaning back in her chair, but the moment she noticed him, her face lit up.
"Kaito! You're on my team...let's go!" she cheered, sitting up straight with an excited grin.
Before Kaito could respond, his vision shifted to the other side of the room… and immediately, his mood soured.
Sugikura.
The other boy groaned the second their eyes met, dragging a hand down his face like he had just seen his worst nightmare.
"You got to be fucking kidding me," Sugikura grumbled, slouching in his seat.
Kaito let out a slow sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah… this is gonna be great."
Kaito pulled a chair up beside Izumi, completely ignoring the ominous glare burning into the side of his head from Sugikura. He really couldn't care less about that guy. Slouching into his seat, he propped his elbow on the desk and rested his chin in his palm, already feeling over it.
"So… where's the teacher?" he asked, scanning the empty classroom.
Izumi just shrugged. "We've been waiting for an hour now. Still no sign of them."
Kaito sighed. "Do you at least know who it is?"
"No clue," Izumi said, shaking her head. "But I heard from a few people it's a woman."
Kaito froze for a second. A woman? In that instant, he already knew exactly who it was.
There weren't many female jōnin instructors in the village, at least not ones who took on Genin teams. Matter a fact, there was only one Jonin instructor he could think of.
Kaito sighed, shaking his head. 'Great… it's probably her.'
SWUP!
Suddenly the door slid open, and in walked a woman with long, wild black hair reaching her upper back. Her eyes were deep red with a distinctive ring pattern—they looked eerily similar to a tomoeless sharingan. She had a sharp, mature look, wearing red lipstick and a touch of purple eyeshadow. Her outfit was standard for a Konoha jōnin...a flak jacket over a sleeveless red top.
Kaito leaned back in his chair. 'Kurenai Yuhi, huh?' He wasn't surprised, there weren't a lot of female jōnin sensei in the village, and she was one of the only ones he could think of. Still, he couldn't help but think back to when she tried to hit Itachi with a genjutsu and got bodied instantly.
Not that it really mattered. She was still a jōnin, and if nothing else, she had to be good at what she did. She was just up against the wrong person that was way out of her league. Kakashi would've been his first pick, but the guy was still in the Anbu. Gai made more sense. Learning the Eight Gates from him? That was worth something.
Kurenai, though? Not much she could teach him. Genjutsu wasn't his priority. And if he ever got his hands on a Sharingan or better yet, a Mangekyō Sharingan he'd surpass her easily.
Kurenai's sharp red eyes swept over them before she gave a small nod. "Alright, you three. Meet me on the roof in five minutes."
And just like that, she turned on her heel and walked right back out, leaving the door open behind her.
Kaito sighed, rubbing his temple. He glanced at Izumi, who just shrugged, and then at Sugikura, who was still glaring at him like he personally ruined his life.
"Guess we should head up," Izumi said, standing up and stretching.
Kaito clicked his tongue but got up anyway.
The rooftop was quiet except for the occasional rustling of leaves from the nearby trees. The sun hung high in the sky, casting long shadows over the village. Kaito, Izumi, and Sugikura sat on the edge of the roof, their new sensei standing before them with her arms crossed.
Kurenai's gaze swept over them, unreadable. Then, she sighed.
"I don't have expectations for suckers." Her voice almost dismissive. "If you don't live up to my expectations, you'll be sent back to the Academy. The battlefield isn't a place for the weak."
She let those words hang in the air for a moment. No one argued. Izumi nodded, looking determined. Kaito just stayed quiet, and Sugikura, for once, kept his mouth shut.
Seeing no complaints, Kurenai clicked her tongue and placed her hands on her hips. "Since we're a team now, we might as well get to know each other. Let's start with the basics...your name, what you like, what you hate."
She gestured toward Izumi first. "You go first, ponytail."
Izumi straightened up. "Alright! My name is Izumi Uchiha. I like dango, training, and hanging out with my friends. I hate people who look down on others for no reason." Her gaze flickered toward Sugikura for the briefest moment before she smiled and continued, "My dream is to become a strong kunoichi and protect the people I care about!"
Kurenai nodded, then turned to Sugikura. "You next, grumpy."
Sugikura scoffed, arms crossed. "Sugikura Tsuneki. I like winning, and I hate losing. My dream? To be the strongest shinobi in Konoha." He leaned back slightly, glaring at Kaito. "And to prove that some people don't deserve to be here."
Kaito rolled his eyes but didn't react otherwise. Kurenai glanced at him next. "Alright, you're up, sleepyhead."
Kaito yawned dramatically before answering. "Kaito Watanabe. I like food, money, and peace and quiet. I hate pointless rules, paperwork, and idiots who talk too much." He side-eyed Sugikura but kept going. "My dream? I don't know yet. Guess I'll figure it out along the way."
Kurenai studied them all for a moment, then sighed. 'Well, at least none of them said 'to become Hokage'...Would've been pretty cliche.' She leaned against the railing. "Alright, that's enough for now. We start our test tomorrow. Meet me at Training Ground 9 at sunrise."
Sugikura paused, raising a brow. "What test?" he asked.
Kurenai turned to face Sugikura. "The test?" she repeated, as if it should've been obvious.
Sugikura frowned. "Yeah, what test? We already passed the graduation exam."
Kurenai sighed, tucking her hands into her pockets. "You think that was the real test?" She let out a short chuckle. "The graduation exam is just a screening process to see if you qualify to be placed on a Jōnin-led team. But whether or not you actually become a full-fledged genin depends on what happens tomorrow."
Izumi raised an eyebrow. "So if we fail...?"
"You either repeat the academy next year or get sent to the Genin Corps," Kurenai said bluntly. "Those who aren't strong enough to become shinobi but still have some level of skill are given non-combat support roles—paperwork, manual labor, village security."
Izumi's eyes widened slightly. "Wait, so we're not officially genin yet?"
Kurenai shook her head. "Not until you pass my test." She gave them a knowing look. "As Jōnin, we get to decide whether to administer this test or not. Some teams get assigned straight away. Others… like yours, need to be tested further."
Sugikura clenched his fists. "Tch. So what's the test, then?"
Kurenai smirked slightly. "You'll find out tomorrow. Training Ground 9 at sunrise. Don't be late..." And with that, she vanished into thin air leaving a trail of falling leaves in her wake, leaving the three of them to process what she had just said.
Izumi crossed her arms, a slight frown forming. "Man… so we're not even officially on a team yet?"
Kaito already knew that much. No surprise there. He then got up with a stretch. "Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow. Gotta be somewhere," he said, already turning to leave.
"Hey, fucker! If we fail because of you, I'll personally kill you with my bare hands."
Kaito stopped mid-step. Slowly, he glanced over his shoulder, eyes locking onto Sugikura with a sharp glare. "I'd like to see you try," he muttered before walking off. Sugikura just stood there, stunned, no comeback in sight.
Izumi sighed, shaking her head as she gave him a pitiful look. "You really are an asshole." Then she left too, leaving Sugikura alone.
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"Why did we meet here of all places? This place isn't youthful at all…"
Seated in a dimly lit bar were three individuals. The one who just spoke was a tall, muscular man with a strong jawline, a somewhat large nose, and jet-black hair. But his most striking features? That glossy bowl-cut and those thick, unmistakable eyebrows. He wore a simple green jumpsuit beneath a flak jacket, his forehead protector tied around his waist.
The second was a woman with long black hair and dark red eyes, her expression unreadable.
The last was a tall man with olive skin, short spiky black hair, and a stubbled beard. His brown eyes scanned the bar lazily. He wore the standard Konoha shinobi uniform with the sleeves rolled up halfway, a flak jacket, and regular shinobi sandals. His forehead protector sat snugly in place, while a sash marked with the kanji for "Fire" (火) rested around his waist. A pair of black bangles was strapped to his wrists, and bandages wrapped the lower half of his sleeves.
"Shut up, Gai. You're too damn loud," Kurenai groaned, rubbing her temple.
"LOUDNESS IS THE EMBODIMENT OF YOUTH!" Gai bellowed even louder, flexing his ridiculous biceps and flashing that blinding, perfect-toothed grin. A few people in the bar shot him annoyed looks, but if Gai noticed, he sure as hell didn't care.
Asuma, easily the most laid-back of the group, exhaled a slow stream of smoke, resting an elbow on the table. "Both of you, chill. We're here to enjoy ourselves. Drinks are on me...it's Kurenai's first time as a sensei, after all." He lifted his sake cup toward her with a smirk. "Might as well celebrate."
Kurenai sighed. "Yeah, yeah... thanks, Asuma." She took the sake cup from him, eyeing it for a moment before taking a sip.
Gai, still grinning, clapped a hand on Asuma's shoulder. "AH, MY FRIEND, SUCH GENEROSITY! A TRUE EMBODIMENT OF THE WILL OF FIRE!"
Asuma winced, swatting Gai's hand away before taking another drag from his cigarette. "You keep shouting in my ear like that, and I'm gonna revoke my offer."
Kurenai smirked slightly, shaking her head. "Honestly, I don't even know why I agreed to this." She set her cup down and leaned back. "You make it sound like being a sensei is a big deal."
"Because it is a big deal!" Gai exclaimed, pointing dramatically at her. "You are shaping the next generation of Konoha's finest! Guiding them through adversity! Pushing them to become their greatest selves! Like a candle in the dark—"
"Alright, alright, we get it," Kurenai interrupted, waving a hand before he got carried away. "It's just... I don't know. I guess I didn't expect it to feel this weird. They're just kids, and if they fail the test tomorrow, that's it for them."
Asuma exhaled, leaning back with his cigarette between his fingers. "That's just how it is, Kurenai. Some kids make it, some don't. It's not on you to carry them...just to give them the push they need."
Kurenai scoffed. "Easy for you to say. You haven't even met your team yet."
Asuma chuckled. "True. But I've been around long enough to know that some genin have what it takes... and some just don't."
Kurenai stayed quiet for a moment, staring into her drink.
Gai, for once, was uncharacteristically calm. "You'll do just fine, Kurenai. Just give them a chance to prove themselves. If they're meant for the battlefield, they'll show you."
Kurenai glanced at him, then sighed and downed the rest of her sake. "Yeah... I guess we'll see."
Gai sighed, grabbing his cup of sake and raising it toward the center.
"I suppose my youthfulness can take a break for one night."
Asuma chuckled, lifting his own cup, and Kurenai followed suit. They clinked their drinks together before downing them in one go, the sharp burn hitting instantly. With a satisfying thud, all three cups hit the table.
"Ahh… nothing like sake," Asuma said, leaning back. Then he turned to Kurenai. "So, what do you think of your new students?"
Kurenai leaned back, exhaling as she set her empty cup down. "Honestly, I can't say much yet. I've barely known them for an hour."
Asuma raised an eyebrow. "Then what's your first impression?"
She tapped her fingers against the table, thinking. "Izumi seems like the dependable type. Polite, serious, probably the kind of student that doesn't cause problems." She paused. "Sugikura? He's loud, impatient, and already getting on my nerves."
Gai grinned. "A fiery spirit! Perhaps with proper guidance, he can become a splendid shinobi!"
Kurenai rolled her eyes. "Or he could just be a pain in my ass."
Asuma chuckled. "And the last one?"
Kurenai hesitated for a moment. "Kaito… he's quiet. Not shy, but reserved, like he's constantly keeping something to himself. I don't know what to make of him yet." She poured herself another drink, swirling the liquid. "Guess I'll find out tomorrow."
Asuma nodded. "Yeah, first impressions only go so far. You'll get a real sense of them once you put them through the test."
A brief silence fell over the table before Gai suddenly spoke, his tone more serious than usual. "Speaking of first impressions… have either of you seen Kakashi lately?"
Kurenai and Asuma exchanged glances.
"Yeah," Asuma sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "He looks like shit."
Kurenai frowned. "He's been in the Anbu for too long. It's taking a toll on him."
Gai nodded, his usual enthusiasm dimming. "He tries to hide it, but it's obvious. The way he carries himself… there's no life in his movements anymore. He doesn't even argue with me like he used to."
Asuma took a slow drag from his cigarette. "We need to do something about it. Talk to the Hokage, maybe get him out of there."
Kurenai sighed. "Easier said than done. But yeah… if we don't, I don't know how much longer he's going to last."
Both Gai and Asuma nodded in agreement and kept drinking, round after round, until they couldn't anymore.
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