With the reward promised by Aoshi, the three of them—including Kurenai—were bursting with motivation.
Although they were already guaranteed to pass the official promotion assessment, they ended up performing far beyond expectations, displaying ability and composure that completely exceeded the standard.
Unsurprisingly, all three passed without the slightest hitch.
In fact, the supervisors responsible for evaluating the trio unanimously gave them excellent assessments.
They were praised as medical ninjutsu geniuses, second only to Aoshi.
It must be said that in the entire history of Konoha, the only person whose medical ninjutsu talent could rival Aoshi's was Tsunade herself.
Such praise was therefore incredibly rare and extraordinarily valuable.
Moreover, this evaluation was not something the assessment supervisors fabricated to curry favor with Aoshi.
Kurenai and her teammates had genuinely earned those high marks through their own performance, skill, and judgment.
This also meant that Konoha had gained three more outstanding medical ninja, each of whom showed clear potential to be promoted to Medical Jōnin in the future.
In order to reward and encourage the trio to continue striving forward, Yakushi Nonō, as the Head of the Medical Department, immediately approved the teaching of the B-rank Delicate Illness Extraction Technique to Kurenai and her peers.
Being allowed to learn a B-rank medical ninjutsu immediately after completing their internship and gaining official status was a privilege that had previously been granted only to Aoshi.
For a time, the three enjoyed unparalleled recognition within Konoha Hospital. They became the absolute center of discussion and admiration.
Naturally, this news soon reached the ears of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Upon hearing it, the Third Hokage was genuinely delighted. After taking a deep drag from his pipe, he burst into hearty laughter.
"It seems Aoshi's medical ninja training program is progressing extremely smoothly."
Without delay, Sarutobi Hiruzen issued a new order.
He commanded that a formal medical ninjutsu training class be established at the Ninja Academy, following exactly the same procedures Aoshi had used to instruct Kurenai and her peers.
Not a single objection was raised.
From this moment onward, Konoha's medical ninja training system was officially perfected and fully put into operation.
If Konoha had previously dominated the ninja world's medical field solely because of Tsunade, then in the future, Konoha would hold an overwhelming advantage thanks to its complete and systematic medical structure.
This was an enormous strategic benefit. After all, the importance of medical ninja on the battlefield was self-evident.
As a result, yet another major accomplishment was added to Aoshi's ninja record.
Just as Kurenai and her teammates completed their assessment and earned their promotion, the Ninja Academy also concluded this year's graduation exam.
Obito and the others successfully received their ninja headbands.
"First, congratulations on successfully graduating. Starting today, you are all Genin."
"Next, I will begin assigning the ninja squads."
As the teacher's voice rang out, the previously noisy classroom instantly fell silent.
Squad assignments were critically important—they could even determine a ninja's future path.
Naturally, everyone listened with full attention.
"Squad One…"
"…"
"Squad Four: Might Guy, Genma Shiranui, and Ebisu."
The moment his name was called, Might Guy became wildly excited. He immediately shouted that his youth was burning.
The classroom froze into dead silence, and the atmosphere became painfully awkward.
Genma Shiranui and Ebisu instinctively pretended not to know him at all.
At the podium, the teacher's mouth twitched slightly, his expression filled with helpless resignation.
Fortunately, he had taught Might Guy for several years and was thoroughly accustomed to such scenes.
He chose to ignore it entirely and continued reading. "Squad Six: Asuma Sarutobi, Uchiha Obito, and Tonbo Tobitake."
Asuma Sarutobi's eyes lit up when he heard his name.
But the moment Obito's name followed, his expression instantly darkened with dissatisfaction. "Why did they assign me a dead-last failure?"
Though his voice was low, Obito, seated nearby, heard it clearly. His temper exploded on the spot.
"You bastard, Asuma! You're the one who shouldn't drag me down! I'm going to become Hokage!"
Watching the two argue, Tonbo Tobitake—half his face wrapped in bandages—felt completely drained.
Why were his teammates so troublesome? Little did he know that, in the eyes of others, he was the strange one.
After all, normal people didn't wrap half their face—including an eye—in bandages.
Many students had secretly mocked him, wondering how he could possibly see anything.
"Quiet!" The teacher barked, immediately stopping the argument before continuing.
"That concludes the squad assignments. Please remain here for a short while. Your squad leaders will arrive shortly to take you."
With that, the teacher turned and left the classroom.
Soon after, squad leaders arrived one by one and led their teams away.
"I wonder who our squad leader will be," Obito asked eagerly.
Asuma, who already knew the answer from his father, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was just about to speak.
When a Jōnin with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a warm, gentle smile walked into the room. It was Minato.
"Asuma Sarutobi, Uchiha Obito, and Tonbo Tobitake—follow me."
If Aoshi had been present, he surely would have sighed with emotion. Despite changes in teammates, Obito still ended up under Minato's command.
Led by Minato, the trio exited the Ninja Academy and arrived at the training ground where he usually practiced.
"First, let's introduce ourselves and get to know one another. My name is Minato Namikaze. From now on, you may call me Minato-sensei."
Minato smiled gently as he observed the three young ninja, setting the example by introducing himself first.
"In my free time, I enjoy reading—especially books written by my teacher. I don't have anything I particularly dislike."
"My dream is to become Hokage and protect all my comrades within Konoha."
After Minato finished, Obito eagerly raised his hand.
"My name is Uchiha Obito. I like helping people in need, and I hate arrogant jerks." As he spoke, Kakashi's image flashed through his mind.
"My dream is also to become Hokage and protect my comrades in the village!" Kakashi's image faded, replaced by Rin Nohara.
Next came Asuma.
"My name is Asuma Sarutobi. I like playing shogi. I hate the Hokage. My dream is to surpass the Hokage and prove that I'm stronger than him!"
Finally, Tonbo Tobitake spoke. "My name is Tonbo Tobitake. I don't have anything I particularly like or dislike."
"I greatly admire Inoichi-senpai, and my dream is to become an outstanding ninja like him."
After hearing all three introductions, Minato gained a clear sense of their personalities.
He then took out two small bells and continued calmly. "According to the rules, the three of you must now attempt to take these bells from me."
As he spoke, Minato tied the bells to his waist. "The person who fails to obtain a bell will be deemed unqualified—and sent back to the Ninja Academy to repeat the year."