The morning sun filtered through Hikaru's bedroom window, casting long shadows across the floor as he slowly opened his eyes. Today was the day he would finally meet his genin team and sensei. He stretched his arms above his head as familiar knots settled in his stomach.
After washing his face and getting dressed in his usual training clothes, Hikaru made his way to the kitchen where Ayako had already prepared a simple breakfast of rice, miso soup, and grilled fish.
"Excited about today?" Ayako asked, watching how he kept messing with his chopsticks instead of eating.
"Yeah," Hikaru admitted, unconsciously scratching his head—a habit he'd developed when feeling awkward. "I keep wondering what kind of team they've put together."
"I'm sure they've chosen well," Ayako said with an encouraging smile. "Just remember to be respectful to your new sensei and teammates."
Hikaru nodded, though his leg bounced under the table as his mind raced with possibilities. Would his teammates be from big clans? Most importantly, what did the village leadership expect from him in this arrangement?
After finishing his meal—though he barely tasted any of it—Hikaru gathered his ninja tools and headed toward the academy. The familiar walk felt different today, his steps quicker than usual as anticipation built.
The academy building came into view, and Hikaru spotted Koji-sensei waiting near the entrance. His former instructor waved him over with his usual patient expression.
"Ready for your new team assignment, Hikaru-kun?" Koji-sensei asked as they walked through the corridors together.
"As ready as I can be, I suppose," Hikaru replied, trying to keep his voice steady.
They stopped in front of an empty classroom that Hikaru had never seen used before. Koji-sensei gestured for him to enter, and Hikaru stepped inside to find two other people already waiting.
The first was a boy who appeared to be around his age, with long dark hair and the distinctive pale eyes of the Hyuga clan. He sat with perfect posture, his expression calm but his chin tilted slightly upward. When their eyes met, he gave Hikaru a brief, measuring glance before looking away dismissively.
"I am Hyuga Nobue," he said in a cool, controlled voice, though he didn't ask for Hikaru's name in return.
"Muranaka Hikaru," Hikaru replied, offering a small nod of acknowledgment.
Nobue's tone was polite but distant, speaking only the necessary words to acknowledge his presence. Hikaru's shoulders tensed slightly as he recognized the type who considered himself above most others—typical of what he'd heard about Hyuga clan members.
The second person was quite different. A girl with wild brown hair and distinctive fang-like canine teeth grinned at him from her seat. Three small dogs sat alertly around her feet, their intelligent eyes tracking every movement in the room.
"Hey there! I'm Hana Inuzuka," she said, her voice warm and enthusiastic in sharp contrast to Nobue's coldness. "These are my partners—the Haimaru brothers."
The three nin-ken each gave small yips of greeting, their tails wagging slightly. Despite her strong, confident exterior, Hikaru noticed how gently Hana's hands moved when she spoke to her dog companions.
I had a rival with an Inuzuka kid, now I'm getting one as a teammate, Hikaru thought, his lips quirking upward slightly. Bless my luck.
As Hikaru took in his new teammates, his brow furrowed as he worked through the implications. A Hyuga with the Byakugan, an Inuzuka with tracking abilities, and himself with... what exactly?
The team composition seemed designed for scouting and tracking, but Hikaru wasn't sure why he'd been placed here specifically. Did they know he had sensor capabilities?
"It seems they've put together a tracking and scouting team," Hikaru said aloud, more to himself than to the others.
Nobue's eyebrow lifted slightly at hearing his thought but simply nodded without comment, while Hana tilted her head thoughtfully. The room fell into an awkward silence as the three teammates waited, each shifting in their seats.
"Everyone here, I presume?" came a cheerful voice from the doorway.
Before Hikaru could respond, the classroom door opened again, and a familiar figure stepped inside. Hikaru's eyes widened with recognition as Sarutobi Hideaki entered, his distinctive scar catching the light as he smiled broadly at the assembled genin.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Hideaki said cheerfully, his hands clasped behind his back. "I hope you three have been getting acquainted."
Now it all made sense. Yesterday's cryptic comment about being surprised today—Hideaki had known he would be their instructor all along. Hikaru's shoulders relaxed as relief washed over him.
"Since we're all here, let's do proper introductions," Hideaki announced, settling into a chair with casual confidence. "I'll start. I'm Sarutobi Hideaki, and I'll be your potential Jōnin instructor. I like making terrible jokes, eating dango, and long walks through Konoha when it's not raining. I dislike paperwork, overly serious people, and mornings before I've had my tea."
His introduction drew a small snort of amusement from Hana, while Nobue's expression remained unchanged. Hikaru's lips curved upward slightly at his sensei's casual demeanor—it was a stark contrast to the awkward tension that had been building in the room.
"Now then, let's hear from each of you. Nobue-kun, would you like to begin?"
The Hyuga boy's jaw tightened slightly at the casual honorific, but he maintained his composure. "I am Hyuga Nobue. My likes and dislikes are not relevant to this team's mission effectiveness."
"Ouch," Hideaki said with an exaggerated wince, scratching his scarred cheek. "That's quite possibly the most boring introduction I've ever heard. Come on, give me something to work with here. What do you do for fun? Favorite color? Scared of anything?"
Nobue's pale eyes narrowed slightly. "I train. I study. I fulfill my duties to my clan and village. These personal details serve no purpose."
"Everything serves some purpose if you're creative enough," Hideaki replied with a grin. "But we'll work on that. How about you, Hana-chan?"
"I'm Hana Inuzuka!" she said brightly, scratching one of the Haimaru brothers behind the ears. "I like training with my partners, beef jerky, and proving that girls can be just as strong as boys. I dislike people who hurt animals, vegetables that taste weird, and people who are mean to others for no reason."
"And last but not least, Hikaru-kun?" Hideaki asked, turning to him with an encouraging smile.
Hikaru took a breath and straightened his shoulders, feeling both his teammates' attention focus on him. "I'm Muranaka Hikaru. I like reading, training, and spending time with people I like. I dislike unnecessary conflict and troublesome people."
"Interesting," Hideaki said, leaning back in his chair with an amused expression. "So we have a perfectionist who focuses on duty, an energetic girl who cares about fairness, and a thoughtful boy who values peace. This team dynamic should be absolutely fascinating to watch develop."
"I'm not here to be entertained," Nobue said, his posture stiffening.
"Fair enough," Hideaki replied with a chuckle. "But teamwork is still essential. Trust, communication, and understanding each other's strengths and weaknesses can mean the difference between mission success and coming home in body bags."
The sobering words made all three genin sit up straighter. Even Nobue's confident expression became more serious at the mention of mortality.
"Speaking of understanding each other's capabilities," Nobue said, his pale eyes focusing on Hideaki, "I'm curious about our team composition. I understand my role with the Byakugan, and Inuzuka-san's tracking abilities are obvious, but what exactly does Muranaka-san contribute to our specialization?"
Hideaki's grin widened as he looked at Hikaru. "Ah, that's because our youngest team member here is also capable of using sensing techniques."
Hikaru's eyes widened and he instinctively stepped back. "How did you—"
"Did you not think for a second that someone might have noticed?" Hideaki chuckled, scratching his scarred cheek. "All that 'subtle' practice you were doing at the academy? Not exactly a secret, Hikaru-kun. Plus, anyone with sensor abilities can feel when someone else is using sensing techniques probing them. Your ability was already noticed from the beginning."
Heat rose in Hikaru's cheeks as he ducked his head slightly, realizing his attempts at secrecy had been completely transparent to some observant instructors.
"A sensor," Nobue said, his dismissive posture shifting as he leaned forward with interest. "That would complete our scouting triangle quite effectively."
"Exactly," Hideaki confirmed. "Long-range sight, enhanced tracking, and chakra detection. You three would make an excellent information-gathering unit for the village."
"Would?" Hana asked, tilting her head at the conditional phrasing.
Hideaki's expression became more serious as he stood up. "That's right—would. You see, this is only a tentative team assignment. The village desperately needs skilled genin, but I won't send unprepared children to their deaths just because we're short-staffed."
He gestured for them to follow him toward the door. "Before we make anything official, I need to see if you three can actually work together as a team. Some genin squads look perfect on paper but fall apart the moment they face real pressure."
Nobue's pale eyes flashed with something between interest and challenge. "You're going to test us."
"That's right," Hideaki confirmed with a grin that somehow managed to look both friendly and dangerous. "Training Ground Eight in ten minutes. We'll see if you have what it takes to become real Team, or if you need to go back to the drawing board."
Hikaru's stomach clenched as he realized they were about to face their own version of the bell test. Just like in the original story, he thought, his mind racing through what he remembered. The real test isn't the objective—it's teamwork.
"What happens if we fail?" Hana asked, her earlier enthusiasm tempered by sudden nervousness.
"Then you don't become a team," Hideaki said simply. "The village needs genin, but it needs competent ones. Better to reassign you to different squads or send you back for more training than to get you killed on a mission you weren't ready for."
He started walking toward the door, then paused to look back at them. "Don't look so worried. You all graduated early for a reason. I just need to see that reason in action."
With that, he disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique, leaving the three potential teammates alone in the classroom.
"Well," Hana said after a moment of stunned silence, "I guess we better not mess this up."
"Training Ground Eight is on the other side of the village," Nobue added, his expression becoming more focused. "We'll need to move quickly."
As they began running through the village streets, Hikaru's mind raced with questions and concerns. What kind of test would Hideaki put them through? Would they be fighting him? Each other? Some other challenge entirely?
"So what do you think he's planning?" Hana asked as they picked up the pace.
"We'll find out soon enough," Hikaru replied, breathing harder as they ran. We'll find out if we're really ready to be genin.
Or if this is where our ninja careers end before they truly begin.