"Team Eight, Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame."
"Team Ten, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi."
Iruka stood at the front of the classroom, reading off each name. As he finished, a wave of sadness quietly overcame him. Another year's students were graduating, and who knew how many wouldn't survive their future missions.
"The teams are set! Your squad leaders will arrive shortly!"
"Iruka-sensei, why do I have to be on Sasuke's team? I'm clearly way better than that!" Naruto grumbled unhappily.
"That's because you always land at the bottom of the class while Sasuke takes second place and Sakura first. It balances out your team's strength."
Iruka smiled as he spoke. After what happened last night, he no longer believed Naruto was truly the hopeless slacker he seemed to be. Still, this explanation sounded perfectly normal to everyone else.
"Sakura, do you know who our squad leader is yet?" Naruto asked excitedly. "He's gotta be someone super powerful—famous across the entire ninja world!"
"Well, our squad leader actually has a pretty solid rep and is no slouch either," Sakura thought for a moment before continuing. Kakashi, after all, was known as Konoha's The Copy Ninja, and his name carried serious weight.
"What about his looks? Is he more like me—bright and energetic—or like Sasuke, cool and aloof?" Naruto started picturing what his future squad leader might look like in his head.
"You've already seen Kakashi's face more than enough times, right?" Sakura replied casually, a statement that slightly shocked Naruto.
"K-Kakashi?! You mean perverted old man Kakashi who's always buried in those questionable novels?"
In Naruto's mind, Kakashi was just some strange guy—always reading smutty books, looking lazy and messy, but somehow still decent-looking under that mask.
"That's right!" Sakura wasn't sure how to respond to Naruto's description. It was hard to argue since it was basically spot-on.
"Now *that's* disappointing," Naruto immediately deflated. He had hoped his sensei would be someone impressive, but Kakashi? Truth be told, he'd seen that face way too many times already.
"It actually makes sense though," Sakura explained. "Sasuke is the last Uchiha, and you're the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. Both of you are absolutely vital to Konoha. Kakashi was one of the Third Hokage's most trusted men, so putting you two under his command gives the Third peace of mind. Plus, Kakashi's strength and fame help keep those with hidden agendas in check."
She added, "And since we already know him, we won't have to waste time building a new relationship from scratch."
"Ah, not bad reasoning," Kakashi said casually as he strolled through the door, his white hair sticking up messily. He gave the other Jonin who were picking up their teams a friendly nod before leading Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura outside.
At the training ground, Kakashi leaned against a large wooden post, Make Out Tactics in hand.
"Alright, let's start with self-introductions. Talk about what you like, dislike, your hobbies, dreams, and things like that!"
"Shouldn't you introduce yourself first, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked.
"We're already so familiar with each other, I think it's unnecessary!" Kakashi smiled. "By the way, I'm really glad you call me teacher instead of still calling me 'old man'!"
"That's because you're now our squad leader, so naturally my address should change accordingly."
Looking at Kakashi, Sakura continued, "Kakashi-sensei, please go ahead and give us an example by doing a proper introduction yourself."
"Well then," Kakashi said indifferently, "My name is Kakashi Hatake. As for hobbies, I've got quite a few; interests vary too. I don't feel like sharing what I dislike right now, and as for my dream… well, let's keep that secret for now." He concluded, "Alright, now it's your turn to talk."
"Tch! In the end, Kakashi-sensei only told us his name after all!" Naruto muttered discontentedly, then exclaimed cheerfully, "I am Naruto Uzumaki! I love being with everyone, and also eating all sorts of delicious stuff made by Sakura! Currently, I can't think of anything I dislike yet. As for my dream, I want to become the greatest Hokage in Konoha history, and I'll protect Sakura and everyone else no matter what!"
"I am Sasuke Uchiha. I enjoy training and enhancing my strength. I hate interruptions during training. As for my dream, I will restore the Uchiha clan, and specifically, I want to capture that man Itachi and make him have kids!" Sasuke coldly stated.
Sakura could feel a powerful stare burning into her back. Without even thinking, she realized this glare must come from a certain Corpse Crow Puppet sent by someone protective of their younger sibling. Thinking about how she'd tricked Sasuke earlier, Sakura couldn't help but feel somehow guilty.
"It's your turn now, Sakura!" both Kakashi and Naruto said in unison, turning their full attention toward her as they waited eagerly for her self-introduction.
"My name is Sakura Haruno. I like a lot of things, and my interests are pretty varied too—like studying materials from the Scroll of Seals. Not many things actually bother me, so I guess I don't really have strong dislikes. As for my dream…"
Sakura raised her head and gazed into the sky, countless scenes flashing through her mind. "Did you know, Kakashi-sensei, tragedies are occurring almost every moment in this world, and I truly wish to put an end to them all!"
The fall of the Uchiha clan and Sasuke's suffering afterward, Zabuza and Haku's fate, Jiraiya's death, Obito witnessing Rin's demise firsthand, the tragedy of the Fourth Hokage couple, Itachi's death, and Neji's passing—all of it makes this ninja world nothing but one tragedy after another. What Sakura wanted most was to try her best to alter these tragedies.
Chapter One Hundred: Kakashi: Back Then, I Was That Close to Death [Mid]
"Ending tragedies, huh..." Kakashi murmured thoughtfully, letting out a soft sigh. The ninja world truly holds far too many tragedies, just like when Rin threw herself onto his Chidori back then.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>