Naruto : Chapter 32

In his office the Hokage watched the fight between Naruto and Kakashi. He was, so far, satisfied with Kakashi's work with his team.

He kept them busy, Sasuke and Sakura out of the village during D-rank missions to not have the worship of the villagers badly influence Sasuke, Naruto got a good deal of personal attention from Kakashi while the jonin didn't neglect the other two and Kakashi was working on getting back to his old form.

As long as nothing interfered with Kakashi's mission, things would work out.

The ROOT agents Danzo had sent were also on a good way with their missions. So far he had found thirty decrees which he would take back. As the Hokage he had the power to change decrees. Only with laws things were different, but those he had always checked very carefully.

If there were any new laws that he didn't remember passing there was more wrong than he thought. So far that area had turned out negatively. But they hadn't got through all years since Minato's death yet.

Many things could be hidden in the archives. And he knew the Uchiha had tried to force their will through many times. While Naruto and Kakashi were going into the phase that they were including ninjutsu, it knocked at the Hokage's door.

"Come in." He called and deactivated the crystal ball.

Outside the door were Koharu and Homura, the village elders beside Danzo. They were also his old team-mates under the Nidaime Hokage.

"Koharu, Homura, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" He asked smiling.

He was on guard. Over the years both his old team-mates had taken a more militaristic view than he liked. And they had been some of the people to treat Naruto like nothing more than a weapon.

Homura had been the one to constantly suggest letting Danzo train Naruto to make the boy Konoha's secret weapon.

It was one of the reasons he had had to hold onto the hat for so long. Other candidates would have been eaten alive by the council and the elders. He had decades of experience to deal with them.

"Hokage Sama, we are a bit concerned about the reactions to your latest decisions." Homura said.

The Hokage guessed it was the ninja academy curriculum. When Inoichi Yamanaka, Hiashi Hyuga and Utei Kurama had seen the things the students were set to learn and how many hours the timetable dedicated to each area, they had loudly protested.

Even the stoic Hiashi was obviously disgusted with how useless the curriculum had become.

There was a focus on theory work with a ratio of seventy five per cent theory and twenty five per cent practical.

They had sworn to get the curriculum adjusted to more physical training and cutting out useless civilian lessons. The civilian council hadn't been pleased.

"I guess you are talking about the ninja academy." He said.

"Yes, that too. While I can understand that there need to be changes to get a better ratio of those who passed their genin tests, it could lead to problems if the civilian council is completely cut out of the decision what is taught." Koharu said.

"Yes, many civilian parents sent their children to the academy because they thought they had a chance to become ninja with the current curriculum. If it is changed, many will probably send them to civilian schools." Homura added.

"You have seen the current curriculum?" The Hokage asked.

"Yes, and while it's not good, I think a few adjustments would fulfil the need for better graduation results better than a radical change of the whole curriculum." Koharu said.

"No, they wouldn't. And regarding your concern for having less civilian students. At the moment, the only thing these children are when they leave the academy and by whatever miracle pass their genin test is cannon fodder." The Hokage stated.

Both his old team-mates looked at him disbelievingly.

"From all civilian students in a class normally only ten per cent have the determination to put in the necessary effort in training to make the cut. Rock Lee from last year is such a case, but his success is mostly due to Gai motivating him properly.

But those types that train like crazy on their own to overcome their weakness and turn their only talent into a strength are rare. The three teams that passed this year only have one civilian raised child in them, which is Sakura Haruno."

Both elders nodded.

"Now from Kakashi's reports he doesn't have any problems with the motivation in training of both Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. Both boys do whatever exercise he has thought up without complaint, even if he can tell that Sasuke is often close to collapsing.

Sakura on the other hand is complaining all the time, has neglected her training during the academy massively and is more interested in getting Sasuke to fall for her than becoming a good kunoichi." He informed them.

"Well, from what we heard over the last weeks Kakashi is training them really hard. It's more than normal that a girl like Sakura from a civilian family has problems adjusting. Nearly all fresh genin would have." Koharu said.

"The only stories that can spread around are those Sakura tells her mother and as she is the one who is worst on her team, it's safe to assume she exaggerates. And with Isami and her ridiculous plans how to get her daughter to marry Sasuke she didn't do her daughter any favours in the past with filling her head with nonsense.

I know how the girl behaved in the academy. Outside of the exercises the teachers had them do there, she didn't do any training.

Instead she stalked Sasuke like many other girls and invested more time and money in beauty products and body care than in ninja training and training equipment.

The only reason she passed is that Sasuke ordered her what to do in Kakashi's test after Naruto flat out told Sasuke the meaning of the test.

"All the other civilian graduates failed the tests of the other jonin senseis. And the one who has the most difficult test is Kakashi. His test is the bell test that I came up with. His has a focus on teamwork, which he makes a bit difficult to realize, but he has the right to try and deceive his students.

All the others, while their tests may not directly set the genin against each other, also focus mainly on how they get a set task done together. If they together can't even get the tasks our jonin come up with done after four years, sometimes five years, of training, then something is massively wrong.

The civilian council took the power to decide over the curriculum after the Kyubi attack and at that time I was too busy to really think what consequences that change would have.

But I won't accept that we only get the clan children as new genin while we waste potential in civilian children due to bad teaching.

Remember, Jiraiya was a civilian kid and he became the most powerful of the sannin despite Orochimaru being a genius and Tsunade the granddaughter of the Shodai.

"In a full-out fight Jiraiya would win. So there are talents that can be found. But without the proper training in the beginning, they will quit or be killed early in their career.

And it is not the intention of the ninja program to have genin do D-ranks for a prolonged period of time. They are to learn basic skills, promote teamwork and get them used to missions similar to the D-rank ones which just are of a higher profile.

Otherwise I wouldn't even allow the civilians to hand in requests for chores to be done by our genin. I mean, weeding a normal garden and baby-sitting could be done by civilian children that want to earn more pocket money." The Hokage explained.

Both elders had to agree. In their times the time a team did D-ranks had been shorter on average. They were used to get a team through the consolidation process during which a sensei worked on their basic skills and trained them in chakra control.

Normally the jonin also got them two or three jutsus over the first six months to increase their skills. Intermixed with the occasional rare C-rank to get a team used to the outside world and not have the overeager ones get too bored in the village.

"Is there a reason that in the village only teams eight and ten are seen doing missions? I haven't seen team seven over the past three weeks since the teams were confirmed to have passed." Homura asked.

"Yes, there is, but it's between Kakashi and I what the reason is. Just know I have a good reason why teams eight and ten are the face for the new generation." He said.

"But wouldn't it be good for our funds and the public relations to have Sasuke do missions that are seen by the villagers?" Koharu asked.

"That may be, but the reasons to have team seven do the missions they are doing are more important than a few more D-ranks." The Hokage said.

Homura pondered over the reasons. He had been a ninja all his life and knew the reasons that normally led to a genin not having contact with the villagers for a prolonged period of time. He would have to observe for a while longer to get the right conclusion.

Hiruzen didn't seem willing to tell them more. He was back to his old persona. This was the God of Shinobi, not the kind grandfather that watched over the village.

"Then I just have one last question. Do you have a prospective successor? We all know that you are only holding onto the office until you find somebody that can take over." Homura said.

"Yes, and I will announce my successor during the finals of the chunin exams that begin in a bit more than five months." He said.

"So you aren't going to tell us before?" Koharu asked.

"No, not yet. My successor has one last mission to do that doesn't need more public attention with me naming him successor." The Hokage informed them.

They nodded. Secrecy was part of a ninja's life after all. They both bid the Hokage goodbye and left the office.

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