Chapter 21: Silver Hair Dead Fish Eyes

Time may be a factor.

But the sample size is too small to determine the result.

Naruto stretched lazily and went to sleep, remembering that tomorrow was class assignment day, an important event for Genin.

The next day, in the classroom.

As soon as Naruto entered, he attracted attention.

The classmates had no time to discuss yesterday's events before being astonished by his change.

He was dressed the same as before, in a white hoodie and gray cropped pants. The only difference was the Konoha headband tied to his left arm.

Even though they had seen him just yesterday afternoon, for some reason, it felt like they were reuniting after years apart.

Naruto had matured significantly and now had the aura of an adult.

Their chattering voices lowered, not daring to let him hear their discussions.

Uchiha Sasuke turned back several times, wanting to say something but couldn't in the crowded classroom.

Naruto noticed but did not intend to ask.

His relationship with Sasuke was average, and Sasuke was not his subordinate, so he didn't want to bother.

Iruka-sensei soon arrived and announced the class assignments.

Names were called out one by one.

Until—

"Team 7, Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke."

With a snap.

Haruno Sakura couldn't help but slap the table and stand up.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Iruka looked over.

She instinctively glanced at Naruto, "Nothing, nothing."

No matter how unwilling she felt, as a consistently good student, Haruno Sakura found it difficult to go against the teacher's wishes.

She really didn't want to be on the same team as Naruto.

She already disliked this guy.

Recently, he had become even more outrageous—beating up Uchiha Sasuke and even hitting a teacher yesterday.

Naruto caught her gaze and tilted his head.

He seemed to remember liking this girl before.

Now, it seems a bit ridiculous. He didn't even know what it was for back then.

That look...

It was no different from the way the rest of the village looked at him.

Iruka continued announcing the class assignments.

When the dust settled, some were satisfied, and others were disappointed.

After lunch, the Jonin leaders came to take their teams.

Team 7's instructor was late to reveal themselves.

Haruno Sakura was anxious, her eyes darting around, occasionally glancing at Naruto but mostly focusing on Sasuke.

She was feeling impatient.

But... those two, Naruto and Sasuke, were calm and unhurried.

"Naruto," Sasuke said, his tone firm, "how did you do it yesterday?"

He had made what he considered a remarkable decision.

He set aside his "pride" to ask someone he used to surpass for advice.

Naruto was taken aback, instinctively blurting out, "Yesterday? What about it?"

To him, "yesterday" was a distant "six years ago."

But the memory was still clear.

There was absolutely no event involving Sasuke.

"How did you defeat Mizuki-sensei?" Sasuke gritted his teeth, making his question clearer.

The blond boy in front of him hadn't done anything excessive, but... it was his inadvertent attitude that deeply stung Sasuke's heart.

Just one night.

An event from yesterday afternoon.

And he had already forgotten it?

It didn't even register with him?

That was a "Chunin."

Naruto responded straightforwardly, "Is it hard to beat him?"

"He's not even that strong."

Compared to the various Hollows he encountered and the diverse opponents he fought in the Soul Society, Mizuki was insignificant.

Sasuke clenched his fist.

A Chunin!

That was a Chunin!

Such a dismissive attitude.

Just how strong had Naruto become?

"How did you get this strong?" Sasuke didn't hide his desire for power, and his tone reflected it.

Get stronger?

Naruto's thoughts drifted to the "Soul Society."

He shook his head and smiled softly. "What I pursue is no longer power, but the things I want to protect."

"Face your heart."

"And then, do your best."

He had no intention of telling others about the matters of the "Soul Society."

This was his "secret."

Sasuke stared at Naruto, somewhat lost in thought.

Protect?

Does it have to be this way?

He had nothing now, only a heart full of vengeance.

He was about to ask more.

The door opened.

A flippant voice came in, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's been so long since I last came to the Ninja Academy that I got a bit lost."

A silver-haired man with most of his face covered by a mask and forehead protector, leaving only his right eye visible, walked in.

He was saying sorry, but there was no hint of apology in his dead-fish eyes.

"Are you the last group?"

"Then let me borrow this classroom."

He sat on the podium as if it were a matter of course. "Let's start with self-introductions."

Naruto and Sasuke both stared at him silently.

Sakura couldn't help but speak, "Teacher, why don't you go first and give us an example?"

The silver-haired man shook his head, "Me?"

"My name is Hatake Kakashi. The things I like and dislike... are a secret. As for dreams, I don't have any. I have many hobbies."

He paused.

Sakura widened her eyes.

What does this mean? Is that it?

"Alright." Kakashi clapped his hands, "Now it's your turn."

"Let's start from..."

He pointed to the wide-foreheaded girl with pink hair, "Let's start with you."

Sakura's introduction was mediocre, with every other sentence revolving around Uchiha Sasuke.

Next was Sasuke.

His introduction was as gloomy as he was. When he talked about his dreams, he gritted his teeth and vowed to revive the Uchiha clan and kill that man...

The killing intent was faint, but real.

When it was Naruto's turn, he hesitated when it came to talking about his dream, looking a bit confused out the window. "I haven't decided yet. If I had to say, I'd like to meet my parents."

Kakashi fell silent and lowered his head.

Naruto immediately turned his head, catching this emotion.

Why did he feel sad when I mentioned my parents?

This emotion passed in an instant, and Kakashi softly said, "The self-introductions are over."

"Next, I have something very serious to say."

"Starting tomorrow, you'll be undertaking your first mission."

"A survival training exercise."

Sakura exclaimed in disappointment, "Why an exercise? We did this often at school."

"This is not an ordinary exercise." Kakashi stood up, "Your opponent... will be me."

He raised his left hand, pressing four fingers of his right hand together to form the number nine.

"Out of the twenty-seven graduates, only nine will be recognized as Genin."

"Tomorrow's survival training exercise is the test."

Panic appeared on Sakura's face.

Naruto and Sasuke's expressions remained unchanged.

"Well then, see you tomorrow." Kakashi formed a hand seal and disappeared with a puff of smoke.

"What? He came so late and left so quickly," Sakura couldn't help but complain.

Naruto stood up.

He stared at the spot where Kakashi had just stood.

When Iruka-sensei was assigning teams, he had noticed that for some "special" students, the teams were predetermined.

Like the trio who were inseparable since childhood: "Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, Yamanaka Ino" were put together.

He himself was the "Nine-Tails Jinchuriki," Sasuke was the last of the "Uchiha clan."

There didn't seem to be anything special about Sakura for now.

Of course, even if she was ordinary, just having him and Sasuke was enough for Konoha to make special arrangements.

Moreover, there was that strange emotional fluctuation just now.

This Hatake Kakashi must have some connection to his parents.

"N-Naruto, you still haven't told..." Sasuke was unwilling to drop the topic before Kakashi arrived.

Naruto shook his head. "Let's prepare for tomorrow's test first."

"In three hours, let's meet at the school gate."

Sakura was stunned, "Meet? For what?"

"Naturally, to gather information on Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said matter-of-factly. He paused and asked them, "Don't you plan to collect information on him?"

"Kakashi-sensei did say he would be our opponent tomorrow."

"Intelligence is a ninja's first battle."

Sasuke pursed his lips in silence.

Is this the difference between me and Naruto? I didn't even think of this.

Sakura stared blankly at Naruto.

This guy... has really changed.

"See you in three hours." Naruto leaped out of the window and disappeared in the blink of an eye.