The next day sees Naruto, Anko, Ibiki, and Hatake standing in front of the Hokage's desk. There are three folders resting on the desk, each marked with a number corresponding to the team whose dossiers it contains.
"So, Naruto, what would you like to do? You can stay in your apprenticeship with Ibiki, Anko, and Hatake and eventually join ANBU, or we can put you on a genin team and see how you develop from there. If you decide to join a genin team but cannot decide on which, well, we'll simply shuffle you between teams as needed until you find one that you like. How does that sound?"
Instead of responding, Naruto picks up the folder marked '7' and flicks through the documents inside. The team is slated to be led by Hatake Kakshi and is comprised of Haruno Sakura, Hideaki Takuji, and Tomika Kaoru. Under Kakashi's dossier, there is a small slip of paper reading "Pass Rate: 10%". Naruto closes the folder and sets it back on the desk.
"This is the first team that Kakashi's passed, correct?" Hatake asks as Naruto flips through the folder marked '8'.
"It is," the Hokage replies, face scrunched in a slightly irked expression. "Maybe we shouldn't have taken him out of ANBU after all."
The first picture inside is of a woman with shoulder-length brown hair and red eyes. Her dossier lists her name as Yuuhi Kurenai. The boy in the picture under hers has a dog on his head. His dossier lists him as Inuzuka Kiba, one of the members of the Inuzuka clan and most likely second in line for position of heir. Next to his picture is one of a girl with blue hair and white eyes. Her name, listed under her picture, is Hyuuga Hinata. 'That's the girl from yesterday, the one who kept poking her fingers together. Hopefully she grows out of that habit'. Also listed under Hinata's picture is her status as the current Hyuuga clan heiress. Without even looking at the third member of the team, Naruto sets the folder back down.
"What's wrong with Team Eight?" Ibiki picks up the folder and leafs through it before setting it down also.
"Nothing's wrong with them. I just think that their families will force Kurenai to coddle them, and I'd really rather not be coddled," Naruto replies, then turns back to the Hokage without even picking up the folder marked '10'.
"I guess you can sign me up for Team Ten."
"Aren't you even going to look at their dossiers?" Sarutobi settles the other two folders together into one pile.
"I don't think I need to. They're probably going to be better than a former ANBU with too-high standards and a jounin whose students' families are probably going to force her to coddle them."
"If you insist," Sarutobi says, opening to folder marked '10' and jotting down the name 'Naruto Uzumaki' on the first sheet of paper. "You'll meet up with Asuma on the day after tomorrow, at noon."
"Why not just meet with him tomorrow?"
"I'm giving you a day to arrange yourself and ensure that you're ready to meet a new teacher who may be nothing like the three who have taught you before and, in a least one case, will teach you again," The Hokage gestures with his pipe at the tanto strapped across Naruto's back.
"Speaking of which," Naruto says, turning to Anko and tapping the handle of his tanto, "when are those lessons in how to use this thing slated to begin?"
"Tomorrow," Anko replies, "and every day you're not doing anything with your team."
"Why not start today?" Before responding, Anko glances over to the Sandaime Hokage. The old man nods, his head barely moving. The special jounin switches her gaze back to Naruto. "You're ready to start today? Fine, we'll start today." With that, Anko grabs Naruto by the collar and yanks him toward the window.
"Hey! Why couldn't we just go through the–" Naruto begins, but is cut off as Anko yanks the windows open and forms the ram hand seal.
They reappear on a rooftop several hundred feet away. "—door," Naruto finishes. He then proceeds to paint the ground with his breakfast.
"This way was quicker. Now follow me." Resignedly, Naruto straightens and follows after his teacher.
The pair arrives at Training Ground Four a few minutes later. "Alright, first things first," Anko begins. "This is a tanto, a dagger. It is not a sword, but you should still treat it with the same respect you would give a sword. That means you don't throw it, you don't plant it in the ground in order to help yourself stand, and you most definitely don't drag it along the walls as you walk, no matter how intimidating the noise might be."
"Er…alright. So what should I do with it?"
"I'm about to show you." Calmly, Anko yanks the tanto from its sheath and then flips it so that the blade extends downward from her hand. "This is what's known as a 'reverse' or 'ice pick' grip. It's good for downward stabs and mercy kills, should you be required to give any." She passes the tanto back to Naruto, extending it toward him hilt first.
The blond takes the tanto and slides into a ready stance, holding the dagger in the ice pick grip Anko has just shown him. He charges the special jounin, who draws a kunai and parries each stab and thrust the genin makes.
On the next stab, Anko shoves the tanto to the side and slams her foot in into Naruto's chest. The dagger drops from his hands as he falls to his knees and empties his stomach into the grass.
"That's a good enough start for today, don't you think?" Anko grins and picks up the tanto, edging around the rapidly expanding pool of vomit to slide it back into its sheath.
"Make sure you go to Training Ground Ten tomorrow to meet up with your new team," she calls as she forms the ram seal and shunshins away.
Naruto's only response is to flop backward into the grass.