Chapter 1-47

"Where exactly are we going?" Asuma asked absently. At least at the moment, he was content with his lot in life, it seemed.

The kids were busy with some random D-rank missions, breakfast at Kurenai's favorite restaurant had been nice and relaxed, and now he was perfectly fine with letting the day go by until…whatever that thing with Wonderboy was going to be.

Busy markets were slowly making way for quieter streets, bigger houses, and even the walls of some of the fancier compounds.

"I wish to speak with Hinata's father," Kurenai answered smoothly, her pace unhurried but determined. Instantly, some of Asuma's sense of well-being was beginning to falter.

"Why?" He asked, desperate not to sound too tense. This sounded like the precursor of some kind of confrontation, something that could make or break a perfectly pleasant morning, he thought.

Kurenai was the epitome of cool, calm, and collected…usually. When her female student was involved, however, things had the habit of becoming…tetchy? All the more so when her family played a part in the drama.

"I want Hiashi to reconsider his decision to disregard Hinata. I want him to resume teaching her their clan's techniques," she answered with a simple side glance and without breaking her stride.

"What makes you think he will listen to you? Now?" Asuma asked, sounding genuinely curious, which probably was the reason Kurenai didn't turn frosty at his apparent doubt.

"He told me that he wasn't bothered by the idea of Hinata dying, remember?" Kurenai began, not quite answering Asuma's question, her eyes straight ahead.

"Yes," Asuma confirmed carefully, not sure where this was going.

"The Hyuga Incident; a single Kumo shinobi, a shinobi everybody knew was in town by the way, had snuck into the house of the Hyuga clan head," Kurenai said and purposely emphasized just how ridiculous that actually was.

"What an embarrassing failure from such a proud clan," she finished, her tone mocking.

"That lone shinobi, that everybody knew was there, went on and kidnapped the clan head's daughter."

Mocking was replaced by incredulity. All the while, Asuma remained silent, his eyebrows steadily rising toward his hairline.

"The clan head, an experienced and respected jonin, fully equipped with the perfect tools to subdue an enemy," Kurenai began to describe Hiashi, only to follow up with a pregnant and deliberate pause.

"Went ahead and simply killed the high-ranking emissary of one of our greatest rivals."

She finished, but this time with little fanfare, the words spoke for themselves. A minute shake of her head was the only indication of her true feelings.

"A now the traumatized daughter has to bear the brunt of his shame, embarrassment, and anger at his very own colossal failure."

By the time Kurenai was done and glanced back at Asuma, his eyebrows were back in place. His lips, however, were pursed in a pronounced frown. He knew she was right. He even liked it when she got all fired up, but…

"Can you guarantee that this won't blow up in your student's face?" He asked, tone serious, which was probably the reason Kurenai stopped and stared, visibly considering the question. This and the fact that he heavily stressed the guarantee-part.

"Listen," Asuma tried again, a different angle, and the street was practically deserted, too, so…

"Back in the day when my mother was still around when times had been hectic with the end of the war and its afterpains," he began, and despite the topic, a small melancholic smile was beginning to form on his lips.

"My father would occasionally get on a rant at home, not often and never violent, mind you, but quite passionate. My father is, before all else, a pragmatic man. Traditions are fine as long as they don't get in the way," Asuma explained and paused, making sure Kurenai still followed, which she did.

"Now you have the Hyuga…"

"Putting an entire branch under the thumb of the other. Not all shinobi under one village, but some shinobi under other shinobi and then the village. Creating strive where it wasn't needed."

"Blessed eyes, potent chakra, and not a single exceptional shinobi, because they refuse to 'dilute' themselves."

"And don't get me started about his opinion regarding their branding," here he shook his head. "If it was about protecting secrets, everybody would have it."

"You mentioned the Incident; imagine what my father had thought about this whole fiasco only a few years after the Nine tales and Orochimaru."

"What I'm trying to say, my father was practically Hokage his whole life, and he couldn't move these pasty bathrobes, his words, a single inch. Hiashi had lost his own brother because of their own shortcomings, and it still had changed nothing!"

"Trust me on this, spare yourself and your student the trouble, and let us just look for a suitable Hyuga for help. Preferably someone that doesn't resent the main branch and isn't scared of Hiashi."

"Easier said than done, isn't it?"

"But not impossible!"

"So, here we are," I began and let my gaze wander over the assembled rookie-teams, my back leaning against the railing, and a significant drop just behind it. Already, this felt properly awkward. I was a model shinobi, not a natural orator.

My gaze slid for a second over the heads of the genin scattered in the three rows in front of me to Kurenai a few rows further back. She was going to owe me for this. How? I didn't know yet.

Even the location for this first meeting had been a headache. On one hand, a simple get-together at a random training ground felt like it just wouldn't provide the right gravitas. Too normal, too every-day.

Yesterday's teaser with Team 8 felt too heavy-handed in hindsight. I didn't want to go like a bull at a gate and rattle the kids too much. A quiet restaurant had been an idea, one that had been dismissed as quickly as it had come. I didn't want them to be too comfortable, just to blow a fuse myself when they would eventually half-ass something. It also wouldn't provide the right amount of space for what I had planned.

In the end, I had warmed up to the idea of using the Konoha Arena as my introductory stage. The place of my own evaluation.

Speaking of which, I sincerely hoped this little stunt was going to earn me some brownie points for tokubetsu jonin.

Master assassin, super sensor, and legends builder. Who was I kidding? When I'm done here, they could go straight ahead and offer me the hat.

I couldn't help but smile at the sheer horror of such a possibility.

That said…

Given the way the Hyuuga cringed when I accidentally stared at her during my smile, it was probably a good idea to get started.

"I'm an asshole," I said with a smile and observed with some satisfaction Kurenai sigh in silent suffering. It even felt somewhat good to say it out loud.

"That's why I was asked to prepare you for your exam and the wider world outside these walls," I carried on while my smile was replaced with an appropriate amount of seriousness.

"I have my flaws, but I like to think I'm a well-rounded shinobi."

So far so good, I thought as my eyes observed the attentive genin.

"Which is nice and dandy. What sets me apart, however, is the fact that I like to think outside the box," I said and paused, unsure if I wanted to go ahead with the next bit.

Fuck it...

You had to break eggs to make an omelette. I might as well be the first one.

"And I was a damn coward!"

That got some reactions, nothing too blatant, but by now I had the full attention of even the last one present.

Time to recycle some of my previous honesty.

"I had learned the Shunshin to run away," I explained and used the mentioned jutsu to move a few meters away and then back again in case one of them was unfamiliar with it.

"I had learned the Mist technique to hide," I said with a shrug. This time refraining from demonstrating in favor of neatly carrying on.

"But as you all know, in our business that's not really justifiable."

"Unless you are a messenger, I guess."

Perhaps I shouldn't have said the last part, but it wasn't up to me to decide their career decisions.

A quick shake of the head and I was back on track.

"I couldn't hit hard, so I had to be fast," I said before I pointed at my legs.

"Since they are only so long at a certain age, I wasn't even fast enough."

"So? What to do?" I asked while my gaze wandered over their faces without making eye contact.

"Well, I had to hit them from where they wouldn't see me coming. A hit became a stab, and since I wanted to keep the overall risk low, I had to make that stab count."

"Anyway…"

Where was I going with this?

Right!

"Long story short, when a scared little shithead, slash orphan, with too much time on his hands can get this strong…"

"What's holding you back? What are your excuses? You, with the families and friends that depend on you in some roundabout way."

Thank God, I prepared all that shit!

"Oh, and one other thing, before we get to the good stuff!"

"I want you to think about all the shit Hokage-sama must have seen just in his lifetime," I said and let them stew for a second or two.

"Now triple it and make it even worse for all the shit you don't know about!"

Lengthy pause and…

"Did you picture it?" I asked and simply didn't wait for an answer. I clapped once and carried on. "Fantastic! First lesson!"

"What do you guys have in common?" I kept going with the questions, but this time I waited for an answer.

"We are weak," Sasuke said from the front row to my left, his tone resigned and annoyed with a hint of gritted teeth.

"Exactly!" I replied and gave him a thumbs up.

"And do you know why?" I went on and surveyed the rest of the group.

"We are young and inexperienced," the Nara boy in the third row slightly to my right answered, garnering looks from his teammates on either of his sides.

"You are young and squishy," I corrected, but gave him a nod, nonetheless. "And there's not much you can do about it."

"So you got to be smart until you are not young and squishy anymore."

"Initiative, priority! Call it what you want!" I exclaimed, humor gone, replaced with serious teacher-mode.

"You need to have the means to stay in control of the situation, to gain control as quickly as possible. You must be able to dictate what is going on!" I said and put as much emphasis on the importance as possible.

"Be as attentive as possible, be as quiet as possible. Be on your toes!" I implored and took a breath.

"There's an enemy, or maybe even an ambush ahead!" I explained a short scenario.

"Others might be able to weather it. You, you have to notice it and be able to maneuver the moment into such a position that you can control the situation with your limited means."

"Or," I went on after a pause, indicating that there are possibilities when the best-case scenario wasn't available.

"React reflexively and in a coordinated manner. Disengage!"

"Smoke bombs, exploding tags, Shunshin, whatever floats your boat to cover your retreat," I said, and offered the most obvious means.

"Hide, use natural stealth, ninjutsu or genjutsu, regroup, and reengage on your terms!" I finished animatedly and took a quick breath.

"Wanna know how I killed one of Kiri's Seven Swordsmen?" I asked casually. Kiba, Naruto, Sasuke, and even Kurenai and Asuma reacted to varying degrees.

"I hid in the trees, distracted him with a simple genjutsu, and blew him up with a couple of exploding tags on a water clone."

That I punched a hole through his little buddy and himself with a ninjutsu and let him butcher my entire squad remained unsaid. The message was important, not strict facts, I thought and smiled at my audience.

I sighed and gave a minute shake of the head, intent on wrapping this part up.

"Perhaps let's look at a more suitable scenario, something you might encounter in the near future or maybe even had already."

"A C-rank, maybe a very low B-rank, bodyguard mission," I began and then pointed at the blond girl in the back, whose eyes immediately widened.

"You are a Yamanaka, aren't you? Great sensors, right?" I asked, but she didn't dare answer, which was fine with me.

"Then why are your teammates and your client dead?"

And with that two clones dropped their Hiding with Camouflage Technique. One in the fourth row directly behind the Nara, the other in the same row sitting next to the Akimichi. Both with their blades at the ready, a hairbreadth away from their necks.

Not giving them a chance to process the turn of events, I zeroed in on Team 8 in the second row.

"Great trackers, an all-seeing eye, a million eyes, and a peerless nose with fantastic ears," I said with some flair, highlighting their unique features.

"Dead, too!"

Two clones on either side of the Team shimmered into existence, exploding tags dangling between their fingertips.

That shit actually took some effort.

A near-perfect Dustless Bewildering Cover, the very same genjutsu, Kurenai had used all those years ago to bypass my sensing, and another genjutsu to handle the Aburame's bugs. Something only made possible because of my experience with Torune.

But that was my little secret.

Now the last team!

"Sorry," I simply held up my right hand, and instantly they clawed at their necks, to the visible horror of those behind them.

I held it perhaps a moment too long and loosened my 'grip' shortly after, the desired shock value achieved. My hand remained in the same position.

Control willfully slipping, five previously invisible chakra strings slowly thickened, their origin at my fingertips and their path all the way to the genin and around their necks becoming more and more noticeable.

"I hate this," Inoichi said, hunched over his cards. His entire demeanor was unashamedly agitated, and it had nothing to do with his current hand.

"What?" Choza asked with his eyes on his hand, his face unreadable.

"Danzo's protégé training our kids, that's what," Inoichi groused, and by now it was obvious to the two other men at the table that today's round of Daifugo would not go smoothly.

Shikaku sighed audibly. Wives were busy and happy at their weekly brunch, and he and his mates could enjoy their card games and sake. It was the highlight of his week.

Usually…

Choza blinked and lowered his cards, now thoroughly distracted.

"Come again!"

"Kurenai Yuhi, sensei of Team 8," Shikaku said tiredly and paused until he saw Choza nod in recognition. "Given the upcoming exam, she arranged for her former student to tutor the rookies."

"Yes, well, before Yuhi, he had been trained by Danzo's ilk, and after Yuhi he had been trained by the likes of Zabuza Momochi," Inoichi brusquely cut in.

Choza couldn't help but lean back in his chair, cards now face down on the table. On one side Skikaku was looking cool as a cucumber, on the other Inoichi looked close to bursting a blood vessel. It wasn't often opinions differed to such a degree among them.

A quick shake of the head later, the large man gave the Nara patriarch a silent go-head to please elaborate. The Yamanaka seemed a tad too biased for a helpful explanation.

Yet again, Shikaku sighed and tiredly glanced toward the nearby trees of his land, drawing strength from the tranquility his back porch was providing.

Even the weather was pleasant, not too hot, with a perfect breeze.

"Where to start?" Shikaku asked no one in particular while his hand came up to scratch the back of his head.

"Why that kid got Inoichi so agitated would be a good start," Choza offered helpfully with a shrug.

"On paper, you could put him neatly in line with a young Kakashi and Itachi. Even excelling in ANBU like those two." Shikaku began dispassionately. While Choza refrained from commenting, Inoichi didn't.

"More than just talent wise," he said, including a meaningful glance toward Choza.

"He's troubled," Shikaku concurred to a degree. "Given his experiences, it is understandable, however."

"What was that about Danzo?" Choza asked. He seemed to predict that this was one of the sticking points and a major source of Inoichi's agitation.

"The boy joined Root when he was eight, and was quite successful there until it was disbanded," Inoichi answered for Shikaku, which earned him an annoyed glare from his friend.

"If I'm not mistaken, he had also saved your relative when they were trapped in Iwa," Shikaku added calmly, tone both vaguely helpful and reprimanding.

Inoichi just glared at the cards in his hand.

"I've seen some of those Root-agents," Inoichi muttered. His eyes were still firmly on his cards, but his mind was visibly elsewhere. "I don't trust them. Most of them never had the chance to develop, to grow into a person."

"It is funny, in a tragic sort of way," Shikaku said absently, gazing again at the greenery. "Right or wrong with regards to the situation after the Nine-tales, but we have been frighteningly blasé and callous in our use and development of them."

"Without large-scale conflict, the average shinobi has grown rather blind to the cruel wetwork that greases our cogwheels given that ANBU and Root have always been readily at hand."

"Now we are here," Shikaku said and paused, radiating an aura that made the other two look up. "Iwa and Kumo always looking for blood in the water, Suna in decline for years, and Kiri still reeling."

A sip from his cup of sake and Shikaku carried on.

"And Konoha in the middle, the richest, the most fertile, and the most populous."

"You make it sound like we are some fat toothless cattle waiting to be slaughtered," Choza cut in, voice mildly reproachful. "I'm not privy to sensitive information like you are, but I'm certain we can still field five times what the next one can bring to the table."

"Exactly," concurred Inoichi with his heavyset friend. The sake nearly spilled out of his cup when he pointed with it at Choza. Unbeknownst to both, Skikaku decided, then and there, that the next bottle would remain unopened.

Unaware that this was going to be his last cup of the day, Inoichi took over Choza's train of thought.

"And you can't tell me the average foreigner is suddenly some kind of model shinobi," he said and shook his head tiredly. "There has always been risk, danger, and uncertainty. Why the sudden hysteria?"

"Our kids are trained by some of the most talented shinobi of their generation and are allowed to grow in a healthy environment!" Inoichi finished passionately and was glad to see Choza nod in agreement.

"The thought of the Third coming around to some of Danzo's methods…" Inoichi trailed off, his thoughts circling around the recent meeting he had witnessed.

"Yesterday," Inoichi said and his gaze was on Choza again, alluding to the young chunin's evaluation. "For a second, I genuinely wasn't sure if the boy would leave Kakashi to bleed out in the dirt." He admitted tiredly, a tiny part of him glad and frustrated, that the Yamanaka mind invasion was reserved for criminals and spies.

"It's…it's what I'm currently practicing," Hinata stammered between labored breaths, utterly spent in a heap on her knees.

…

"Yeah, just a bit more stamina and chakra, and she will have it down pat," Kiba proclaimed loudly from the sidelines, obviously trying to build up his teammate's confidence while simultaneously hoping to soften whatever comment I had on my mind.

Yeah, I had been staring at the poor girl again. But not for the reason Kiba was fearing. No, some poor opinion wasn't the reason for my pensive frown and my intense gaze.

That violent rotation…the forceful emission of chakra from every tenketsu…I refrained from shaking my head and looking at my hand in wonder. I was looking like a creepy weirdo already, no need to add to it.

But so many ideas…

"Well, yeah, decent effort, uh, the stuff I had said yesterday still stands, however," I said absently and gave a pitiful excuse for an evaluation.

Fucking hell!

This time, I did shake my head and simply decided to tell her the truth. Last thing I wanted was to rattle the frail one with some weird reaction she couldn't interpret.

"Sorry about that, but that Hyuga defence technique of yours just gave me all sorts of crazy ideas," I freely admitted and was glad to see the exhausted bundle of nerves nod in understanding.

"Like what?" Naruto shouted from the sidelines. More and more of his brash, excitable self was coming back as the tension of nearly being strangled and the nervous desire to impress me now laid behind us.

They did alright, even the pink one had some familiar but decent tricks up her sleeve.

"Like that other super secret, super awesome technique I never showed you," I shot back without looking at him, knowing full well he would struggle not to get riled up.

"Now, Team 10," I turned and eyed the three remaining genin. I was pretty sure I knew what to expect from them, given the mood shifts I had noticed. The more the others began to show a decent level of skill, the more nervous the Yamanaka and the Akimichi became. The Nara just looked resigned. I sincerely hoped, for his sake, that he didn't give up before we even started.

"You, Akimichi, I want you to hit me as hard as you can!"

"Wha?" He gaped at me and his eyes widened in fright, clearly uncomfortable. Whether it was because of the straightforward order or because he was now in the spotlight, I wasn't sure.

Still relaxed and relatively mellow, I simply repeated my order.

"Please hit me as hard as you can."

He was still hesitating, and I was starting to become slightly less mellow.

"Last chance, you hit me or I'm going to hit one of your teammates!"

"Alri…"

"Too late!" I told him coldly and made my way calmly toward the Nara.

"Hey! Wait! Alright, here I come!" He shouted and ran toward me. I didn't spare him a glance, my unblinking eyes still on the Nara.

The Yamanaka's chakra was in turmoil, a clear sign of nervousness and indecisiveness. She wasn't going to interfere.

The Akimichi's almost lumbering steps were followed by a shout that heralded one of their signature jutsu.

"Partial Multi-Size Technique!"

The Nara nearly took a step backward before he caught himself. His hands shot up, his gaze panicky. His eyes shifted briefly over my head to where the Jonin stood at the railing above the battlefield, quietly observing.

"Shadow Imitation Technique!" He shouted, composure barely there.

I watched and waited, calmy striding forward until…

Until his shadow connected with mine.

'Demonic Illusion: Sheer Terror'

A genjutsu that hit the most primal part of the mind with the force of the Temporary Paralysis Technique garnished with the tiniest hint of genuine intent. Short, but overwhelmingly forceful.

A not quite pale imitation of proper killing intent.

Instantly, the shadow vanished, a choked scream of pure terror rang through the arena.

The Nara fell backward as if hit with a haymaker. His legs trembled like he was desperately trying to find traction and crawl away from me.

I raised my hand and casually caught the Akimichi's hit. Minute chakra application in my arm and in my sole to prevent me from skidding perfectly adequate. I ignored the growing wet spot on the Nara's pant leg, desperately hoping nobody else would notice.

Pure unadulterated annoyance and horror, almost in perfect harmony, exploded within me.

Fuuuuck! Too much!

Ripping someone's confidence to shreds wasn't on the fucking to-do list!

My hand, still raised from the block, switched like a flash to the ram seal for added concentration.

'Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique'

The Hyuga and the Aburame might spot the genjutsu, but they would never say anything.

Oh fuck! Kiba's nose! The second my gaze shifted, I saw his eyes widen.

'Temporary Paralysis Technique'

His gaze met mine, and I shook my head in clear warning.

God-fucking-dammit!

Play it cool, the Nara will get over it.

The Akimichi jumped back, his hand already returning to normal size, and I used the chance to focus on the girl.

I wanted to get this over and done with, preferably with the Nara saving face.

"You," I pointed at the stout boy without looking at him. "Help him up!"

"Blonde, you've got anything worth showing off?" I asked directly, not beating around the bush, which got me a squeaked no.

"Fantastic!" I cheered with a disgusting amount of fake levity.

"There will be no miracles," I stated calmly, sobering up, as my gaze swept over the assorted genin. "We," I emphasized and pointed at the three jonin above me. "We will help you, but progress will be entirely up to you."

"Team dynamics will be broken up for a significant amount of time during the upcoming month. Individuals will receive training according to their current disposition." I said and was glad to see them remain quiet with no fidgeting. Even the Nara was still as a statue, no clue about his inner workings, however.

"Now then," my tone signaled that things would now start properly.

"Nara, Yamanaka, Haruno, Hyuga, your low chakra levels make it feasible to make an attempt at medical ninjutsu. You will receive the proper chakra control exercises and instructions for useful techniques."

I held up my right hand so they could see the turquoise glow of my palm. It wasn't the aquamarine of a proper medical ninjutsu.

"You will learn how to treat and prevent muscle cramps," I said as my palm gained a slightly greener hue. "And you will learn how to treat delayed onset muscle soreness."

Now my palm was the proper aquamarine.

"You will also receive instructions for various fundamental first aid medical ninjutsu, the precursors for the Mystical Palm Technique."

"You will receive these lessons from the matron of the orphanage in the north-eastern district in exchange for various little tasks," I stated business-like before my gaze gained an edge. "You will be on your best behavior, or else…"

A pause.

"Great!"

"I'm super awesome," I began dead serious and spread my arms as if to bathe in God's shine.

"For my age," I finished, countenance back to normal. Probably giving some of the kids some kind of whiplash in the process.

"Kakashi-senpai up there," I pointed with my thumb over my shoulder. "He was ANBU-captain, and by virtue of his former trade a stealth badass."

"He will teach you just that, to be absolutely quiet. No weapons rattling in the pouch, no rustling clothes, no swaying branches or creaking bark, so on and so forth."

"You remember all that shit I told at the start about you being squishy, right?" I asked, just to be sure that they understood where I was coming from and why they were going to learn this.

"Asuma Sarutobi, formerly of the Twelve Guardian Ninja, handpicked to protect the daimyo, and a bear of man. He will push you to the brink in taijutsu and close-ranged melee combat."

"Akimichi, that goes double for you, you have two butterflies on your team, you've got to be the tough guy and currently there ain't much coming from you." I warned him, sincerely hoping he got the message.

"I suggest escrima sticks!" I shouted over my shoulder at Asuma, who simply nodded in thoughtful consideration.

"Kurenai, the lovely lady that taught little old me, will unsurprisingly handle genjutsu in its most practical form for beginners like you."

"Those with an inclination will learn the finer details, the rest will learn to notice them and all the various forms of breaking them. You will also learn to hide your hand-seals which can be applicable to other disciplines." I rattled off rather plainly until a thought popped up.

"Oh, and she's also pretty deft in the med-nin department, so if you have questions…"

"And what about you?" Naruto asked impatiently, his discipline strained to the maximum.

"I…was getting to that," I answered, only to pause.

Said pause kept on stretching as I innocently met Naruto's gaze.

…

"Well?" Naruto tried again.

"Well what?" I asked in return, eyebrow raised in question.

"Stop mes.."

"I'm going to help you develop your techniques and ideas," I calmly plowed through the beginnings of Naruto's angry tirade. Acting as if I hadn't been messing with the boy.

"I am a sensor, a good one at that. I'm going to help develop your sensing, too, by the way," I said and pointed at the Yamanaka girl.

"You tell me what you are aiming for; I can tell where you went wrong and perhaps even give you some pointers in the right direction." I explained and shrugged.

"I'm also going to fill in the gaps that might turn up, show you some interesting training methods I learnt abroad. That and whatever I can think of."

"With that settled, let's work out a schedule," I said, barely refraining from sighing in relief, and motioned for the jonin to join us.

"Truth be told," Kurenai began quietly as her gaze followed the genin heading for the arena exit. "That isn't really what I had in mind."

"Impressive delegating," Asuma muttered, not giving me a hint if he liked it or not. "Whatever you did to Shikamaru," he continued, only to pause again to drag on his cigarette and perhaps to search for the right phrasing.

"That…really wasn't helpful."

"I overdid a new jutsu," I simply replied, since there was no need to voice my obvious agreement.

"Jutsu? Looked suspiciously like a proper dosage of killing intent," Kakashi voiced his thoughts, likewise not giving me any sign if he liked whatever was going to happen in the coming month or what I did to the genin.

He was the first one up, an introduction into stealth for the entire class, simply because it was the easiest to get the ball rolling. Said class was currently tasked with stocking up to the brim with weaponry and provisions and meet up at training ground 44.

I liked that train of thought. If you could be stealthy while fully packed, then you could be stealthy anytime. It also gave the Nara the chance to change his pants. Nice touch by Kakashi.

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Progress of the next chapter will be available on my Pa tr eon.