Chapter 8: Team 7 is formed.
Summary of important events in the time skip.
It's been eight years since the new alliance with the Sand had been signed, and Naruto met his friend Gaara. During this time, Minato had reformed and strengthened Konoha in ways that hadn't been seen since the times of the Second Hokage. However, he wouldn't have been able to achieve this without the help of those who, in recent years, had been named the six pillars of Konoha.
Minato, as Hokage, was the central pillar and protector of the village. His two advisors, Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga, were known as the sword and shield of Konoha, respectively.
Fugaku was now not only the head of the Military Police but also the commander of the Root, replacing Danzo. In the same way that the regular ANBU has Shibi Aburame as the leader and reports directly to the Hokage, the Root has Tatsuma Aburame as leader and reports directly to Fugaku. Minato had decided to share the burden of dealing with the darkness of the village with Fugaku, not in the same way as Hiruzen did with Danzo but in the way the Shodaime Hokage did with his brother, the Nidaime Hokage. Fugaku informed Minato of every mission the Root undertook and only sought his approval for high-profile missions. Fugaku had proven to be a born leader and someone the Root was willing to follow. Over the years, he gained their trust, even Tatsuma's. Danzo had turned into a mere trainer for the younger recruits. Fugaku took under his wing three disciples: Shisui Uchiha, who joined the Root a couple of years after the alliance with Suna; Kessho Yamanaka, the blind boy from the Root; and Kakashi Hatake. The latter was under the Yondaime's request so the Hatake boy could learn how to use the Sharingan properly. To integrate his clan with the village, Fugaku had opened the recruitment for the Military Police to every village shinobi. With this measure, more Uchihas had the opportunity to join the regular forces of Konoha, gaining more respect from the village and increasing the clan's reputation outside the Land of Fire.
The Hyuga twins had helped to increase Konoha's defenses right after Hiashi, with the support of Minato, had abolished the main and branch family system in his clan. Hiashi and Hizashi pointed out the weakness of Konoha's barrier: the barrier was located right at the village's perimeter. This led to intruders only being detected when they had already reached the village, leaving no time to react. In addition to that problem, the barrier could only detect chakras that hadn't been recorded in its seals before, and the members of the barrier couldn't identify specific chakras signatures. The Hyuga twins selected the members of their clan with the larger vision range to form a new barrier team, the outer barrier. This outer barrier was raised several kilometers away from Konoha. That way, if invaders were detected, the village could send a counterattack and reach the invaders outside the walls of Konoha, protecting the villagers. With the help of the Byakugan, this barrier was not only able to detect invaders but could track them down once they were detected. The barrier would also be able to detect any disturbance regardless of whether the chakra had been registered before. The defenses of Konoha were split into three teams: Inner barrier, the original barrier, led by Kohan Yamanaka; Outer barrier, formed mainly by Hyugas and led by Hizashi Hyuga; and the interception team, led by Towa Inuzuka. These three defense teams have Hiashi Hyuga as the supreme commander. The existence of the outer barrier was unknown to the majority of the village to prevent the existence of such from leaking to other villages. Like the Uchihas, now that the Hyugas possessed a seal that protected the Byakugan, they were more involved in the regular forces of Konoha.
Tsunade Senju, the head of the hospital, had resumed her studies in the medic ninjutsu, continuously innovating in the medical field. With her presence, the Daimyo was more easily convinced to provide an extra budget to expand Konoha's hospital. Shizune and Mikoto became part-time professors in the academy to provide basic training in medical ninjutsu. They identified the students with the higher potential for medical ninjutsu or those who wanted to specialize in it to get further and deeper training in medical ninjutsu. This helped her dream come true: that every genin team was formed with a medic shinobi. The death rate on the battlefield has decreased considerably since then, but not only because of the increase of medical shinobis in the village. She created a new jutsu that helped save countless lives during the missions (this will be revealed during the Land of Waves arc). Known only by a few, Tsunade had successfully removed Hiruzen's cancer, preventing him from losing his chakra reserves and getting weaker. She also managed to fix Itachi's inner gates, an achievement that shocked every shinobi with any knowledge of medicine and the chakra network. Itachi had become one of the most known shinobis in the village, constantly compared with the Yondaime, Sandaime and the legendary Sannin.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the professor, was now responsible for the academy. He and Tsunade had made the medic jutsu training in the academy possible. As an influential figure in the village, he recruited new teachers for the academy to train the students in specific fields, helping to detect and increase these rare skills in the students in their early formation. Setsuna Uchiha and Moroha Uchiha had joined him. They focused on training the students in genjutsu for those who proved proficiency. Those students who seemed to struggle with genjutsu were trained by them to resist and dissipate illusions instead. Akita Inuzuka and Koharu Utatane joined as trainers for tracking and survival techniques. At the same time, Maruten Akimichi and Hakudoshi, an orphan shinobi, became the trainers in all different weapons so students could identify which one suited them better. Kushina, unable to become jounin sensei, and Homura Mitokado joined the academy to teach the students in fuinjutsu. Now that Uzushiogakure was gone, Kushina deemed it appropriate to share her knowledge in fuinjutsu, although not all of it, with the new generations of Konoha. Fuinjutsu has proven to be the hardest of the unique abilities to master. Only a small number of shinobis in the past eight years had been able to use it at a decent level. In addition, Hiruzen, to stay strong, active and ready for Madara's move, decided to hold three training sessions a month. During one of these sessions, he fought against all the clan leaders except Fugaku, Hiashi, and Shibi. For the second session, he would train against Shibi and Tatsuma Aburame, leaders of the two ANBU corps of the village. Finally, the remaining monthly training combat was against the advisors, Fugaku Uchiha and Hiashi Hyuga. Over the years, the retired Hokage remained undefeated despite fighting a significant number of opponents at the same time, his age and the damage the cancer had caused him. He showed them why he had been named Shinobi no Kami in his prime.
Finally, the sixth pillar was the toad sennin Jiraiya. It was not secret to the village that the legendary sannin spent most of his time outside the village collecting intel from the other nations and protecting Konoha from the shadows, preventing conflicts from breaking out. He was well respected by the other nations and was treated as Konoha's ambassador. The villagers respected him and admired him. They called him the trainer of beasts and legends. He was the Hokage's sensei, and his Team 9, all of them jounin now and part of the ANBU, were renowned for their strength and talent as the deathliest members of the ANBU. People knew undoubtedly that the other three would eventually become legends too (not team 9 or team 6, Minato's team as Genin).
Namikaze Residence
It was early morning, before dawn, and the Namikaze Residence was already louder than ever. Naruto was yelling at the top of his lungs – Mom! Dad! It's today! Today, I'll finally become a shinobi! – the young blonde opened the door of his parent's bedroom to find them sitting on their bed, half asleep, eyes barely opened and messy hair. The loud voice of their son had woken them up. It was odd for Naruto to wake up so early. Both parents looked at their son standing at their doorstep. He wore an orange and blue jacket with a white collar, a white swirl with a tassel on the left side, a red Uzumaki crest on the back and the Namikaze crest on his chest. He also wore orange pants with a shuriken holster on his right knee, blue sandals and green goggles on his forehead. He was holding his goggles with his right hand and had a broad smile on his face – take a good look at these goggles because, after today, I'll be using a Konoha forehead protector! Dattebayo! – Minato and Kushina smiled at him, filled with pride and joy – I bet you will, Naruto! Dattebane! – said his mother. Minato and Kushina got up from bed and hugged their son.
Not long after that, they were all having breakfast together – Oi! Dad! Tell me! Who's on my team? Who's gonna be my sensei? – Minato chuckled – You know I can't tell you that, Naruto. You'll have to wait like the rest of your classmates – said Minato as he rubbed his son's hair. Naruto seemed disappointed. Kushina thought her son looked cute – C'mon, Naruto, finish your breakfast so we can leave for the village. Your father needs to get to work – said Kushina in a motherly tone. Naruto didn't like living on the outskirts of the village. It made it difficult for his friends to visit him. It didn't help to be called the honorable son of the Hokage. Only Konohamaru understood what it felt like to be treated like that by everyone. They are acknowledged as the son or grandson of the Hokage and not by their own achievements. Every time Naruto did something outstanding in the academy, he would receive comments as "as it was expected from the honorable son," while Sasuke or any other of his classmates were recognized and praised by their talent and not their bloodline. At times, Naruto wished his father wasn't the Hokage. Kushina and Kakashi spent some time training with him. Minato barely had time to spend with him, let alone train. After the family finished breakfast, they left for the village using Minato's hiraishin no jutsu.
Konoha: In front of the academy.
The Namikaze family appeared in front of the academy gates. The students and their parents had gotten used to this after years of seeing the Hokage taking his son and wife to the academy. Minato placed his hand on his son's head – Have a great day, son. I want to hear everything about your day when I get back home – Naruto tried to smile at his father, but he couldn't – You mean IF you arrive early before I go to bed – Naruto's words were like a cold sting to his heart. A few years ago, Jiraiya-sensei discovered a criminal organization had formed and was growing in power. It looked like Orochimaru was part of this organization, which led them to believe Madara was behind it. There have been efforts to track and capture one of them, but they have been fruitless. He had been busier than ever and barely had time to spend with his family. Breakfast was basically the only time of the day he spent with them. He hoped that now that Naruto would become a genin, the training and missions would keep him busy and make him forget about his recent absence.
Naruto turned and ran to the academy. Before entering the building, he looked back to see his father. He could see Minato was hurt by his words. He felt awful for making him feel like that but missed his father. He went inside the building and stayed in the hallway. One moment later, his mother entered and stood beside him – Your father loves you more than anything. You know that, right? – Naruto just nodded – He is the Hokage and needs to look after the village and the entire Land of Fire. You're too young to know, but he is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. You're about to become a shinobi. You'll start going on missions outside the village and experience how scary the shinobi world can be. I hope that helps you understand better how hard it is to be a Hokage and how hard it is for your father not to be there for you – mother and son stayed in complete silence for a while. Naruto was trying to understand what his mother meant. It was as if he was trying to solve an impossible puzzle. Kushina kissed her son's forehead and rubbed his head – Don't overthink it, Naruto. You'll understand it eventually. Now, off you go. You'll be late for classes. I'm gonna be late for the fuinjutsu class, too. Homura-sama will be mad at me, and we don't want that – Kushina was about to leave when Naruto stopped her – Hey, Mom! Can we bump fists? – asked Naruto, avoiding his mother's gaze. Kushina smiled – So, you wanna talk with him, huh? – said Kushina as she extended her fist to her son. Naruto did the same and bumped her mother's fist.
Over the years, Naruto had formed a bond with Kurama. However, Naruto was unable to contact him willingly. He would visit him only during his sleep or when Kurama synced his chakra to Naruto's, and Naruto's chakra reacted by taking him to Kurama's or by being in contact with his mother's chakra. Kurama still refused to talk with Kushina. He would speak with Naruto only. After bumping fists with his mother, Naruto's mind was taken to Kurama. Kurama's prison wasn't the same as before. Kushina had trained to be able to alter her mindscape, which served as a prison to the Kyubi. Now that her son had befriended him, she made Kurama's stay more comfortable. Kurama was still confined behind some massive gates to protect Kushina from him taking control of her. However, the space within the cell was now vaster and no longer looked depressive. The Kyubi lived in a small forest that resembled the one he used to live in when he was free. Naruto approached the gates and yelled as soon as he was taken there.
– Oi! Kurama! Today is my graduation day from the academy! How cool is that, huh? – Kurama approached the gate as well. He smiled back at him – Seriously, huh? Well, that sounds good, boy. Maybe you'll finally learn how to control your chakra correctly so you can enter this place by yourself, you hardheaded – Naruto made a tantrum. He was expecting more praise from his fox friend, not a reminder that he hadn't learned to sync his chakra – You have a portion of my chakra inside you. Despite your mother's lessons, you're still unable to use it. You're wasting your potential, Naruto. If you want to become stronger than the Shodaime Hokage, you must master and use it at will – Kurama hadn't shared anything with Kushina or Naruto about the masked man who controlled him twelve years ago. He knew that man wasn't Madara, but he was linked to him somehow. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to use the kuchiyose on him. Kurama wanted Naruto to be the one who defeated that man. He may not be Madara, but he was as dangerous as him. Naruto needed to reach Hashirama's level if he wanted to stand a chance – Hmph! You're always talking about me getting stronger! C'mon! Let's have some fun! – Kurama laughed – We'll have some fun as before when you can come here at will. Besides, you need to go to class now. I can sense your mother is getting anxious about the timing. You'll be late for your last class. We'll talk again when you get back to your home – Kurama extended his fist, waiting for Naruto to respond. Naruto wanted to talk more with his friend but had to return to class. He bumped Kurama's fist and was expelled from Kurama's mindscape. Once he was back in his body, he smiled at her mother. Kurama had told him never to share what they talked about with anyone, not even his parents. He always kept his promise. Kushina had stopped trying to make him talk years ago. She smiled back at her son, and both departed.
Naruto entered his classroom and joined his group of friends. He was welcomed by Sasuke, Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba and Shino. He could see the girls sitting on the other side of the classroom: Sakura, Ino and Hinata. They chatted for a while until the door opened, and they saw Iruka-sensei walking into the room with a blue folder filled with papers in his hand. Everyone remained silent once their sensei entered. Iruka stood behind his desk and opened the folder to retrieve a single paper sheet.
– First of all, congratulations to all of you on graduating from the academy. You did a great job, and I'm so proud of you. As you know, genin teams are formed by groups of three and a jounin instructor. I'll read the names that would include each team. Once you know who your teammates are, please sit with them. After that, I'll give you more directions – Iruka was emotional. This generation was special for him. He grew fonder of them than any other class he ever had. He was happy to see the excitement on his students' faces. He then proceeded to read the new teams. He didn't know either how the teams would be formed or who would be their senseis. He was nervous. He started reading:
– First, we have Team Seven. It is formed by Hinata Hyuga, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Namikaze – Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other, pleased with the news. Naruto, as always, was too loud when expressing his happiness. Hinata blushed in her seat as Naruto yelled at her to join them on the other side of the room. On the other hand, Sasuke seemed embarrassed by Naruto's outgoing attitude. Team seven gathered – How cool is it that the three of us are together? It'll be super fun! – said Naruto to his new teammates. Hinata nodded, still blushing – I'm thrilled. I was afraid we would be in different teams – Sasuke crossed his arms and made a cool guy pose – I never doubted it. I mean, our parents are the three higher authorities in the village. They work together. Obviously, they'd put us on the same team – everyone in the classroom seemed to agree with Sasuke. Surely, they expected team seven to resemble what the Yondaime and his advisors represent. People had started to gossip about how strong Team Seven would become.
– Silence! All of you! That's enough! Keep it quiet so I can continue – ordered Iruka. It took a few moments for the class to settle again – Now we have Team Eight, formed by Shino Aburame, Sakura Haruno and Kiba Inuzuka – Iruka looked at the rest of the class as Team Eight gathered. Sakura and Ino seemed disappointed. He couldn't determine if this was because neither of them would be on the same team as Naruto or Sasuke or because they had been separated. They had been best friends and rivals for years. They expected to be on the same team, at least if they didn't get to be with the popular guys.
Once his team gathered, Kiba was the first to speak – Hey, Shino! I've heard your dad is a badass! My older sister is under his command, and she won't stop talking about how strong he is – Shino remained unmoved. However, Sakura was very surprised, as was the rest of the class – Is it true, Shino-kun? Is your father so strong? – asked Sakura. Everyone raised their heads, expecting Shino to reply, but he said nothing. Again, it was Kiba who broke the silence – Yeah, she also said that he doesn't talk much. I guess that's a family trait. Oi! Team Seven! You really don't know who Shino's father is? – all the eyes of the class were now fixed on Team Seven members. However, the three of them were clueless. Kiba noticed it and seemed to enjoy it – Looks like your fathers don't share much with you, huh! – it certainly hurt Sasuke's and Naruto's pride. For Naruto, it also worsened how he felt about his father. Kiba stood on his chair – Well, for all of you who know nothing about it. Shino's father is the great Shibi Aburame, head of the ANBU corps of Konoha. After the Hokage and the advisors, he is one of the most important people in the village, along with Shikamaru's father – everyone wowed. They had a new respect for Shino. They turned their heads to look at Shikamaru, who seemed annoyed. Before anyone could ask something, Iruka sensei spoke again.
– Kiba! Get down from that chair and take a seat! And for your information, you should all already know who Shibi-san and Shikaku-san are. In class, we discussed Konoha's military power and how it was organized! I see you weren't paying attention! Maybe I should make you stay in the academy for one more year! – everyone gulped and sat as little soldiers. Iruka sighed and continued – Well, I think it is evident who the following team members are. Team Ten is formed by Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi and Shikamaru Nara – They did as the rest of their classmates and sat together as a team.
– Well, it is not a surprise we're together – said Ino ironically. Choji just nodded as he frantically ate chips. Shikamaru just sighed. He was expecting to be in a team with only boys. Women are too complicated. It was annoying. He knew the chances of that happening were very low, but he allowed himself to hope – Yeah, you're right. I guess we can also assume our sensei will be a Sarutobi Clan member – commented the lazy Nara Clan heir – who do you think it could be? – asked Ino. Choji was too busy eating to worry about such things – Who cares! Iruka-sensei is going to reveal the Jounin instructors' names now. No need to waste our time trying to guess – said the Nara boy as he rested his head on the desk to take a nap.
– Now that all of you have gathered up with your teammates, let's continue. I'll tell you the names of your instructors. After that, I'll leave the room. Your senseis will come to pick you up. You'll have to wait for them here – everyone seemed excited to learn who would be their sensei, even Shikamaru, who was pretending to be taking a nap.
Iruka took three envelopes from his folder. These contained the names of the jounin instructors for each team – Team Seven; your sensei is Tenzo Senju – declared Iruka. Team Seven looked excited by the news. Kiba was jealous. They'd be trained by one of the students of the legendary toad sannin, Jiraiya.
FLASHBACK: ANBU HEADQUARTERS
The ANBUs sensed a familiar chakra getting into the HQ. They stopped doing whatever they were working on, went to the entrance and kneeled to receive their leader. The Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze, entered the building. Shibi was in the frontline – Hokage-sama. We were not expecting you. How can we assist you? – asked the leader of the ANBU. Minato smiled – Nothing has happened, Shibi. I just need a word with two of your men, if you don't mind. You all can rise – all the ANBU stood up and remained tall – Tenzo, Kakashi, please come with me – said the Hokage. Both shinobis followed him to a small private room where discussions for missions took place.
– Tenzo, I've come to tell you that you'll be removed from the ANBU indefinitely – Tenzo and Kakashi were astonished. However, Tenzo wouldn't question Minato's authority. He bowed – Hai, Hokage-sama. What do you need me for? – asked Tenzo. He then looked at Kakashi and said – You'll become Team Seven sensei – Again, both ANBU were surprised. Tenzo wanted to say something, but Kakashi spoke – Sensei! I thought I would be Naruto's sensei. Why is Tenzo being assigned to be his sensei? – Kakashi was not the kind of shinobi who would speak without permission. However, this time was different. He wanted to be Naruto's sensei. He had wanted to since he was born – That's precisely why you can't be Team Seven sensei, Kakashi. You and Naruto are like brothers. You reacted instinctively and only mentioned Naruto. If you were Team Seven sensei, you would favor Naruto over Sasuke and Hinata. That would be unfair for them. Your attachment to him could also compromise your reasoning during a mission. I can't let that happen – Kakashi stayed silent, trying to think of something to defend his right to be Naruto's sensei, but nothing came to his mind.
– Besides, Tenzo is better suited to be Team Seven sensei. It is, in essence, a replica of his genin team. He knows the fighting styles of the Sharingan and the Byakugan. Mokuton has inherent sealing properties. Among Team 9, Tenzo is the one who focused on learning fuinjutsu from Jiraiya-sensei. Kushina has been training Naruto in fuinjutsu. No one is more qualified for this team than Tenzo – Minato concluded. Kakashi seemed to accept his defeat. He would continue to train Naruto in his free time, as he's been doing for the last few years. However, it would be more complicated now that Naruto would go out on missions. His spare time between missions might not overlap with Naruto's.
Minato then looked at Tenzo – I know you also had plans to be another team's sensei, and just like with Kakashi, I can't let you be their sensei. It will take a few more years until their graduation. I will have the perfect sensei for them by then. Kakashi seems to be one of the best options so far, but we'll see when the time comes. Tenzo just nodded and accepted his new role. He was also close to Naruto. Not in the same way as Kakashi, of course, and unlike Kakashi, He could sync with the three members of Team Seven easily.
END OF FLASHBACK
Iruka let the news of Team Seven settle down before continuing with the following team. He opened the second envelope – Team Eight; your sensei is Izumi Uchiha – Iruka smiled. He was pleased to see the senseis perfectly matched the teams' needs. Sakura felt thrilled by the news. Her genjutsu sessions with Setsuna and Moroha Uchiha had been spectacular. They had praised her for her talent in illusions. She hoped this could help her in her dream of becoming Sasuke's girlfriend. She used this as an excuse and went straight to Sasuke and asked – Hey! Sasuke-kun! Do you know Izumi-sensei? What can you tell me about her? – Shino and Kiba joined her. They also wanted to listen to what Sasuke could say about their sensei – I do know her. She is my brother's girlfriend – Sakura celebrated the news in her mind. She could use her relationship with her new sensei to get closer to Sasuke – She is very strong. My father said she is the strongest female Uchiha, after my mom, of course. She has a few ninnekos – Kiba had a not-so-good reaction to this statement – ninja cats? Why would I be placed with a sensei who has ninja cats?! – Kiba was horrified. Akamaru, his ninkek (ninja dog), barked in agreement. On the other hand, Sasuke seemed pleased that Kiba was not enjoying the news.
Iruka opened the final envelope. However, there was an extra note in this one. It was odd. He started announcing the following sensei – Team Ten; your sensei is …. What?! – Iruka was shocked to see the name on the paper. Iruka's reaction caught everyone's attention. Shikamaru raised his head and stopped pretending he was sleeping. Iruka was sweating. Before announcing the sensei, he read the second note in this envelope – Team Ten; your sensei is not coming to pick you up. You must meet him at the training ground alpha-zero. You need to leave now – said Iruka, stuttering. Ino stood up, outraged – Why isn't he coming? Where is that alpha-zero training ground? And why don't you give us his name? – Iruka was about to reply when a cloud of smoke appeared in front of the class. When it dissipated, a man wearing a white cloak that covered his entire body appeared. He also wore black gloves and sandals. His face was covered with a white mask resembling a monkey. They knew it was a member of the ANBU. The man spoke – Team Ten, come here – said the man. Ino gulped, and Choji choked with his chips. Shikamaru looked at the ANBU before them, puzzled. Everyone in the room, even Iruka, was sweating. No one dared to say a word. Team Ten came down to stand before the ANBU. He then took a piece of paper from his sleeve and offered it to the team before him. Ino pushed Shikamaru to the front, so he took it. Shikamaru took the piece of paper, and before he could unfold it, the man spoke again – it is a map to the training ground alpha-zero. You better leave now if you don't want to be late – a new cloud of smoke appeared, and the man was gone. Team Ten turned to look at Iruka-sensei – If I were you, I would say as he said and leave now. He doesn't like it when people are late – Iruka recommended it. The three genin looked at the map. The training ground was so far away. They looked at their classmates one last time and left in a hurry.
– The rest of you, stay put and wait for your sensei. They should be here soon – said Iruka as he gathered all his papers and got ready to leave. He was about to cross the doorstep when he heard something – Oi! Iruka-sensei! Thank you for everything! You're the best! Dattebayo! – the Namikaze boy yelled as he showed his thumb up and a broad smile to his sensei. His classmates cheered as well to their sensei, except for Shino. He used his insects to form a hand and wave to say farewell to his sensei. Iruka was deeply touched. A few tears ran down his face, and he left.
It was not until almost one hour later that they heard the door opening. Both teams turned their heads, curious, wondering whose sensei it would be. It turned out to be that both arrived at the same time. Izumi Uchiha walked into the classroom first, followed by Tenzo Senju.
Izumi was a beautiful kunoichi. She had long brown hair with bangs framing her face and onyx eyes with a mole under her right eye. She wore a sleeveless, high-collared purple shirt with the Uchiha clan symbol on the back, baggy blue pants, a shuriken hostler on the right leg, a red armband on her left arm, and a long purple fingerless glove that ran nearly the length of her right arm.
Tenzo Senju was a tall man. He had short brown hair and black, almond-shaped eyes. He wore the standard attire of a Konoha-nin. However, this one was a little different from the rest. Usually, the Uzushiogakure crest is on the shoulders of the sleeves, while Tenzo's had the crest only on his right sleeve, and on the left, he had the Senju clan symbol instead. The neck of his navy-blue shirt was form-fitting and went up to his chin. He had two hip pouches strapped to his lower back and a happuri-style forehead protector that framed his face.
Kiba and Naruto blushed when they saw Izumi. Both found her very attractive. Sasuke found It annoying. She was, after all, his brother's girlfriend. The Jounin stood before the class. Izumi was the first to speak – I'm Izumi Uchiha. Team Eight's captain – instinctively, her team members stood up. She smirked – Very well, team eight. Come down here and follow me – team eight met their new sensei at the front of the class. They left after that. Team Seven was left alone in the classroom – Oi! Tenzo-niisan! You made us wait too long! We were bored! – the blonde yelled bluntly. Tenzo was expecting that. That's why he let Izumi take her team first. Tenzo burst his chakra and gave Naruto his scary face to intimidate him. That trick always worked on him. Naruto shivered and sat again – You will all refer to me as Tenzo-sensei, Senju-sensei or just sensei. Fail to do so, and I will give you hell until you learn to respect your superiors. Is that understood? – Team Seven nodded but said nothing. Tenzo spoke again – "Yes, sir" is the response I expect from you – his team nodded again and in unison – Yes, sir! – Tenzo smiled – Very well, then. Follow me – Team Seven left the academy and followed their sensei.
Training Ground #3
Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata followed their sensei until they reached training ground #3. TG#3 was a portion of land located inside of Konoha. There is a view of mountains in the landscape and a large and deep river with forests on both sides. There is a meadow, and in its center, there are three stumps lined side by side. Below, there is a polished kunai-shaped structure: the memorial stone.
Naruto recognized the place as soon as he got there. Ero-sennin, his father and Kakashi-Niisan had told him about the bells test with Jiji, Ero-sennin and his father as the sensei, respectively. He was unable to hide the victorious expression on his face. This didn't go unnoticed by Tenzo. Tenzo leaned his back against one tree and crossed his arms. He asked his new pupils to sit on the grass.
– Let's begin with some introductions. I want to know as much about you as you're willing to share. We're going to spend a lot of time together from now on. So, it is important we all get to know each other better – the jounin said earnestly. Sasuke stood up. Tenzo assumed he would be the first to introduce himself; however – I'm sorry, sensei, but shouldn't you introduce yourself first? It is obvious the dumbass of Naruto knows you, but Hinada and I know nothing about you other than you're our sensei and you're from Senju Clan – Tenzo smiled at Sasuke. He liked his attitude, which was completely different from his brother's. Itachi was a serious man who rarely took the initiative to speak first.
– I guess you're right. Let's begin with my origins. I'm not a true Senju, to be honest, but Tsunade-sama took me in and raised me as a member of her family. Since I was an orphan with no name, I was given her family's name. Don't ask me more about that because I'll say no more. Not for now, at least – the three of them were surprised. Not even Naruto knew he wasn't a real Senju. He always thought he was Tsunade's-baachan son since he possessed that special Kekkei Genkai. Tenzo continued – I was trained by the legendary sannin, the toad sage Jiraiya – Sasuke and Hinata didn't expect to hear that. This would mean that he… - So, you're Itachi's-niisan teammate? – Sasuke asked. Naruto looked at him, confused. How is it that he never knew who his brother's teammates were? – That's correct. I see Itachi is as cautious as always. I assume you know me by my code name within the ANBU, "Bear" – Sasuke nodded and said nothing – It is important for us, as members of the ANBU corps, to keep our identities secret. We don't usually reveal our real names even to other village shinobis when we use our ANBU mask. That way, we protect our personal life from our duty as ANBU – The three genin were amazed. They were impressed by the ANBU who showed up earlier in the classroom. Being an ANBU was undoubtedly a big deal – My other teammate is Mukai Hyuga, "Owl" is his code name. Shibi-san and the Yondaime-sama allowed me to reveal their code names to you. Itachi's code name is "crow." As you can see, this is why I was selected to be your sensei. I have experience with the Sharingan and Byakugan and am an expert in fuinjutsu.
Naruto and Sasuke smirked. This was perfect. Hinata was happy as well, but she was still too shy to show it. Naruto had expected Kakashi to be his sensei, but it looked like his father had made the right choice by choosing Tenzo-niisan. He loved the training time he had with his mother in fuinjutsu. He wasn't aware Tenzo was a fuinjutsu master as well – now it is your turn to introduce yourselves. Tell me about your ambitions, dreams, likes, dislikes, and whatever you feel comfortable sharing with the rest. Sasuke, since you already stood up, go first.
– My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I like the time I spend sparring with my brother and father. I want to be stronger, to surpass my brother and father, and to become the strongest Uchiha in history. I want to lead the Root one day as my father. I… I also … I also enjoy spending time with these two, although this dumbass of Naruto drives me crazy sometimes – Sasuke blushed a little after saying the last part. He didn't want to admit he cared for his two best friends. Hinata smiled happily, while Naruto seemed to care only about the part where he called him a dumbass and looked upset. Tenzo smiled. He was pleased by that. If only Sasuke knew his father and brother were not the strongest Uchiha. Madara was a threat to the world. There was no need to talk about him, even as a legend. He instructed Naruto to go next. Sasuke sat again, and Naruto stood up.
– My name is Naruto Namikaze! I love ramen! I hate it takes too long to be ready, though. My dream… my dream is my father retires like Jiji did and names a Godaime so he can spend more time with us – Naruto's face saddened. Hinata was sad as well. Sasuke looked at him thoughtfully. During the last few years, Naruto had stopped praising his father for being the Hokage and started complaining about him always being too busy. Naruto noticed he had just killed the mood, faked a smile, and continued – I also want to become stronger! Stronger than any other shinobi the village had ever seen! I'll surpass Jiji, my father, all the previous Hokages, and Ero-sennin! The village will recognize me for who I am and not for being my father's son! Dattebayo! – Tenzo was expecting something like that. He remembered how Asuma and Kazan used to tell him how much they hated that his father was the Hokage and how happy they were when he stepped down. Tenzo dared to ask something – Tell me, Naruto. You said you want to surpass all the Hokages. Is it your dream to become Hokage as well, like your father? – the question seemed to bother Naruto. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes – Never! I just want to be stronger than them. I can protect the village without being the Hokage, like Ero-sennin! He's my hero! – suddenly, Naruto realized what he had just said. He opened his eyes again, stared at Tenzo, and pointed at him as if accusing him of something – Don't you dare tell Ero-sennin I said that! – said Naruto, annoyed by his own slip. Tenzo only laughed and agreed to say nothing about it. Naruto sat down, and it was now Hinata's turn to speak. She stood up, holding her hands together and staring at the ground instead of facing her sensei.
– My name is Hinata Hyuga. I also like spending time with Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun – Sasuke blushed at the implication of the "also" in her sentence. He knew he had messed up – I enjoy gardening with my mom and my sparring sessions with Neji-niisan and Hanabi-imouto. Although I'm not as strong or talented as them. My dream is to become a medic-nin, like Mukai-san. I don't like being the heir of my clan. I wished Neji-niisan could take my place as heir – Tenzo was shocked. He never expected the daughter of Hiashi Hyuga to be so shy and frail. Mukai had told him she had a hard time with the gentle fist. Mukai suspected it was related to Hinata's chakra affinity. Although Hiashi revolutionized the Hyuga Clan, he remained firm against adapting the gentle fist to the different chakra natures. The Hyuga Clan was heavily associated with Suiton and Doton. The mix of both fighting styles for these chakras' natures is the foundation of the gentle fist fighting style. Mukai suspected Hinata could not manipulate either of these chakras' natures, resulting in her struggle to master the gentle fist. He would find a way to make Hinata stronger and more confident. She would be the greatest challenge for him.
Tenzo performed a series of hand signs, and three Konoha forehead protectors appeared in his hand. He held them before him. Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata looked at them with excitement. Naruto removed his goggles and stood up. He was ready to get his protector when Tenzo pulled them taller so he couldn't reach them – I haven't said anything about these protectors being yours. You still haven't earned them – Naruto threw a tantrum. He knew what was coming. The bells test. However, Tenzo suspected Naruto would know what the bell test was about, and truth be told, they did not need a teamwork test. It was obvious that they were perfectly synced. He made the protectors disappear again, pulled one single bell from his pocket, and showed it to his students.
– Usually, I would test your teamwork to determine whether you are ready to become genin. However, since the three of you grew up together, I have no doubt your teamwork is good enough. I still need to measure your abilities, though. You have until twilight to take this bell from me. You can resort to any strategy. I will not use my kekkei genkai on you. Naruto, keep it quiet; don't reveal my kekkei genkai, or I'll fail you all. Let's begin – Tenzo tied the bell to his pants. Sasuke and Hinata were eager to know what kekkei genkai Tenzo-sensei had, but they wouldn't risk it. That could wait. The three friends looked at each other and nodded in agreement. The three jumped back into the forest behind them to hide from their sensei. They had to regroup to define a strategy to get the bell. Tenzo smiled internally. That was a smart move. Naruto knew about his ability. However, unlike Kakashi, he had never trained with Naruto. Naruto had no advantage; he knew nothing about his fighting style.
Once deep into the forest, they stopped in an area covered with bushes. Naruto wondered how effective this would be, given Tenzo's ability – Oi! Dumbass! What do you know about him that can help us fight him? – asked Sasuke. Hinata remained silent. Naruto took a moment to think. Unfortunately, he knew nothing other than he could use Mokuton. Resigned, he took a deep breath – I have nothing. The only thing I know about Tenzo-niisan is his kekkei genkai. I've never seen him fight – Sasuke seemed disappointed – Well, we know he uses fuinjutsu. He said it himself. That's something – Hinata and Naruto agreed. Naruto had been learning with his mother fuinjutsu. However, so far, he could only create storage scrolls, some weak explosive seals and paralyzing seals. He knew Tenzo could break free from any of those effortlessly. They went through their techniques and weaknesses and devised a plan. Once they had gone through it several times, they decided to go after him.
Hinata activated her Byakugan to find him – Did you find him? – her teammates asked at the same time. She nodded – He is still in the meadow. It looks like he is taking a nap – Naruto and Sasuke seemed insulted by that. He was not even trying to find them or caring about what they were doing. With their pride hurt, they decided to act. They split, and each got closer to the meadow in a different direction. They were all in position now. Sasuke would be the first one to attack.
Hidden behind the trees, Sasuke performed some hand signs – Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu! – a great ball of fire formed and expelled from Sasuke's mouth. It was thrown at Tenzo. He sensed the fire jutsu coming his way and thought – It was about time. I was getting bored – He jumped from the ground and dodged the jutsu – I'm impressed, Sasuke. However, you'll need more than that – he pulled a bunch of kunai from his pocket and was ready to throw them when he sensed Naruto coming from behind. Naruto had created a kagebunshin. He couldn't tell which was the original, but he guessed it was the one who stayed put. As one of the Naruto started fighting him, he noticed it was the real one since it didn't disappear when he hit him. He then turned to look at the other one and saw how he pulled a scroll from his pouch. He opened it and extended it wide before the fireball he dodged seconds before. The clone whispered – please, work! You have to work – the fireball jutsu hit the scroll and disappeared. It had been absorbed by it. Both the clone and original yelled a triumphant "yes." Tenzo was perplexed. He didn't expect Naruto to be so advanced as to be able to store someone else's jutsu. He got so lost in this that he had to jump back to dodge one of the original Naruto's kicks. While he was in the air, he was hit by a shockwave. Hinata had been waiting for the right moment to use the vacuum palm. He saw the attack coming and could've dodged it as well. He let it strike him to measure Hinata's gentle fist strength. It was weaker than he expected. The palm still made him lose his equilibrium in the air. Sasuke saw an opening and got out of the forest at full speed.
Naruto and Sasuke jumped and spun in the air to increase the power of their attack. They kicked Tenzo in his stomach at the same time. They smiled, but it didn't last. Tenzo turned into a log. They landed and stood back-to-back, waiting for Tenzo to appear again. Naruto's clone got closer, delivered the storage scroll to the original, and vanished. Hinata yelled – Watch out! He is coming from the underground! – they jumped just in time to avoid him. Tenzo emerged from the ground, kunai-handed – You two still need to pay more attention to your surroundings – As he said that, they heard Hinata scream, and her voice shut. They both looked at him angrily – what will you do now? – and he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Tenzo took Hinata and knocked her out. He needed to know her affinity to help her master a new form of the gentle fist. However, they were not ready to start learning elemental jutsus, except maybe Sasuke, so he decided to test her without her or her teammates knowing. Once he was far away, he carefully placed Hinata on the ground. He used his Mokuton style to form a branch that coiled on her hand. Since his Mokuton was created with chakra, it had the same properties as the chakra papers used to determine the chakra affinity. The branch he formed reacted with Hinata's chakra. It splintered and cut itself at the same time. He didn't like that. No wonder she struggled so much with the gentle fist. She had two affinities: Futon and Raiton; it was a weird combination. Raiton is weak against Futon. Her jutsus were messed up since her affinities were trying to cancel out one another. Not to mention that Doton and Suiton, the foundation of the gentle fist, are weak against Raiton. He would need to come up with a way to help Hinata. He made his Mokuton disappear. He could sense Sasuke and Naruto getting closer, so he left Hinata there and hid.
Shortly after, Naruto and Sasuke arrived. They found Hinata. Naruto was about to reach her when Sasuke stopped him – Wait! It could be a trap. We need to be careful – Tenzo was looking from far. He applauded Sasuke's reasoning. He didn't leave any traps behind, though. He needed to see how they would handle this – I don't care if there are some traps. We need to wake her up and make sure she's OK – Naruto could conceive the idea of doing nothing. Sasuke tried to reason with him again – Listen to me! I would agree with you if we were on a mission dealing with enemies, but there is no way Tenzo-sensei would harm Hinata. He is a shinobi of Konoha. Don't you see it? He's testing us. I just don't know what he's testing us in – Naruto pondered Sasuke's words – Look, I know you're right. But I need to know if she's OK. So, screw it, I don't care – Sasuke had no option but to agree, and both kneeled to take Hinata and hoped not to activate any trap. Between both, they carried her and left the area to find someplace safe. Tenzo was proud of them. They had the Will of Fire inside.
They woke Hinata up – Hinata! Are you OK? – both her teammates asked. Naruto seemed more worried than Sasuke – I'm OK. Thank you. What happened? – They explained everything. It was getting late. They needed to act soon, or they'd run out of time. After a while of more planning, they decided to attack again. However, before they could go on with his pursuit, Hinata spoke – He's found us! He's on his way here! – Sasuke and Naruto seemed frustrated – You two! Continue with the plan! I'll stay here and distract him! – You can't do it, Hinata! None of us can hold him. We'll figure it out – Sasuke tried to reason with her. Hinata was too motivated. She didn't want to be a burden to her friends or the reason they would have to go back to the academy. Even she was surprised by herself. She stood up and said firmly – We don't have more time for running. We can still make it work. Sasuke, you can adapt the plan. I'll distract him while you two wait for the right time to act – Naruto smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up. Naruto liked Hinata's attitude. Sasuke found it odd that Naruto was not even slightly intrigued by that. It was as if this was the same Hinata as always. He nodded to Hinata, and he, along with Naruto, disappeared just a few moments before Tenzo-sensei showed up.
– My, my! Where are your teammates, Hinata? – Tenzo asked, but Hinata didn't reply immediately and activated her Byakugan instead. She took the traditional fighting pose he'd seen so many times before with Mukai – I'm sorry, Tenzo-sensei, but they're not here. I can't let you go any further – Hinata's determination reminded him of Mukai. He was a stubborn but loyal man. He smiled – If that's what you want, so be it – Tenzo jumped from the tree he was standing on and landed in front of Hinata. He took a defensive stand – I remind you, I know the gentle fist. You don't have any ace under your sleeve, Hinata – Hinata didn't reply. She charged at her sensei and started attacking her sensei. Tenzo dodged and diverted every single hit Hinata lunched. However, she didn't stop attacking. Tenzo could see Hinata had power within. She'd just need to find a way to use it. He was enjoying his spar against her. Hinata jumped over his head and landed behind him. She used her vacuum palm to attack him, but he dodged. As Tenzo dodged the last attack, they noticed how the vacuum palm destroyed the log of the tree it hit, and the tree fell. Hinata saw an opportunity. She would distract him another way if she couldn't hold her sensei. She jumped back and repeatedly used her vacuum palm on the surrounding forest trees. One after the other, the trees started to fall around Tenzo. He could've escaped that easily, but wanted to see what his students had planned for him. He was dodging tree after tree. He saw Hinata getting tired when Sasuke and Naruto charged at him from his sides.
Naruto was holding the storage scroll he had used before and activated it. Sasuke's fireball emerged from the scroll in Tenzo's direction. He knew that if he dodged, the fireball would strike Sasuke. He had no other option but to block it. He performed a series of hand seals – Doton: Doryūheki! – an earth wall emerged from the ground and blocked the fireball. Sasuke took advantage of the situation and got close enough to Tenzo to place his hand on his back just for a second. However, Tenzo was so fast with his jutsus and reactions that he turned around and gave Sasuke a side-kick. Tenzo wondered why Sasuke would try to touch him instead of going directly for the bell. He was shocked when he noticed he couldn't move, and the guy he had in front of him wasn't Sasuke. It was Naruto. His henge no jutsu had disappeared when he hit him. The other Naruto, who used the storage scroll to launch the fireball at him, landed next to him. He deactivated the henge, and it was Sasuke who was there next to him. Naruto was still on the floor, catching his breath from the strong kick he received – Looks like we fooled you, sensei – Said Naruto with a broad smile. Tenzo understood. Naruto and Sasuke transformed into one another. They made him believe that it was Sasuke who he would have beside him so he wouldn't suspect a paralyzing seal. They knew he wouldn't let Sasuke get caught by a strong jutsu like the fireball, and that's the opening they needed. Hinata joined them. They seemed to be enjoying this too much. Sasuke was reaching for the bell with his right hand when Tenzo punched him in the face. Tenzo jumped back and took the bell in his hand – It seems you ran out of time and didn't manage to get the bell – Sasuke ended up on the ground next to Naruto. The three genin looked at Tenzo, baffled. Naruto knew his paralyzing seal wouldn't be strong enough to stop him for more than a few minutes. Tenzo smiled at them – I broke free of that seal as soon as I noticed I was trapped in it. I must say I'm surprised, Naruto. I never expected you would be able to create such seals. However, I'm a fuinjutsu master myself.
The three students accepted their defeat. They all felt responsible for their failure. Their fathers would be ashamed of their lame performance. Tenzo noticed the disappointment on their faces – All of you, stand up and align in front of me – Tenzo's voice emanated an authority they didn't dare to question. With their wills broken, they stood beside each other before their sensei – You failed to get the bell. Do you know what that means? – Tenzo asked, but he got no response from his students – I asked you a question – he said again. It was Hinata who spoke tearfully – It means that we failed, and you'll send us back to the academy – the words felt like a sting in their hearts. Tenzo got closer to them and performed a series of hand seals. A cloud of smoke formed around his students' heads. They were confused, but once the smoke had dissipated, they could see their forehead protector on their heads. Their expression changed suddenly. Even Sasuke was not able to hide his emotions – I thought you said we would go back to the academy if we failed – said Hinata as she cleaned her tears – I lied. I just wanted you to attack me with all you got. I must say I'm genuinely impressed by the three of you. You'll be great ninjas. You've earned some rest – he performed some hand seals and placed his hand on the ground. A big wooden bench emerged behind his students, making them fall back on it. Naruto seemed very happy. He always liked watching Tenzo's mokuton. Sasuke and Hinata were speechless – I thought you said you weren't a real Senju. Mokuton is a kekkei genkai only the Shodaime Hokage, Hashirama Senju, has possessed – said Sasuke in amazement – That's a story I'm not ready to share yet. I'll tell you how I got it one day when the time is right. You must keep it a secret, though. Only the members of the Root and ANBU and the high commands of Konoha know about it. You, as my students, needed to know as well – Sasuke and the others decided not to push the topic – I'll let you guys rest for a while, and then we can go to Ichiraku's for a good ramen to celebrate. It's on me, of course – said Tenzo. Naruto jumped out of joy.
Training Ground Alpha-Zero: Earlier that day
Shikamaru, Choji and Ino were heading to the TGAZ, as they had been instructed by the ANBU. They were tired of running; the TGAZ was on the other side of the village, deep down into the forest, on the border between the Senju Forest and the Nara Clan Forest. They'd never been there before or knew about the existence of such a training ground, not even Shikamaru, despite it being close to his clan's forest – How long until we get there? – asked Choji, breathing heavily. The note said they needed to be there in 30 minutes sharp. Inu could feel her lungs collapsing. There was no way they could travel that distance in less than 30 minutes, and based on Iruka's-sensei and ANBU's reaction, it seemed it was not a good idea to make their sensei wait – I have no idea, Choji, but we're running out of time. We need to speed up – Shikamaru responded as he sped up, and his teammates did the same. It was troublesome. This could only mean he would have to work hard with whoever sensei they had.
After ten more minutes, they arrived at their destination. They arrived five minutes late. However, there was no one there waiting for them. The TGAZ was located at the base of a mountain. There was a large clearing right next to the mountain and a deep, dense forest all around the clearing. There were several big rocks in the middle of the clearing. Shikamaru couldn't tell if they had been put there on purpose or if they had fallen from the mountain. Team Ten looked around for their sensei but saw no sign of him. Everyone was upset, Ino more than the other two. He had had the audacity to be late when they had made a big deal about being late – How dares he? Where is our sensei? Shikamaru, are you sure we're in the right place? – asked Ino in a mix of tiredness and anger. Shikamaru was also upset, but he didn't want to deal with an angry Ino. He decided to ignore her. There was no point in getting angry and wasting their energy.
Shikamaru approached the biggest rock and sat on top of it. Choji did the same but sat on the ground next to the rock Shikamaru was sitting on. He pulled a bag of chips from his clothes and started eating. Ino was too offended after Shikamaru had ignored her, so she stayed where she was, standing arms crossed. Shikamaru looked around the area and scrutinized it. He noticed there were several caverns in the tall mountain before him. He could hear a waterfall nearby. He pulled out the map the ANBU had given them. He saw there was indeed a waterfall close to them and a net of tunnels throughout the mountain. Shikamaru was engrossed in the map until Choji interrupted him – Oi! Shikamaru! What are you looking at? – Shikamaru tried to explain the map to Choji, but both of them were too lazy to make it work. Choji was too tired to stand up and look, and Shikamaru was too lazy to get down from the rock so Choji could see. Choji decided he was no longer interested in the map.
After nearly one hour, Ino couldn't stand it anymore. She approached Shikamaru and aggressively took the map out of his hands – C'mon, Shikamaru! You must be upset as well. Tell us, do you have an idea of who could our sensei be? Or why is he making us wait here and do nothing? – Shikamaru looked up and said nothing – Yeah, Shikamaru! You're brilliant. You can decipher it. We need to know who we're angry at. Tell us what you're thinking – said Choji. Shikamaru took a while before he decided to answer.
– Well, I've been thinking about it. We know our sensei is a member of the Sarutobi Clan – Ino and Choji nodded in agreement – Our team is unlike any other Ino-Shika-Cho team. We all are the heirs of our clans – more nods from his teammates – I think it is safe to assume that our sensei would be from the Sarutobi Clan's head family. That means that it could be either Kazan-san or Asuma-san. The Sandaime's-sama sons – more nods. However, this caught their attention profoundly – Based on Iruka's-sensei reaction when he read the name from the envelope, I'm inclined to think it is Kazan-san. He is an ANBU captain and, according to my father, one of the best within the ANBU – Choji finally stood up, faced his teammates, and asked – Do you think the ANBU who gave us the map was him? – Ino looked at Shikamaru, expecting an answer. He stared at him for a while and said – That's my guess. He was wearing a monkey mask. It makes sense. However, …. – he stopped. Something was bothering him. Ino spoke this time – if he was our sensei, why would he make us come to this training ground and never show up? – Shikamaru looked at her. She could see Shikamaru was holding something back – C'mon, Shikamaru! Spit it out. There is something you're not telling us – Ino demanded an answer. Choji backed up Ino this time. This annoyed Shikamaru deeply – There is no reasonable reason for Kazan-san not to introduce himself at that moment as our sensei. Besides, Kazan-san is indeed the eldest son of the Sandaime-sama and an ANBU captain. That's not enough to justify Iruka's-sensei reaction. I'm thinking, maybe, we're not going to be trained by the heir of the Sarutobi Clan, but, no, this can't be… – Ino had had enough. She took Shikamaru by his shirt and yelled at him, demanding a direct answer – I think our sensei is the head of the Sarutobi Clan. Only then did Iruka's-sensei reaction and the fact that Kazan-san showed up to give us the map make sense – Ino let go of him. She and Choji were stunned. Ino spoke stuttering – But, … that would mean our sensei is … – Ino couldn't finish since they heard a voice coming from the ground. An old man emerged from the ground, and as he did, he said – I was starting to think you would never figure it out – The old man smiled at them. The three of them were speechless. Shikamaru knew this meant he wouldn't have a moment of peace ever again.
Standing before them was the former Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. He was not wearing his regular robes. He wore a black suit with white lapels and a white silk belt. The suit had three-quarters sleeves, and his pants reached slightly below the knee. Under the suit, he wore a thin metal mesh with long sleeves and went almost all the way to his ankles. He also had some old-style black sandals. They were not the typical Konoha-nin used. (FYI: the clothes are the same as when he trained the sannin during Jiraiya's childhood episodes).
A few notes:
*First of all, I updated the cover picture of the story. It is a drawing of Minato I made a few years ago when I was learning to draw. Hope you like it. P.S. It is not good. I was never really good at drawing, but I liked it.
*During the chunin exams, Kakashi said Sakura had a talent for genjutsu. I think it was a waste of potential for Sakura. Now that the Uchiha Clan is alive, there are better options than Kurenai for this job. I chose Izumi Uchiha (Itachi's Girlfriend).
*Hinata and Sakura swap places since it makes more sense given the fact that Hiashi, Fugaku and Minato are the most important people in the village, and their children form a team.
*Now that Hiruzen is not Hokage, it made sense for him to be Team Ten sensei. I always liked Team Ten dynamic and potential and think it was wasted.
*As you have noticed, I have given the Aburame clan a lot of power. I think they make the perfect shinobis based on their personalities. Shino has a lot of potential, and I want to explore it.
*Now that Naruto is not an orphan, and his father is Hokage, I thought it would be a cliché that he wanted to be Hokage as well.
*I always hated that they made all the medic shinobis the female members of the team. I changed that too. It will be a little more diverse. At the bottom, there is a summary with all the members of each team.
*Team Guy will be introduced later. However, I made some changes to it. Below you'll find the members of Teams 3 (Guy) and 5 (Kessho Yamanaka). This is a new team I created. It is from the same generation as Team Guy.
*Team 3 Might Guy:
Tenten = Medic-nin
Rock Lee
Iwabee Yuino (He is a character from Boruto. He is in Lee's son's team. I think it makes sense to be in this team now)
*Team 5 Yamanaka Kessho:
Neji Hyuga (It seemed to me that Neji never fitted Guy's team. I think it would be more interesting to have a blind shinobi training someone with the byakugan).
Hoki Taketori = Medic-nin (He is a character from Boruto. He is Sai's student, and now I have him as Sai's teammate. He was originally recruited to the Root by Tatsuma and Fugaku).
Sai (Sai was still recruited by the Root, led by Tatsuma and Fugaku. However, Fugaku saw potential in Neji, Sai and Hoki and decided to send Sai and Hoki to the academy and have his pupil, Kessho, as their sensei).
*Team 7 Senju Tenzo
Naruto Namikaze (now that Minato and Kushina are alive, there is no reason for him to use his mother's last name instead of Minato's).
Sasuke Uchiha
Hinata Hyuga = Medic-nin
*Team 8 Uchiha Izumi
Shino Aburame
Kiba Inuzuka = Medic-nin (Kiba's sister is a medic-nin and veterinary. I think it makes sense he is a medic as well).
Sakura Haruno (Since I'll focus more on Sakura's ability for genjutsu, I won't have her as a medic-nin. Another reason is, as I said before, I don't want to have all the female characters as medic-nin).
*Team 10 Sarutobi Hiruzen
Ino Yamanaka
Choji Akimichi
Shikamaru Nara = Medic-nin (The Clan Nara has the best medical book in Konoha, said by Tsunade herself. They also are experts in making medicines. It makes sense for Shikamaru to be the medic-nin in his team. I have other plans for Ino, but that will be revealed later on).
I plan to have side short stories for each Genin Team to develop their characters. The same with some ANBU missions focused mainly in Itachi.