Chapter 380: The New Seventh Class!

Early the next morning, the students who had passed the ninja school assessment gathered one after another on the playground. Under the expectant eyes of everyone, Namikaze Minato appeared, accompanied by Nara Shikaku and a group of instructors.

On the high platform in front of the playground, Shikaku Nara called out names, and the students, full of anticipation, stepped forward to receive their forehead protectors. Below the platform, the Jonin instructors gathered, chatting amongst themselves.

"Kakashi, you must have received the class assignment notice, right?"

"Which class are you leading?"

Asuma and Kurenai stood side by side, asking Kakashi. They had already discussed their assigned students and were curious about which class Kakashi had been given.

"Me... Class Seven."

Thinking about it, Hatake Kakashi couldn't help but sigh. Minato had initially given him full freedom to choose his team, but before he could make a selection, an order arrived directing him to lead the Seventh Class.

And the members of this class... were already giving him a headache.

"Class Seven? Who are its members?" Kurenai asked curiously, unaware of the class assignments. Asuma, on the other hand, smirked knowingly.

"Oh! Class Seven!"

"That's not an easy group to handle. Not many among us could lead that class!"

Asuma glanced toward a nearby spot where Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui were engaged in conversation, seemingly discussing their own teams. Sensing Asuma's gaze, the two looked over and nodded slightly in greeting.

Asuma then turned his gaze back to Kakashi, his expression filled with sympathy.

"Asuma, why do you say that? Who's in Class Seven? Why is it difficult to manage?" Kurenai asked, growing impatient with his cryptic remarks.

"Here, Naruto Uzumaki, son of the Fifth Hokage, Sasuke Uchiha, the youngest son of Fugaku-senpai, and Karin, the daughter of Brother Nawaki. Each one is exceptionally talented, but their ability to cause trouble might be just as strong."

"Naruto and Karin together... that's quite something!"

Asuma raised his chin toward the high platform, where Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke were receiving their forehead protectors.

"I see... but is this kind of grouping really a good idea?"

"Placing all these prodigies in the same class—if something unexpected happens, it could be a serious issue."

"Even Kakashi might struggle to handle them!"

Kurenai lowered her voice as she spoke. She didn't quite understand this class arrangement. She knew that both Karin and Naruto were Jinchuriki. This was a highly unusual case.

Jonin of her generation had all lived through the Tailed Beast Rebellion more than a decade ago. Kurenai still vividly remembered the terror of that event. Pairing two "time bombs" together hardly seemed like a rational decision.

Even if their instructor was the best Jonin of their generation—Hatake Kakashi—it still felt like a risky setup.

"Well, what you're worried about isn't really an issue."

"Without external factors, a Tailed Beast's seal won't loosen."

"If you had experienced the power of Lord Raiden, you wouldn't think that way."

"Their seals have been reinforced. There's no risk of an accident."

"In fact, I'm looking forward to working with them."

Hatake Kakashi squinted, his usual dead-fish eyes turning toward the students on the high platform.

In the classroom, the freshly graduated students sat with their teachers, waiting for their assigned Jonin to arrive. Uzumaki Naruto sat at his desk, eagerly watching the door, impatient to meet their instructor.

As time passed, Jonin entered the classroom one by one, collecting their teams. But Naruto's name was never called.

The sun began to set, bathing the room in a reddish glow. Only a handful of students remained. After what felt like an eternity, the door finally opened again. Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui stepped into the classroom.

Sasuke, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly stood up in shock.

"Brother?! And Brother Shisui?! Why are you here?"

Sasuke knew that his brother Itachi and Shisui were disciples of Uzumaki Raiden. They were rarely in the village and were part of the Anbu. Seeing them here was completely unexpected.

"Brother Itachi? And Brother Shisui? It's you?"

"Are you also leading a team?"

"Did Uncle ask you to come? Are one of you my instructor?"

Naruto greeted them excitedly, his words drawing Sasuke's attention. Seeing Naruto act so familiar with his brother, Sasuke scoffed.

"Yeah, right."

"My brother and Brother Shisui are geniuses. Why would they be stuck with a loser like you?"

"They're obviously here for me!"

Sasuke wore a confident smirk. Itachi and Shisui were from the Uchiha clan. They knew Sasuke well, making them the perfect choices to guide him.

"What?! What did you just say?!"

Naruto immediately flared up at the word "loser," jumping onto Sasuke's desk and glaring at him.

"I said my brother and Brother Shisui would never waste their time training someone like you!"

"You don't deserve them as your instructors!"

Sasuke, completely unfazed, crossed his arms and looked down at Naruto with disdain.

"Damn you!"

Naruto rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight, but before they could brawl, Itachi stepped forward and separated them with ease.

"Enough."

"Shisui and I are leading teams, but neither of you are in ours."

"Kamina, Haruno Sakura, Toki—you three, come with me. From today, I will be your instructor."

"You are now my subordinates."

After separating Naruto and Sasuke, Itachi ignored them, flipping through the student list until he found his team.

"Yes!"

Haruno Sakura and the others quickly stood and followed Itachi.

"Not being on the same team as Sasuke? Damn it!"

Despite smiling on the outside, Sakura was cursing internally.

"But since he's Itachi's brother, this might not be so bad!"

Meanwhile, Shisui also called his team members, and then both he and Itachi left with their students. Before exiting, Itachi glanced at the three remaining students.

"Sasuke, looks like you're with Naruto and Karin."

"Get along with your teammates."

"Naruto, Karin—I'm entrusting my little brother to you."

With that, Itachi waved to Sasuke and left.

Naruto's delayed reaction finally kicked in.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"I don't want to be on the same team as this guy!"

Sasuke scoffed. He didn't want to be with Naruto either—this guy was way too annoying. But the decision was final. There was no changing it now.

"Just my luck," Karin muttered, rubbing her temples.

"Of all people, I have to be stuck with these two?"

Naruto was too loud. Sasuke was too brooding. This was going to be exhausting.

"But at least they're strong enough not to hold me back," she sighed, resigning herself to her fate.

At the back of the classroom, Kakashi peered through the window, watching his new students. He had been observing them for a while now and already had a sense of their dynamic.

Naruto and Sasuke were natural rivals, reminding him a little of himself and Obito. Karin seemed independent, neither too close to nor too distant from them.

Kakashi felt he understood their relationship well enough. With that, he stepped forward and slowly opened the classroom door.

But the moment he did, an eraser fell from the top of the doorframe—right onto his head.

Without raising his head, Kakashi caught the falling eraser midair and asked with a smile, "Who set up this prank?" Though phrased as a question, his eyes immediately locked onto Naruto—because he had seen him set the trap.

"You are…? Senior Kakashi!" Naruto immediately recognized him. He and Kakashi had met before. Though they weren't particularly familiar with each other, they weren't strangers either.

"Kakashi? The son of Konoha's White Fang?" Sasuke had clearly heard of him. The moment Naruto spoke his name, Sasuke immediately connected it to the legendary figure and looked at Kakashi with strong curiosity.

Ordinarily, kids their age wouldn't have known much about Konoha's White Fang. By the time Sasuke was born, the ninja world had already shifted to the younger generation, with talents from Minato's era becoming the backbone of the village. White Fang's generation had begun to fade into history.

If Sasuke's father hadn't mentioned Hatake Sakumo to him, he wouldn't have known much about him. But Kakashi had made a name for himself through his own merits, earning a legendary reputation in the ninja world.

"I heard he holds the record for becoming Konoha's youngest Jonin. He was only about twelve when he became one—earlier than my brother!"

Sasuke muttered to himself, eyes filled with curiosity.

Kakashi clapped his hands together. "That's me—your Jonin instructor!"

But then, his easygoing demeanor shifted in an instant. His expression turned serious.

"However… even though you've passed the ninja school's graduation exam, you're not yet qualified to become full-fledged ninjas."

"Being my subordinates is different from being someone else's. My standards will be much stricter."

"And besides… I don't need three subordinates."

The sudden change in his tone made the atmosphere in the classroom tense.

"What do you mean?" Karin immediately sensed that something was off and asked.

"It means that only with my approval can you truly become genin. Without my approval, you will not be accepted as ninja!"

"And I don't need all three of you. In fact…"

Kakashi touched his chin thoughtfully. "I don't actually need any of you!"

His words sent shock waves through the classroom. Naruto, Sasuke, and Karin stared at him in shock. None of them had expected this turn of events after passing their graduation exam.

"Of course, this is an order from above, so I'll still give you a chance."

"But only if you pass my trial."

"If you don't want to be sent back to the academy, then meet me at Training Ground Three. There, you'll undergo my test."

Before Naruto or the others could ask any questions, Kakashi disappeared in an instant, leaving the three teenagers behind, looking at each other in confusion.

"This…"

Karin stared at the spot where Kakashi had vanished, hesitating. She wasn't sure what to do.

While she was momentarily lost in thought, Naruto had already jumped onto the windowsill.

"Whatever the test is, I'll pass it!"

"I'm not going back to the academy!"

Muttering to himself, he leaped out the window.

Sasuke closed his eyes slightly before standing up and walking out of the classroom without a word. Seeing the two boys leave, Karin realized this wasn't the time to hesitate. She quickly followed after them.

Training Ground Three – Konohagakure

The sun was setting, dyeing the clouds a brilliant red.

On the training ground, Naruto lay sprawled on the grass, bored. Beside him, Sasuke sat cross-legged, while Karin leaned against a wooden post, gazing blankly at the sky.

They had been waiting for nearly three hours. The sun was already dipping below the horizon, and still, Kakashi had not shown up.

(End of Chapter)