Chapter 7: Team Formation

Two days later, Hyougen stood in the academy's training yard, recalling his training with the retired jounin. During these days, he had fully mastered both Wind and Water techniques, and his chakra level had reached that of a chuunin, despite still holding the rank of a genin.

However, he noticed something strange when using Wind Ninjutsu alongside Water Ninjutsu… It wasn't entirely clear yet, but he was certain there was something hidden in the way the two elements interacted.

Inside the Classroom, Waiting for the Instructor

Hyougen sat with the rest of the students inside the classroom, waiting for the instructor to announce the teams. He paid no attention to his classmates' stares but did notice a peculiar gaze from Shimura Iane… It wasn't an ordinary look, but rather a mix of challenge, desire, and mystery. He ignored it as always and focused his attention on the instructor, who finally entered.

"Welcome, students!" the instructor said in a strong voice. "Today, you officially become genin. In the future, you will face dangerous challenges, and I hope you overcome them with courage… You will be divided into teams, each consisting of three members, led by a higher-ranking ninja…"

The instructor then began calling out team names, while the students waited anxiously.

"Inuzuka Rei, Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Douji."

Hyougen raised an eyebrow slightly… He noticed that the usual "Ino-Shika-Chou" formation wasn't as he remembered. There was no member from the Akimichi clan in the class, so they had replaced them with someone from the Inuzuka clan.

The classroom buzzed with nervous whispers as names were called. Some students smiled in relief, while disappointment was evident on others' faces. And finally, it was my turn…

"Renji, Shimura Iane, Uchiha Hyougen—Team 9."

The moment his name was called, Hyougen's mind sharpened like a blade. Rinji, his only remaining friend from before, and Iane… that wasn't a coincidence. Not in a place like this. If anything, it felt like a move on a chessboard.

But then again… could it really just be a coincidence? Was he overthinking it? Maybe their instructor had simply reported his Information, and the Distribution was based on that. He wasn't sure.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that the Third Hokage was watching him.

After finishing the team assignments, the instructor addressed them before leaving:

"I hope you all work together as a team because your success depends on it. That is my final piece of advice as your teacher. Wait here until your instructors arrive."

Then, he left, leaving the students in anticipation.

Observing the Instructors

While waiting, some students were excited while others were tense. One by one, the instructors began arriving, calling their students. Hyougen noticed something interesting… Not all the instructors were jounin—nearly half of them were actually chuunin.

After a quick observation, he realized the truth: weak teams, or those without members from powerful ninja clans, were assigned chuunin instructors instead of jounin.

"I shouldn't rely entirely on my memories from my past life…" Hyougen thought deeply. "What I remember paints Konoha as a bright place, but in reality, it hides a lot of darkness."

After half an hour, when most of the students had left, a middle-aged man entered. His eyes were a deep ruby red, and his hair was completely covered with a cloth, making him resemble Kakashi to some extent.

"Renji, Shimura Iane, Uchiha Hyougen." He called in a calm voice, then gestured for them to follow him.

"Oi, Hyougen! Looks like we're together. Isn't that amazing?" Renji said excitedly.

"Yeah," Hyougen replied flatly.

"That's it?! Say something else, like 'I'm happy' or 'Let's work hard!'"

Hyougen glanced at him briefly before continuing to follow the instructor in silence.

The First Meeting with Their Instructor

A short while later, the three stood atop a building, looking at their new instructor.

"Ahem… From now on, I am your new instructor. My name is Yuhi Shinko, a jounin specializing in Genjutsu. Now, introduce yourselves—tell me your hobbies, what you like, and what you dislike."

"I'll go first! Me first!" Renji shouted enthusiastically, raising his hand.

"My name is Renji! I love playing with my friends, and I hate overthinking things. My dream is to become Hokage, even though I'm a civilian—just like the Fourth Hokage!"

Hearing those words, Hyougen felt a moment of disbelief… "How does he see him as a civilian?!"

"The Fourth Hokage was never truly a civilian. Maybe at first, but he later became the student of Jiraiya, one of the Three Legendary Sannin, and a disciple of the Third Hokage. He obtained a forbidden technique like the Flying Thunder God, and his wife, Kushina, was from the Uzumaki clan—not to mention she was the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails…"

But Hyougen didn't comment. He simply listened in silence.

"A beautiful dream. Keep working hard, and maybe it will come true," Shinko said with a smile.

Shimura Iane's Turn

When it was Iane's turn, she stepped forward.

"My name is Shimura Iane, from the Shimura clan. What I hate is failure. What I love are impossible challenges and things that are difficult to obtain. As for my dream… that's a secret."

A chill ran down Hyougen's spine… The way she looked at him wasn't normal. There was something in her gaze that he couldn't quite decipher… but he realized he might have to find a way to deal with her in the future.

Hyougen's Turn

Feeling everyone's eyes on me, I finally spoke:

"My name is Uchiha Hyougen, from the Uchiha clan. My dream is to become the strongest ninja."

Before Shinko could comment, Renji interrupted:

"Oi! You didn't tell us about your hobbies or what you dislike!"

Hyougen replied in the same calm tone:

"Well, the instructor didn't tell us his hobbies either."

Hearing that, both Iane and Renji turned to Shinko expectantly.

With a sigh, Shinko finally said:

"Alright… We'll start training tomorrow. Meet me at eight in the morning near the Hokage's office."

Then, he disappeared under the puzzled gazes of Renji and Iane.