Chapter 6: The Beginning of a New Team

Naruto sat at the back of the classroom, arms crossed, grinning to himself. Just a few days ago, he had been told he failed, yet here he was—still in the running to become a ninja. The other students kept sneaking glances at him, their eyes filled with confusion and curiosity.

"Wait… why is Naruto here?" One of the boys whispered.

"I thought he failed?"

"But then how—?"

Naruto smirked, resting his feet on the desk. "Heh, bet you're all shocked, huh?" he said loudly, making sure everyone could hear him. "That's right, I passed after all!"

Kiba leaned forward, frowning. "Tch, how'd that happen? You totally flunked the exam!"

Naruto puffed out his chest. "Let's just say Iruka-sensei saw my true potential and gave me another chance." He conveniently left out the part about Mizuki and the Forbidden Scroll.

Some of the students still looked skeptical, but Iruka entered the classroom before any more questions could be asked. He carried a clipboard and cleared his throat, silencing the room.

"Alright, I'll be announcing the teams now."

Naruto sat up straight, eager to hear where he'd be placed.

"Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto…"

Naruto grinned.

"…Haruno Sakura."

He froze for a second before fist-pumping. "Yes! I'm on a team with Sakura-chan!" He turned to her excitedly, but—

"NOOOOO!" Sakura groaned in despair. "Why do I have to be with him?!"

Naruto's face fell instantly. "H-Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

Iruka continued, "…and Uchiha Sasuke."

Sakura's mood instantly flipped, her face lighting up as she clasped her hands together. "Yesss! Sasuke-kun is on my team!"

Naruto's jaw dropped. "What?! Why does he have to be on my team?!" He glared at Sasuke, who barely reacted, simply staring out the window with his usual bored expression.

"Great," Naruto muttered. "Not only do I get stuck with the brooding emo, but Sakura-chan is just gonna ignore me the whole time."

From within his mind, the golden-eyed figure chuckled.

"The girl's affections are… painfully obvious," he mused.

The long-haired soul hummed. "And the Uchiha is as arrogant as ever. This will be interesting."

Naruto scowled. Yeah, yeah, you guys don't have to remind me…

Iruka finished announcing the other teams before addressing them one last time. "You'll all be meeting your jonin instructors soon. Stay here and wait until they arrive."

And so, the waiting began. One by one, the other teams left with their instructors, while Team 7 remained behind.

Naruto groaned, slumping onto his desk. "Ugh, what's taking so long?"

Sakura crossed her arms. "Maybe if you hadn't been such a screw-up, we'd have a better sensei."

Naruto bristled. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

Before their argument could escalate, Sasuke let out a small sigh. "Both of you, shut up."

Naruto whipped around. "What'd you say, bastard?!"

Sasuke didn't even look at him.

Sakura sighed dreamily. "Wow, Sasuke-kun is so cool…"

Naruto twitched.

The golden-eyed figure inside him chuckled again. "This is going to be very entertaining."

Naruto gritted his teeth. Why do I feel like I'm gonna regret this team already?

As Naruto sat there, grumbling about being on a team with Sasuke, the voice inside his head spoke up again.

"You should learn from him."

Naruto blinked. Huh?

The golden-eyed figure continued. "Sasuke remains calm, no matter the situation. He doesn't let his emotions dictate his actions. That's why people see him as superior."

The long-haired soul nodded. "An opponent who is ruled by anger is easy to predict. One who stays cold and focused? Far more dangerous."

Naruto frowned, glancing at Sasuke, who still sat quietly, arms crossed, looking out the window as if he didn't have a single care in the world.

Sasuke… that bastard is so calm all the time. He never loses his cool, even when people annoy him.

The golden-eyed figure smirked. "That is why he is respected. That, and his talent."

Naruto clenched his fists. Tch, so what? I don't need to act all cool and broody to be strong!

"Perhaps," the long-haired soul said smoothly. "But if you learn to control your emotions, you will gain an advantage. An angry opponent is predictable. A calm one dictates the flow of battle."

Naruto hesitated. He hated to admit it, but… they had a point. Every time he got mad, people always managed to get the better of him.

His gaze flickered to Sasuke again. Maybe there's something to learn from this bastard after all…

Sakura's voice suddenly snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Wow, Sasuke-kun is so cool…" she sighed dreamily.

Naruto twitched. Never mind. He's still a jerk.

The two souls inside him chuckled, amused by his reaction.

And so, as they continued waiting for their new sensei, Naruto found himself thinking—just for a moment—about the kind of person he needed to become.

The door slid open with a soft creak, and an unfamiliar presence entered the classroom.

Naruto, who had been sulking in his seat, lifted his head. A silver-haired man in a masked headband strolled in lazily, his single visible eye half-lidded with indifference.

"… Hmm. My first impression of you all?" he muttered, eyeing the three students.

A pause.

"…You're all idiots."

Naruto nearly fell out of his seat. "WHAT?!"

Sasuke scoffed but remained silent. Sakura looked offended.

The man ignored their reactions completely. "Meet me on the roof in five minutes." And just like that, he disappeared.

A beat of silence filled the classroom.

"…That guy's our sensei?" Naruto muttered, eyes twitching.

The golden-eyed figure inside him chuckled. "That one is dangerous."

Naruto frowned. Dangerous?

The long-haired soul nodded. "His presence is too light. He entered and disappeared without effort. If this were a battlefield, you wouldn't have noticed him before it was too late."

Naruto gulped. That's… true.

Sasuke, already bored of waiting, stood up and left first. Sakura quickly followed after him. Naruto hesitated, staring at the door.

The golden-eyed figure spoke again. "You should take this seriously, Naruto. You have talent, but talent without control is meaningless."

Naruto clenched his fists. Tch… I get it already.

With that, he stood up and left the classroom, heading toward the roof where his future as a shinobi would truly begin.

Naruto stepped onto the rooftop, squinting as the afternoon sun bathed the village in a warm glow. Sasuke and Sakura were already there, sitting a few feet apart. Their new teacher, Hatake Kakashi, leaned against the railing, hands tucked in his pockets, exuding an effortless nonchalance.

"All right," Kakashi spoke lazily. "Why don't we start with introductions? You know—your names, likes, dislikes, dreams for the future."

Naruto's mind, however, was elsewhere.

Inside his consciousness, the two souls had started their own conversation.

"This man… is an anomaly," the golden-eyed one murmured, his voice carrying a hint of wariness.

The long-haired soul nodded. "His posture is relaxed, his gaze uninterested, and yet… there's no opening. His awareness covers everything."

Naruto stiffened. You're saying… even if I get stronger, I can't beat him?

The golden-eyed soul chuckled. "It's not that simple, kid. Kakashi is a veteran. He's fought stronger, faster, and deadlier enemies than you. Even if you had support, even if we designed the perfect strategy, he would still win."

Naruto gritted his teeth. That's ridiculous!

The long-haired soul exhaled. "It's reality. He knows how to manipulate battlefields, control vision, anticipate movements. He sees through deception and adapts instantly."

Naruto's heart pounded. For the first time, he felt the sheer weight of the gap between him and an elite shinobi.

"Oi, Naruto."

He snapped back to reality. Kakashi was staring at him.

"You're up."

Naruto swallowed hard. He was still processing what the souls had told him, but he forced a grin. "Name's Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen, hate waiting, and my dream is to become Hokage!"

Kakashi tilted his head slightly. "Huh."

Naruto scowled. "What's with that reaction?!"

Kakashi merely shrugged. "No, nothing. Just… your dream won't be easy."

Naruto felt his fist clench unconsciously.

Yeah… I know that now more than ever.

After Naruto's introduction, Kakashi nodded slightly, his posture still relaxed.

"Alright, next." He turned to Sakura.

The pink-haired girl straightened up excitedly. "I'm Sakura Haruno! My likes are…" She hesitated for a second before glancing at Sasuke with a small smile. "My dislikes…" Her expression darkened slightly, but she quickly recovered. "And my dream…" She blushed, looking away shyly.

Kakashi sighed. "Let me guess, it has something to do with a certain someone?"

Sakura's face turned red. "T-That's not—!"

Before she could continue, Kakashi gestured toward Sasuke. "You're up."

Sasuke, who had been sitting with his arms crossed and eyes closed, finally spoke.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't particularly like anything… and I hate a lot of things." He opened his eyes, and Naruto felt a strange intensity in them. "I have an ambition, not a dream. I will restore my clan… and kill a certain man."

Silence followed his words.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably. Even the souls inside him seemed to pause, as if analyzing Sasuke's emotions.

"Revenge," the golden-eyed soul murmured. "That kind of fire burns bright… but it also consumes."

The long-haired soul remained quiet, observing.

Kakashi, however, showed no visible reaction. "Well, that's some interesting introductions." He clapped his hands together. "Tomorrow, we start our first mission."

Naruto's ears perked up. "Really?!"

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled. "Yes. Survival training."

Sakura frowned. "Wait, but we already passed the graduation exam…"

Kakashi chuckled. "Oh, that? That was just to weed out those who weren't ready. This test will determine if you actually get to become genin."

Naruto paled. "W-Wait, what?! What happens if we fail?!"

"You go back to the Academy."

Naruto felt like the world was crashing down. "AGAIN?!"

Sasuke's expression didn't change, but a flicker of annoyance passed through his eyes.

Kakashi continued, ignoring Naruto's outburst. "Meet me at Training Ground Three tomorrow morning. And one more thing…" His eye curved into an amused smile. "Don't eat breakfast. You'll just throw up."

With that, he disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving his three students staring in shock.

Naruto clenched his fists.

The souls inside him stirred again.

"This… is going to be interesting," the long-haired soul muttered.

"A battle of wits," the golden-eyed one added. "Let's see how far you can go, Naruto."