Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen had finalized the team plans. He had one of his ANBU call in the appointed jōnin team leaders who would be leading the newly formed genin teams.
Naturally, the students who had graduated early and become genin were considered the most qualified to receive a jōnin-sensei. However, jōnin served a very important role throughout the entire Land of Fire; they mostly completed B- and A-rank missions, which were vital for the village's security and financial stability. When those jōnin became genin instructors, they often wasted a significant amount of their time performing D-rank missions with their teams—tasks that could easily be completed by the reserve forces.
Normally, a jōnin would lead their team for a period of one to two years before allowing them to undergo the Chūnin Exams, assuming they deemed them ready. Because of this, the village had to be careful not to spread its jōnin too thin and instead focus on training those genin who had shown clear talent.
A group of four jōnin entered the office. Most of them were veterans of the Third Great Ninja War and were in need of a change of pace. Hiruzen assigned them their teams and handed each of them a file containing their new subordinates' information, including their home addresses.
One of the jōnin was an orange-haired man who was currently on his way to his first subordinate's home.
'Hyūga Hyori, a main clan member. That's quite surprising. Usually, those from the main clan return directly to their compound after completing the Academy. This should be interesting.'
Upon arriving at the Hyūga clan compound, he immediately noticed the tight security surrounding it.
'Did something happen here?'
He soon found his way to the main house, where he was greeted by a pair of maidservants. Upon entering, he immediately noticed, 'Seals masking the presence inside the house—not bad.'
He was escorted to the main living room, where he was greeted by Hyori's parents.
"Welcome, Yoji-sensei."
"Nice to meet you both. I came here today to ensure that you are comfortable with Hyori joining my team. Naturally, you have the right to refuse, in which case she can be registered under the genin reserve corps," Yoji said with a polite smile as he observed the couple.
"No," the father replied calmly. "We only ask that you train her well… and if there is ever a situation where she is killed or captured, you are to either retrieve or destroy her eyes."
"Of course. Don't worry—Lord Hokage has already debriefed me," Yoji replied seriously.
The discussion quickly wrapped up, as his only purpose for visiting was to formally acquaint himself with her parents. Having to schedule an appointment to enter the Hyūga compound was a hassle he had no intention of repeating.
As he was exiting the house, he noticed the door to one of the rooms was slightly ajar. Inside stood a man whose right eye was covered by an eyepatch, while his left eye bore a fully active Byakugan.
'The report didn't mention her having any living siblings… He has the Caged Bird Seal, but he's missing an eye. That's rare.'
Yoji knew better than to involve himself in the internal affairs of another clan.
'Next on the list is Inuzuka Inumaki. Apparently, he behaves more like a silent Aburame than a typical Inuzuka,' Yoji noted. So far, his students were two for two when it came to being odd. He hoped his last student would be more normal.
He made his way to the second house and was greeted by Inumaki's father.
"Yoji-sensei, please come in."
Yoji repeated the same speech he had given at the Hyūga compound and waited for his response.
The man nodded. "I will leave him in your care, Yoji-sensei."
Exiting the house, Yoji thought, 'That was surprisingly quick.'
He unfolded the file of his final student.
"Kamikaze Shinra. Graduated at the top of his class, an orphan, and… highly talented in taijutsu?"
'Lord Third only gave me brief summaries, but he spent noticeably more time discussing Hyūga Hyori.'
Yoji made his way to Shinra's residence and knocked on the door.
It opened to reveal a blue-haired boy dressed neatly.
"Shinra?" Yoji asked.
Shinra nodded. "Please come in."
Yoji sat on the floor opposite him and surveyed the room.
'Barren. Barely any furniture—just a pair of tatami mats, and they look new. Did he buy them specifically for this visit?'
"Good afternoon, Yoji-sensei," Shinra said with a polite smile.
"Hello again, Shinra. I am your jōnin-sensei, Yamanaka Yoji," he introduced himself for the third time that day—a new personal record.
"I'll be meeting you all tomorrow, so let's keep introductions short. Since you don't have any guardians, I still need to ask: do you wish to be placed on my team, or would you prefer to join the genin reserve force?"
"I wish to join your team, sir," Shinra replied immediately.
"Sir? No need to be so formal—just call me Sensei," Yoji said with a grin.
"Understood."
"Then my business here is finished. Training Ground Nineteen, nine in the morning. Don't be late."
Yoji left the house feeling quite pleased.
'Minimalist… but his body is very sturdy. He trains regularly.'
Yoji hadn't just been observing Shinra's home or demeanor—he had been observing his physique.
…..
The next day, Shinra arrived at Training Ground Nineteen at exactly nine in the morning. He spotted the brooding Hyūga Hyori and the silent Inumaki, a small pup cradled in his arms. The three of them waited quietly, an awkward silence settling in.
Shinra hesitated before greeting them, then joined the silence. After a while, he noticed Yoji still hadn't arrived. ‚Don't tell me he's pulling a Kakashi…' Before he could dwell on it further, he felt the familiar sensation of being watched.
'Hiruzen? No… it doesn't feel like him. Is this the jōnin test? Testing our reactions?' He glanced around before quietly informing the others. "We're being watched. I can't pinpoint the location—most likely Yoji-sensei."
Hyori activated her Byakugan and nodded. "Seven hundred meters. Four o'clock. In the trees."
Yoji, perched along the treeline, smiled.
'Impressive. He noticed me first—and understood the purpose behind the test.'
He flickered away, reappearing far from his original position and continued moving at a steady pace, deliberately moving beyond the range of Hyori's Byakugan.
At the last known location, the trio examined the faint tracks before they abruptly vanished. Inumaki crouched down, his dog sniffing the ground.
"Follow me," Inumaki said quietly, along the way he stopped once and started sniffing again before picking back the pace.
Yoji stood in a clearing, waiting.
'They're hiding along the treeline. The concealment isn't bad, but there's room for improvement.'
"Come out. You've passed," Yoji called as he stepped forward.
The three genin leapt down from the trees and landed in front of him.
Yoji pointed first at Shinra. "You were the first to detect me, and you immediately informed your teammates. That's a plus two. However, you also revealed to me that you knew my position. Minus one. Final score: one."
He turned to Hyori. "Immediate Byakugan activation and accurate tracking is a plus one. But when I disengaged, you didn't attempt pursuit and allowed me to leave your field of vision—even though I wasn't moving at full speed. Minus one. Final score: zero."
Finally, he faced Inumaki. "No obvious mistakes. I attempted to mask my scent and create a decoy trail, but you didn't fall for it. Plus one."
The trio exchanged glances, surprised by the blunt evaluation, but appreciative nonetheless.
Yoji clapped his hands. "Next, we'll measure your parameters. Since you detected me first, we'll start with you, Shinra. You know at least one sensory jutsu, correct?"
——
A/N: The schedule is going to be changed to a chapter every two days until the 17/2, due to exams. Wish me luck.