At this point, Mount Myōboku had nothing left to teach Uzumaki Naruto.
Not only had he completely mastered Sage Mode, but he could also enter his golden chakra cloak form at will.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that, aside from Senju Haruto himself, no one in the entire Hidden Leaf Village could stand as Naruto's equal anymore.
And since it had been five years since his last rampage, most villagers had long forgotten the fear and resentment of those days. Even if Naruto returned now, he wouldn't be treated unfairly.
What's more, the Ninja Academy was currently preparing its graduation exams.
Haruto's original plan had been to bring Naruto back at exactly this time. Now that Naruto was ready, there was no reason to refuse.
Fukasaku, Shima, and Jiraiya all shared the same thought.
So, after their final farewells to Mount Myōboku, Senju Haruto led Naruto back to the Hidden Leaf.
"Ahhh, it's been so long!"
The moment they stepped back into the village, Naruto couldn't contain his excitement. He sucked in a deep breath of air.
"Man, I've missed the air here!"
Even though the air of Mount Myōboku was fresh and clean, it could never compare to the air of home. Even if—strictly speaking—they didn't smell any different.
"I really want some ramen…"
Naruto rubbed his stomach, practically drooling at the thought of Ichiraku Ramen. He longed to devour bowl after bowl. After all, the food at Mount Myōboku was great for energy and stamina, but it never satisfied his heart the way ramen did.
But before he could rush off, Haruto yanked him back by the collar.
"Right… yeah," Naruto admitted quickly.
As much as he wanted ramen, suddenly returning to the village was no small matter. And he hadn't attended the Ninja Academy for years, skipping over all of its courses.
If he wanted to take the graduation exam, he'd need the approval of the Third Hokage.
Realizing this, Naruto reluctantly pushed ramen from his mind and followed Haruto straight to the Hokage's office.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, heard that Haruto had returned with Naruto, he immediately put aside his paperwork.
"Lord Third!"
Naruto's voice was bursting with joy as he called out.
Back when the whole village shunned him, only Hiruzen had treated him with kindness. In Naruto's heart, Hiruzen had always embodied what it meant to be Hokage.
"You've finally returned, Naruto."
The Third's expression softened with relief and happiness. No matter what, Naruto was the son of the Fourth Hokage, the boy who bore the burden of sealing the Nine-Tails.
And the fact that Haruto had brought him back proved something important—Naruto was no longer in danger of losing control.
"I want Naruto to participate in this year's Ninja Academy graduation exam," Haruto stated plainly.
Though Naruto had a five-year gap in his schooling, everything he'd learned on Mount Myōboku was far beyond anything the Academy could teach.
It wasn't just that Naruto could pass the exam and graduate as a Genin. Honestly, he was strong enough to qualify as a Jōnin right now.
"I understand."
The Third nodded immediately, granting the request without hesitation.
In truth, he had already anticipated this outcome and had informed Iruka Umino in advance. All that was left was for Naruto to report to the Academy—Iruka would handle the rest.
Naruto's heart surged with excitement at the Hokage's approval. With permission granted, he rushed out of the office toward the Academy.
Haruto, seeing him off, was about to leave as well—when the Hokage suddenly called after him.
"Hm? Something else?" Haruto turned back.
"It's about team placements."
The Third pulled a photo album from his desk and flipped it open for Haruto to see.
The photos were of students he recognized: Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura… along with several others he didn't know.
After all, graduation didn't guarantee becoming a Genin. Teams would be tested under Jōnin supervision, and only those who passed would officially become ninja.
The others? Sent back to the Academy.
The elimination rate was as high as sixty-six percent.
And in the end, only nine students passed—those Haruto already knew well.
Together with Gai's students—Hyūga Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee—they would later be known as the "Konoha Twelve."
"Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi… all from Konoha's most famous clans," Haruto remarked.
"Yes. The Ino-Shika-Chō trio has maintained strong bonds for generations. With their secret techniques, they're best trained together. Asuma Sarutobi will take charge of that team."
Haruto nodded. He was well aware of the politics involved.
Hiruzen Sarutobi always carried himself as a symbol of fairness, but to believe he had no bias at all? Haruto didn't buy it.
Still, this wasn't his concern.
He was not only leader of the Root organization but also Hokage's special advisor—part of Konoha's highest leadership. Petty details like this were for the Hokage to manage.
Which was why Haruto couldn't understand why he was being drawn into it now.
"There will also be a tracking unit," the Hokage continued, pointing at photos of Hinata and the others. "Kurenai will lead that team. She's more than qualified."
But this wasn't the real point.
After his explanations, Hiruzen finally revealed what he'd truly been building up to.
"I want to assign Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura to form Team Seven."
He paused before adding, "Naruto's case speaks for itself. Sasuke is Itachi's younger brother, and I believe he has the potential to become just as exceptional. Sakura will provide balance. And with boys competing for a girl's attention, rivalry will push them to grow stronger."
Haruto listened in silence. None of this was surprising—he already knew the Hokage's reasoning.
But then Hiruzen dropped the real bombshell.
"If possible, I would like you to lead Team Seven."
Haruto: "...???"
No way.
I refuse.