Chapter 50: Forming the Genin Teams
Hiruzen continued reviewing the graduation records.
"As for the 41 who graduated early, each one shows genuine potential. They should at least reach chunin rank, and roughly half possess the talent to become tokubetsu jonin. I'll need to assign 14 jonin instructors to guide them properly."
"Although Konoha's population has mostly recovered from the Nine-Tails attack, our elite shinobi forces remain weaker than before the Third Shinobi World War. Therefore, we must train all 41 of these graduates with the goal of raising them to jonin level. Even if not all can become tokubetsu jonin, reaching elite chunin status would be acceptable."
"As for who will become full jonin, that's difficult to predict. I believe Uchiha Mieko will achieve jonin rank, much like Senju Terui did last year. Like him, she also has the potential to reach elite jonin. But I can't say the same about the others with certainty. Still, I hope this graduating class produces at least 10 to 12 jonin. The Nine-Tails attack claimed so many of our jonin-level shinobi."
He then notified the Academy instructors to begin forming teams and immersed himself in the necessary paperwork.
After the instructors drafted their proposal, disagreements arose—just like every previous year.
They approached the Hokage to discuss the matter. Hiruzen asked directly,
"So, what configuration do you propose for the top-performing team?"
Genshu immediately responded,
"Based on their performance, Hatake Rai, Uchiha Mieko, Kaito, Hyuga Hodaka, and Hyuga Hana demonstrated the highest potential. However, Hatake Rai's situation is somewhat complicated. His mother has now received treatment, but we're uncertain if he'll continue training with the same intensity. Additionally, two Hyuga cannot serve on the same team. Therefore, I suggest a team composed of Uchiha Mieko, Kaito, and Hyuga Hodaka."
However, another instructor—Hatake Rai's homeroom teacher—immediately objected.
"I disagree. In just six months, Hatake Rai has made extraordinary progress. In fact, his natural talent arguably exceeds even Mieko's. He deserves placement on the top team. I suggest forming a team consisting of Uchiha Mieko, Hatake Rai, and Kaito."
A third instructor commented thoughtfully,
"Actually, Kaito is just a civilian orphan. His path forward won't be as smooth as children from established shinobi clans. Even his Wind Release: Great Breakthrough technique was personally taught to him by Genshu-sensei. So I believe a team of Hatake Rai, Uchiha Mieko, and Hyuga Hodaka might be the more practical choice."
Genshu retorted firmly,
"I disagree completely. Although Kaito comes from a civilian background with no family connections, his performance has been the most consistent in our entire class. He's earned his place on that team. Moreover, he's also a sensor-type ninja who possesses Wind Release chakra nature."
"As a sensor-type, he can complement the Byakugan's tracking abilities. His Wind Release techniques can enhance Mieko's Fire Release jutsu, making their combined attacks far more lethal. Furthermore, he and Hodaka have developed a competitive relationship in taijutsu, which will naturally improve their teamwork."
He thought to himself privately,
"Besides, Kaito is so withdrawn and has practically no other friends. I'm not even certain he can work effectively with anyone else."
The previous instructor was about to argue again.
"But—"
However, Hiruzen interrupted decisively.
"Enough. I've made my decision. The lineup will consist of Mieko, Kaito, and Hodaka."
Hatake Rai's homeroom teacher was clearly displeased with this outcome. He started to speak when Hiruzen added,
"Their team's jonin instructor will be Senju Renjiro."
The instructors looked confused by this announcement. One of them asked hesitantly,
"But Hokage-sama, we didn't recommend him as their team leader."
Hiruzen shook his head calmly.
"No. This assignment serves multiple purposes beyond your initial proposal. Kaito specifically requested to learn samurai-style kenjutsu. Renjiro once trained under a samurai master from the Land of Iron, making him uniquely qualified to teach this style. Additionally, he's an expert at countering the Sharingan, and he's highly skilled in both Water Release and Earth Release techniques. This provides Mieko with a valuable opportunity to understand how opponents counter her clan's abilities, which will accelerate her growth considerably. Hodaka can learn Water Release techniques from him, and Renjiro's taijutsu mastery is more than sufficient to handle Hodaka's obsession with close combat training."
Then he looked directly at Hatake Rai's homeroom teacher and added,
"It's unfortunate that Hatake Rai doesn't practice his family's signature kenjutsu style. Otherwise, I would have placed him on this team instead of Hodaka."
Everyone found this explanation satisfactory. They turned their attention to arranging the remaining students into appropriate teams.
The process took over thirteen hours to form all the genin teams and finalize their jonin instructors.
Once everything was completed, Hiruzen dispatched an ANBU operative to deliver the assignments to everyone selected as an instructor.
If any of them had questions or concerns, they could contact him the following day.
The next day, numerous jonin came to meet with Hiruzen. Around noon, Renjiro also arrived for his appointment.
As soon as he entered the Hokage's office, he greeted Hiruzen bluntly,
"Old man, I don't agree to babysit a bunch of brats. Besides, I've already led a genin team before."
Renjiro shared a somewhat close relationship with Hiruzen from their younger days, so the Hokage didn't take offense at his casual manner of speaking.
Hiruzen studied Renjiro carefully. He was dressed in casual civilian clothing, which made the numerous scars covering his face and arms—evidence of his long shinobi career—clearly visible.
Hiruzen sighed heavily.
"You've been running missions almost constantly since the war ended. This assignment serves several purposes. First, it gives you a much-needed break from active duty. Second, one of your students specifically wants to learn samurai-style kenjutsu."
Renjiro looked at Hiruzen with obvious confusion and asked pointedly,
"As you well know, I can't simply teach that technique to just anyone. The samurai who taught me made that very clear. So what compelling reason do I have to teach this kid?"
Hiruzen sighed again and explained,
"He ranked first in his entire class. Teaching him kenjutsu is the reward he requested."
Renjiro blinked in surprise.
"Uh, what reward? What are you talking about?"
Hiruzen replied patiently,
"This is an incentive program I've implemented to motivate students and encourage them to train harder. The top-ranked graduate receives a significant reward of their choosing."
Upon hearing this explanation, Renjiro nodded slowly. He understood Konoha's ongoing shinobi shortage problem perfectly well. He sighed reluctantly and said,
"Can't you just convince him to ask for something else instead?"
Hiruzen didn't answer immediately, but beads of sweat formed on his forehead when he remembered the "something else" Kaito had originally requested—a chakra metal blade worth millions of ryo.
After chatting for a while longer and learning basic information about his assigned students, Renjiro finally left the office.
He wasn't particularly surprised that his team represented the most promising graduates. After all, he'd been an elite jonin for over ten years now. The village wouldn't waste his expertise on mediocre students.
Later that same day, Kaito visited a shop specializing in shinobi clothing to purchase a new outfit.
He selected a complete set of black clothing. He immediately noticed that the fabric quality seemed exceptional.
The shop owner explained enthusiastically, "This material is significantly harder to cut than normal cloth. It has some resistance to fire and lightning-based attacks, and it's treated to resist getting wet or accumulating dust and dirt."
Kaito purchased the outfit and tried it on immediately, examining himself in the shop's mirror. His entire ensemble—including his boots, pants, and long-sleeved shirt—was completely black.
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