"It looks like I'm being disliked."
Kakashi's usual lazy drawl cut through the air as he walked into the classroom, one eye half-closed, his book tucked into his pocket. Faced with Sasuke's barely hidden eagerness, Kakashi doused it with cold water immediately, showing no signs of encouragement.
"Your instructor Jōnin is me—Hatake Kakashi," he said simply, tilting his head. His single visible eye curved into an almost teasing smile. "But Sasuke, don't pout. Andrew will sometimes give you extra guidance when needed. If you have questions, you can seek him out as well."
Andrew, standing a little behind, smiled faintly. "Children in the ninja world are precocious. They mature faster, not because they want to, but because they must. They don't have the luxury of drifting in ideals or being dulled by what the village calls the 'Will of Fire.' For those who have seen loss, like Sasuke, their paths are clear in their minds. They know what they want, and they know who can give it to them."
Sasuke's gaze hardened at that. He was not like his brother, Itachi. He carried no hesitation—only burning purpose.
Kakashi, Andrew knew, was an excellent mentor in Lightning Release ninjutsu. But no matter how great Kakashi's skills were, there were realms he could not teach Sasuke. Even with the Sharingan he once possessed, Kakashi was no true Uchiha.
Sasuke folded his arms. "So… you're not my teacher?"
"You'll have to live with Kakashi as your Jōnin," Andrew replied evenly. "But I'll guide you when you need me."
Though clearly dissatisfied, Sasuke gave no protest. He wasn't foolish. Andrew's words made sense, and he could accept his guidance when necessary.
Andrew gave a short nod. "Today is your first day together as Team 7. I won't interfere. Get to know each other. Follow Kakashi, learn how your companions fight, and begin."
His eyes swept across the three of them—Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Naruto and Sasuke already had an unspoken bond, something far beyond simple classmates. As for Sakura… Andrew found his expression hardening slightly. He wasn't fond of her temperament, and in his heart, he resisted imagining her as the woman who might one day be connected to the Uchiha line. But now was not the time. The Uchiha clan still stood strong, and the story was already diverging from what was once destined. Time would tell how the pieces would fall.
Leaving Team 7 to Kakashi, Andrew departed for the Hyūga compound to handle diplomatic matters.
---
The Bell Test Begins
Kakashi gathered the three students outside the training field, bells jingling at his side. "The rules are simple. You must take these bells from me. Fail, and you return to the Academy."
Naruto clenched his fists, eager. Sasuke's eyes glowed faintly with crimson intent. Sakura tried to appear confident but could not disguise her nerves.
Kakashi exhaled slowly, hand brushing the pouch at his hip. Unlike other sensei, Kakashi knew these children weren't ordinary fresh Genin.
Both Naruto and Sasuke were exceptional to a level that unsettled him. Naruto had trained under Jiraiya, mastering the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and even creating devastating Taijutsu maneuvers using clones as reinforcement. Sasuke, meanwhile, had the terrifying inheritance of the Uchiha—a pair of fully developed Three Tomoe Sharingan at an age when most couldn't even awaken a single tomoe.
"If I don't take this seriously, I might actually lose to these kids," Kakashi muttered under his breath.
The test began. Sasuke dashed forward with startling speed, his Sharingan spinning. Naruto's clones burst into the clearing, surrounding Kakashi in a swarm.
"Sharingan: Illusion!" Sasuke's scarlet eyes glimmered as he locked onto Kakashi.
Kakashi, taken off guard, felt the world shift—only for his 'captor' to vanish in smoke. Naruto had disguised himself with a Transformation Technique and switched with Sasuke at the crucial moment.
In that instant, Sasuke materialized before Kakashi, locking eyes with him—Sharingan against Sharingan-less eye.
Though Andrew hadn't specialized in genjutsu, he had made Sasuke practice illusions diligently. And now, Kakashi felt the weight of those crimson tomoe bearing down on him.
Dozens of Narutos rushed in, fists cocked. They weren't aiming for bells anymore—they were going straight for him. The boys didn't even need to speak; they moved as though their minds were tethered.
They weren't here to play games—they were here to overwhelm him.
Smoke exploded. Kakashi's figure split into wood.
"Substitution Technique," Sasuke muttered, annoyed. "Even my Sharingan couldn't catch it."
From his hiding spot, Kakashi leaned against a tree, heart racing. This is ridiculous. These are supposed to be kids fresh from the Academy. If I'd been slower, I would've been crushed.
His eye flickered toward Sakura crouched in the grass, frozen and useless. He exhaled in faint relief. At least one of them is normal, or this would be truly humiliating.
Still, his mind remained focused. Naruto and Sasuke together were dangerous—not because of raw power, but because of their uncanny teamwork. They could anticipate each other's movements with nothing more than a glance. It wasn't addition; it was multiplication.
Suddenly, a voice behind him: "Kakashi-sensei! Are you distracted?"
His blood ran cold. He spun, too late.
"Secret Art of Konoha: Taijutsu Scroll — No Diarrhea for a Thousand Years!"
Naruto's hands flashed into a Tiger Seal. He surged forward with terrifying momentum, chakra surging in his legs. Kakashi's eye widened in disbelief as the boy closed the gap faster than most Chūnin could react.
What kind of ridiculous name for a technique is that?! Kakashi thought frantically. But the power behind it was no joke.
The ground shook when Naruto struck. Kakashi barely escaped with another Body Replacement, reappearing at a safer distance, sweat rolling down his temple.
"These brats…" he muttered, rubbing his neck. "If I don't stay sharp, I'll be hospitalized before lunchtime."
---
Meanwhile: At the Hyūga Compound
While the chaos unfolded at the training ground, Andrew sat cross-legged across from Hyūga Hiashi in the serene courtyard of the Hyūga estate. A steaming pot of tea sat between them.
Andrew lifted his cup, sipping, then gave a polite nod. "Tsk, good tea. Clan Leader Hiashi, you seem to be doing quite well recently. You even look younger."
Hiashi's pale eyes studied him calmly. "When the mind is unburdened, the body feels lighter. With the Third Hokage and the Council preoccupied repairing the damage from past mistakes, the Hyūga have been left in peace. Life is easier now than it has been in years."
Andrew set the cup down, exhaling through his nose. "Perhaps. Still, it's ironic. I had intended to stand behind the Uchiha's rise as a stabilizing figure. But with the elders managing positions, much of the burden ends up falling on me. The weight is heavier than I expected."
Hiashi gave the faintest smirk. "Such is the cost of being the one who tries to steer the storm."
Andrew leaned back, his mind half on the tea, half on the training ground where Team 7 was being forged through fire and sweat.
---
Back at the Training Ground
Kakashi crouched in the grass, his headband slipping slightly as he wiped his brow. Naruto and Sasuke circled like wolves, their eyes glinting. Sakura peeked nervously from her hiding spot, unsure whether to intervene.
Kakashi tightened his grip on the bells. If this continues, they might actually take them from me. These aren't kids—they're prodigies groomed by fate itself.
For the first time in years, Hatake Kakashi felt the thrill of danger not from enemy shinobi, but from his own students.
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