Just as Itsuki Yamada and Tano Motoyo finished speaking, another ninja walked into the classroom.
He looked to be in his forties, with a broad, muscular build that barely resembled that of a typical ninja.
The fierce aura surrounding him instantly silenced the previously noisy classroom.
The man stepped onto the podium and swept his gaze across the room.
His eyes quickly locked onto Kai’s group.
“Team 11.
Outside.” His words were short and direct.
This ninja was clearly the instructor assigned to Kai’s team.
After speaking, he turned and walked out of the classroom without another word.
Itsuki and Tano were both visibly intimidated.
“Our teacher looks terrifying…” Itsuki muttered.
Tano also looked worried.
“I have a bad feeling our future is going to be rough.” Kai, however, remained calm.
“He has intense killing intent and a strong scent of blood on him… Looks like he probably came from the ANBU.” “But honestly, that’s probably a good thing.
Anyone who made it into the ANBU should be pretty capable.” Not every ANBU member was a jōnin.
Some chūnin could enter as well.
But anyone accepted into the ANBU, even as a chūnin, was considered elite among their rank.
“We should get moving,” Kai reminded them.
“If we don’t follow now, we might lose track of him.” After Kai’s group left, Naruto finally let out a relieved sigh from the back of the classroom.
“That scared me… Kai is doomed.
Their instructor looks impossible to deal with.” “I mourn for his future ninja career.” Beside him, Sakura still looked shaken.
“Who even was that guy?
It felt like he was about to kill someone…” Only Sasuke appeared thoughtful.
“That ninja has a similar presence to that man…” “He was probably in the ANBU too.” Compared to Naruto and Sakura, Sasuke had seen much more.
From Kai’s instructor, he sensed an aura similar to that of his older brother, Itachi Uchiha.
Meanwhile, after catching up to their instructor, Kai’s group silently followed behind him.
Itsuki and Tano remained quiet because they were intimidated by his presence.
Kai, on the other hand, simply was not very talkative.
The instructor himself also said nothing.
The four silently left the Academy and arrived at one of Konoha’s training grounds.
Konoha had many training grounds, most of them quite large.
The most famous one, of course, was the Forest of Death, which stretched roughly twenty kilometers across.
Standing before their instructor, both Itsuki and Tano trembled slightly.
Only Kai remained composed.
The instructor glanced over the three of them before stopping his gaze on Kai.
Then Kai suddenly felt a crushing pressure descend onto him.
The sensation was deeply unpleasant.
He immediately understood what it was.
But he had no intention of yielding.
Even though his consciousness wavered slightly.
This pressure was the instructor’s killing intent.
Under such terrifying oppression, Kai’s expression did not change in the slightest.
In fact, he looked almost completely unaffected.
Even the instructor was surprised.
“What an interesting brat.” The pressure had failed to suppress Kai, immediately sparking his interest.
After all, Kai was merely a fresh Academy graduate.
Yet under this level of intimidation, he remained unbelievably calm.
Even ordinary chūnin could not manage that.
“Hahaha!
Kid, you really surprised me.” “I thought they had dumped a bunch of inexperienced rookies on me, but it turns out there’s an interesting one among you.” The instructor finally spoke.
Meanwhile, Itsuki and Tano—who had only been brushed by the edge of the pressure—had already turned pale.
Their bodies trembled as their consciousness blurred.
After all, this instructor had once been ANBU.
The killing intent radiating from him carried genuine bloodlust.
Kai looked up at him calmly.
“Sensei, I don’t think it’s appropriate to use such violent methods on newly graduated genin.” Although Kai had resisted the pressure, that did not mean he was unaffected by it.
His mind had still faltered for an instant.
If not for the reward he had received last night—which had strengthened both his body and spirit several times over—he would probably have collapsed just like Itsuki and Tano.
The instructor paused in surprise at Kai’s response.
Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly waved his hand helplessly.
“Honestly, this is exactly why I’m not suited to teaching kids like you.” “If this were back in the day, I’d have beaten you up already for talking to me like that.” The instructor grinned.
“You’re Kai Kagefumi, right?” “Looks like the Academy’s evaluation of you was completely inaccurate.” “You’re not ordinary at all.” Without the instructor’s pressure weighing down on them anymore, Itsuki and Tano finally began recovering.
But the way they looked at him was filled with fear.
Neither of them had ever experienced something so terrifying before.
At the same time, they both looked toward Kai.
Even under such horrifying pressure, he had remained calm.
That alone made him seem terrifying as well.
Earlier, they had assumed Kai was about the same level as them.
Now they realized the gap between them was enormous.
What they did not know was that the instructor’s pressure had been focused primarily on Kai.
If they knew that, they would be even more shocked.
The mere aftershock had nearly caused them to lose consciousness.
They could not even imagine how overwhelming the pressure on Kai himself had been.
Kai did not deny the instructor’s words.
Trying to explain himself now would only feel forced.
Fortunately, the instructor did not dwell on the matter.
In fact, he seemed pleased instead.
“Alright, let me introduce myself.” “My name is Dōichi Kimoto.
You can call me Dōichi-sensei.” “That earlier pressure was simply a small test.” “You all did fairly well—especially Kai.” Dōichi Kimoto was extremely satisfied with Kai’s performance.
Honestly, he was more surprised than anything else.
“Now then, you three should introduce yourselves.” The moment Dōichi finished speaking, Itsuki excitedly raised his hand.
“Sensei!
Sensei!
My name is Itsuki Yamada!
My favorite food is yakiniku, my least favorite is green peppers, and my dream is to become the strongest ninja in the world and the greatest Hokage Konoha has ever had!” Itsuki really did resemble Naruto.
Even their dreams sounded almost identical.
Then again, becoming Hokage was probably the dream of most children in Konoha.
Dōichi smiled.
“Then you’ll have to work hard.” “There are many powerful ninja in this world.
If you want to become the strongest, you’ll need to put in more effort than everyone else.” Now that the killing intent was gone, Dōichi no longer felt unapproachable.
He even seemed fairly kind.
Tano, however, still had not fully recovered from the fear he had inspired earlier.
Her voice trembled as she spoke.
“M-My name is Tano Motoyo… I’m twelve years old…” Her voice was so soft it was almost impossible to hear.
Already delicate and pretty to begin with, her timid appearance only made her seem more lovable.
Her waist-length golden hair made her look almost radiant.
Even Kai was momentarily stunned by how beautiful she looked.
“A girl this pretty never appeared in the story at all…” “She probably died during some random mission.” Kai frowned slightly.
Both Tano and Itsuki had already left a good impression on him.
Even though they had only just met, he already considered them companions.
“I wonder if my existence will change their future…” Kai thought silently.
Then it was his turn.
“My name is Kai Kagefumi.” “My dream is to become an outstanding ninja.” It was an extremely ordinary dream.
Because truthfully, Kai never really had any grand ambitions.
Not before obtaining the system.
And not afterward, either.