Haruto politely nodded to the three of them in greeting.
He had always been a steady and composed person—someone with what people would call a stable temperament.
Minor slights and petty frictions simply didn’t register with him.
So Neji’s earlier cold attitude had passed over him like a breeze.
He hadn’t taken it to heart at all.
After Guy finished showing off his students, Haruto smiled and gestured toward the two girls beside him.
“Then let me introduce my friends as well. This is Ino Yamanaka of the Yamanaka Clan, one of the academy’s top students.”
“And this one should be familiar to you already, Neji. Hinata Hyuga, the Hyuga Clan’s eldest daughter. Her abilities aren’t something to underestimate either.”
Guy’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Well, well. Haruto, I never would’ve guessed your social circle is full of noble young ladies.”
Leaning closer, he lowered his voice teasingly.
“And not just any girls—two beautiful ones at that. Don’t tell me you’re living some youthful romantic comedy?”
Haruto had long since become immune to Guy’s straightforward personality.
The man only ever thought about youth, passion, and occasionally gossip.
“You’re overthinking it, Guy-sensei. We’re just friends having a meal together.”
Then he changed the subject.
“Judging by your timing, did you just get back from a mission?”
Guy nodded while stuffing a piece of grilled meat into his mouth.
“That’s right! Today’s the graduation exam, isn’t it? No wonder you’re so free.”
“How’d it go? You didn’t disgrace the spirit of youth, did you?”
Haruto calmly sipped his tea.
“It went fine. Passed without any issues.”
Guy sighed dramatically.
“I wonder which lucky guy gets to be your jonin instructor. Honestly, I’d love to take you myself.”
“But as you can see, I’ve already got these three adorable disciples. Can’t split myself in two.”
Though Guy sounded sincere, there was something unintentionally boastful and awkward about the way he said it.
Haruto was already used to it.
“It doesn’t really matter who my teacher is. In the end, cultivation depends on oneself.”
Guy thought about it and grinned.
“True enough. Your self-discipline is something I genuinely admire.”
What he didn’t say was that Kakashi had specifically warned him never to reveal Haruto’s true strength until he was fully grown.
As Team Guy joined the table, the previously lively Ino and shy Hinata both became noticeably more reserved.
The two girls lowered their heads and silently grilled meat.
Then, like attendants serving a noble lord, they placed each perfectly cooked piece onto Haruto’s plate.
Neji watched the heiress of the Main House personally serving someone else.
His brows furrowed deeply.
But in the end, he held his tongue.
Tenten, on the other hand, was stunned.
She quietly whispered to Lee beside her.
“I seriously didn’t expect our overly passionate Guy-sensei to get along this well with some kid.”
Lee’s eyes practically sparkled.
He stared at Haruto as though looking at the finest delicacy imaginable.
His fighting spirit burned fiercely.
“Guy-sensei talks about him all the time. I trust Guy-sensei’s judgment! Haruto-kun must be a hidden expert!”
“I want to challenge him right now!”
Neji also suspected Haruto might possess some ability, but doubts remained.
No matter how he looked at him, the boy appeared completely ordinary.
There wasn’t the slightest aura of a strong shinobi around him.
Of course, that was because Neji wasn’t using his Byakugan.
If he activated it now, he’d probably leap to his feet in shock after seeing the terrifying amount of chakra inside Haruto.
Still, the Hyuga Clan had strict rules.
The Byakugan consumed chakra, and it wasn’t something they casually activated outside of combat.
Hearing Lee’s enthusiasm, Tenten rolled her eyes.
“Would you calm down? You’re a year older than him. That’s basically bullying a younger kid.”
“Besides, Guy-sensei would never allow it.”
Resting her chin on her hand, she examined Haruto carefully.
She had to admit—
The guy was ridiculously handsome.
What puzzled her was why she’d never heard anyone making a big deal about it at the academy.
Then again, in the harsh world of shinobi, looks alone meant nothing.
Without strength to back them up, appearances weren’t worth much.
Since Haruto had always maintained average grades and never stood out, it was only natural people overlooked him.
For the rest of the meal, Haruto paid little attention to the silent battle of stares from Neji and the others.
Instead, he focused on chatting with Guy.
Between bites of meat, Guy complained about how dangerous their latest mission had been.
It was supposed to be a simple C-rank assignment.
Then several wandering ninja with chunin-level strength had appeared out of nowhere.
The mission difficulty instantly jumped to B-rank.
If Guy hadn’t stepped in, things could have gone very badly.
Haruto listened patiently and occasionally responded with a smile.
The barbecue lasted over two hours.
When it came time to pay, the generous Guy waved his hand and covered the entire bill.
Beside him, Ino secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Her wallet had survived.
As they prepared to leave, Lee finally couldn’t hold back anymore.
“Haruto!”
Though we can’t fight now, I hope we meet during the Chunin Exams!”
“I challenge you in the name of youth!”
Haruto smiled and nodded.
“Sure. I’d like to see for myself just how powerful the taijutsu Guy-sensei is so proud of really is.”
Neji also gave Haruto a long look.
His tone was calm, but edged with sharpness.
“I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
Haruto laughed.
“What? Planning to take turns challenging me?”
“Fine, fine. If we get the chance, I’ll gladly oblige.”
Without giving the two of them time to continue making declarations, he left with Ino and Hinata.
While Haruto was leisurely enjoying his barbecue, a conversation concerning him was taking place inside the Hokage Tower.
After the jonin meeting ended, Kakashi deliberately stayed behind.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, blew out a ring of smoke and looked at him curiously.
“Kakashi, is there something else?”
Scratching his head, Kakashi’s visible eye looked as lazy as ever.
“Hokage-sama, I’d like to know which students you’re planning to assign to me this year.”
The Third looked surprised.
In the past, Kakashi had hated mentoring genin.
Every time he was assigned students, he’d find some bizarre excuse to reject them.
Now he was actually asking?
That was a good sign.
“The graduation exams just ended. The roster isn’t finalized yet.”
“Why? Do you have someone in mind?”
Kakashi straightened slightly.
His tone grew serious.
“If possible, I’d like Haruto assigned to my squad.”
“As for the other teammates, I don’t have any objections.”
The Third paused.
The hand holding his pipe stopped moving.
“Haruto? That average-looking student?”
“Give me a reason. I don’t believe you’d take an interest in an ordinary student for no reason.”
Kakashi was silent for a moment before deciding to reveal part of the truth. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“In reality, I’ve already been half his teacher for several years.”
“I promised him that once he graduated, I’d officially become his jonin instructor.”
The Third’s pipe nearly slipped from his fingers.
“Several years? How do I not know about this?”
Kakashi explained,
“At first, I just thought the kid was interesting. Calm and mature.”
“So I casually taught him a few techniques.”
“I didn’t expect his talent to be terrifying.”
“He learns almost instantly.”
“Based on my conservative estimate, he already possesses chunin-level strength.”
“The reason he appears mediocre at the academy is simply because he dislikes attracting attention.”
The Third’s eyes widened.
“Chunin?”
“That twelve-year-old child?”
Chunin were the backbone of the village.
Reaching that level at twelve years old absolutely qualified as genius territory.
Not quite Kakashi’s legendary promotion to jonin at twelve— but astonishing nonetheless.
The Third thought carefully before asking,
“You personally taught him?”
“What exactly have you taught him?”
Kakashi nodded.
“Fire Release, Water Release, and Earth Release.”
“I’ve taught him techniques from all three affinities.”
“At least five B-rank ninjutsu, all of which he’s already mastered.”
The Third sucked in a sharp breath.
“Five B-rank techniques?”
“You’re not joking?”
Most chunin only mastered one or two C-rank techniques.
B-rank ninjutsu were typically the standard of jonin.
Many veteran chunin didn’t even possess a single noteworthy B-rank technique.
If Kakashi wasn’t exaggerating, then Haruto’s talent was outright monstrous.
A genuine successor to Kakashi’s legacy.
The Third looked at him thoughtfully.
“No wonder you’ve been hiding him.”
“He really is a lot like you were back then.”
Kakashi shook his head.
“Not really.”
“He’s far more mature than I was.”
“That’s one of the reasons I think so highly of him.”
Truthfully, the Third felt somewhat irritated.
Kakashi had concealed this for years.
It clearly showed a lack of trust—or perhaps a desire to keep Haruto hidden from Danzo.
Still, considering Kakashi’s importance to the village, the Third suppressed those feelings.
After all, he’d already chosen Kakashi as a future Hokage candidate.
He could afford a little tolerance.
And a talent like Haruto genuinely deserved cultivation.
After weighing the pros and cons, he finally nodded.
“Fine. You can have him.”
“But in exchange, the other two teammates will be chosen by me.”
This was classic Hiruzen.
With Haruto as bait, he could finally stuff two troublesome students into Kakashi’s squad.
Kakashi had already expected this.
“No problem.”
“As long as they pass my survival exercise.”
The Third smiled like an old fox.
“Don’t worry. These two children have tremendous potential.”
“They’ll surprise you.”
He handed over a stack of prepared files.
Kakashi opened them.
The first two names didn’t bother him.
But when he saw the third— he froze.
“Naruto Uzumaki?”
“Didn’t he fail the graduation exam?”
And why were there four names listed?
Were they abandoning the traditional three-person squad?
The Third nodded.
“Naruto is a special case.”
“But he needs proper guidance.”
“Of all people, you’re the one I trust most with him.”
“As for Sasuke…”
“He’s the last surviving Uchiha.”
“He needs a strong teacher watching over him.”
The political considerations behind this arrangement were immense.
Appease Itachi.
Monitor the Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
Cultivate Sasuke as a future weapon.
The Third’s plans ran deep.
He wanted Naruto and Sasuke to become the next pillars of Konoha.
Just like the Legendary Sannin before them.
Bound together.
Balancing one another.
Kakashi understood everything immediately.
If he refused these three headaches, he’d lose Haruto as well.
He sighed.
“A four-man squad breaks every convention.”
“But if it’s your order…”
“Can we at least remove Sakura Haruno?”
“I feel she’s a bit unnecessary.”
The Third rejected the suggestion instantly.
“No.”
“Sakura may be weaker, but her intelligence and personality are exactly what’s needed to mediate between Naruto and Sasuke.”
Kakashi didn’t think much of Sakura’s abilities.
But for Haruto’s sake, he reluctantly accepted.
“Fine.”
“Let’s hope they don’t disappoint me.”
After Kakashi left with the files, the Third stared out the window at the setting sun.
“Haruto…”
“He has been hidden far too carefully.”
“I suspect he’s even stronger than Kakashi claims.”
A veteran like Hiruzen would never blindly accept everything he was told.
Someone capable of mastering five B-rank techniques would require extraordinary chakra reserves and control.
How could such a person be merely an ordinary chunin?
There was a good chance the boy had already stepped into the realm of a Special Jonin.
Still, the Third decided not to investigate further.
As long as his heart belonged to Konoha, strength was a good thing.
The next morning, at the Ninja Academy classroom—
The moment Haruto entered, he saw Naruto sitting there wearing a forehead protector and grinning like an idiot.
Looks like the plot still followed the original path.
What Haruto didn’t know was that he had already been unofficially assigned to the most troublesome team imaginable—
Team 7.
Ino and Hinata sat on either side of him.
Their reactions couldn’t have been more different.
Ino nervously clung to his arm with enough force to crush stone.
“Haruto! Do you think we’ll end up on the same team?”
“We have to end up on the same team!”
Meanwhile, Hinata stared at her fingers with a red face.
“If… if I could be on the same team as Haruto-kun…”
Haruto finally pulled his arm free.
“Stop dreaming.”
“Based on the balancing system, the three of us have zero chance of being assigned together.”
Ino immediately bristled.
“Can’t you be a little optimistic?”
“Or do you just not want to be on a team with me?”
Haruto laughed helplessly.
“This isn’t about what I want.”
“It’s statistics.”
“Besides, even if we’re on different teams, we’re still in the same village.”
Just then, the classroom door opened.
Kurenai Yuhi entered.
Without wasting time, she called out,
“Hinata Hyuga. Kiba Inuzuka. Shino Aburame. Come with me.”
Although Hinata had mentally prepared herself, her eyes still dimmed.
“So we really got separated…”
Haruto lightly patted her shoulder.
“Go on.”
“Don’t lose to those two.”
“I’m rooting for you.”
Hinata instantly brightened.
“Yes!”
“I’ll do my best, Haruto-kun!”
Watching her leave, Ino grew even more anxious.
She grabbed the corner of Haruto’s shirt.
“Oh no. This is bad. This is really bad.”
Haruto casually spoiled the outcome.
“Relax.”
“Your teammates will definitely be Shikamaru and Choji.”
“The Ino-Shika-Cho formation is practically hereditary.”
The moment he finished speaking, a scruffy Asuma Sarutobi entered.
“Nara Shikamaru. Akimichi Choji. Yamanaka Ino.”
Haruto shrugged.
“See?”
“Told you.”
Ino punched him angrily.
“It’s all your fault, you jinx!”
Despite her complaints, she reluctantly followed Asuma out.
The classroom gradually emptied.
One team after another was called away.
As the room grew quieter, Haruto’s expression became increasingly serious.
Until finally—
Only four people remained.
Haruto.
Sasuke.
Naruto.
And Sakura.
At that moment, he knew the worst-case scenario had arrived.
No way…
They’re really shoving me into the protagonist squad?
He had only wanted an ordinary team.
A quiet life.
A low profile.
Making steady progress without attracting attention.
Being grouped with these three meant endless trouble in the future.
Meanwhile, Naruto was having an existential crisis.
He looked at the cool and aloof Sasuke.
Then at the calm Haruto drinking water.
Then at Sakura, who was staring at Sasuke with hearts practically in her eyes.
Suddenly, he felt like the extra.
I’m dead last.
Sasuke’s number one.
Sakura’s an honors student.
Even Haruto is better than me.
Am I the unnecessary one?
What if no teacher wants me?
Time dragged on.
An hour passed.
Still no instructor.
At last, Naruto snapped.
“This is outrageous!”
“We’ve been waiting forever!”
“I’m gonna teach this teacher a lesson!”
He jumped onto the podium and wedged a blackboard eraser above the classroom door.
The oldest prank in history.
Watching from the back, Haruto shook his head.
That’s way too childish.
Even a genin wouldn’t fall for that.
Sakura yelled,
“Naruto, stop messing around!”
Though inwardly, she was secretly hoping the teacher would get embarrassed.
Sasuke snorted.
“Hmph. Pathetic.”
“What kind of jonin would fall for such a low-level trap?”
Then reality arrived like a hurricane.
The door opened.
SMACK!
A chalk-filled eraser landed perfectly on a head of silver hair.
The entire classroom fell silent.
Even the air seemed frozen.
Sasuke’s eyes widened.
“That’s a jonin?”
“You’re kidding me.”
Naruto doubled over laughing.
“Hahahaha!”
“It worked!”
“It actually worked!”
Haruto covered his face.
He simply couldn’t bear to watch.