Naruto: Young Teacher
Chapter 20
Ren sat casually beside Sakura, the two chatting quietly while waiting for their instructor. Even though Sakura hadn't joined the intense training sessions Ren held with Hinata and Ino, their friendship had remained unchanged. She still enjoyed talking with him whenever they had the chance.
Across the room, Naruto was already irritated. Kakashi-sensei was hours late, and Naruto's patience had long since run out. Grinning mischievously, he placed a chalkboard duster carefully on top of the classroom door, clearly preparing a childish trap.
Sakura sighed when she noticed it, rubbing her temple in mild frustration. Sasuke also glanced at the door before looking away, his expression indifferent. In their minds, there was no way a Jonin would fall for something that obvious.
Instead, Sakura continued chatting with Ren while Sasuke silently glared at him from across the room. Sasuke still hadn't managed to defeat Hinata in sparring, meaning he couldn't challenge Ren yet. The quiet rivalry burned in his chest every time he saw the three of them together.
Ren ignored Sasuke's glare completely, acting as if he hadn't noticed it at all. Just then, the classroom door slowly opened.
The duster dropped instantly and landed squarely on Kakashi's silver hair, releasing a small cloud of chalk dust around him. Sakura and Sasuke stared in stunned silence, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
Kakashi stood there calmly with chalk dust on his head, staring at them with his usual dead-fish eyes. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a flat voice.
"Hello. I'm Kakashi Hatake, your Jonin teacher… and my first impression of you all is bad."
Naruto immediately began complaining about how Kakashi had arrived hours late. Sakura joined him, clearly annoyed as well, while Kakashi ignored them both completely as if their protests didn't exist.
"Meet me on the roof for introductions," Kakashi said lazily before disappearing in a blur.
Naruto groaned loudly in frustration, grumbling as the group made their way up the stairs. Ren followed calmly behind Team 7, his hands resting in his pockets as they reached the rooftop.
Once everyone had gathered, Kakashi leaned casually against the railing. His visible eye lazily scanned the group before he finally spoke.
"Alright. Introduce yourselves. Likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams… that sort of thing."
Ren stepped forward first, keeping his introduction short and simple. "Ren. I'm an orphan. I specialize in taijutsu and support techniques. I'll be serving as a support ninja for Teams 7, 8, and 10."
Sakura followed after him, clasping her hands together slightly. "Sakura Haruno. Member of Team 7. The things I like… and the person I like…" Her eyes drifted toward Sasuke, her cheeks turning faintly pink.
Naruto quickly jumped in next with his usual enthusiasm. "Uzumaki Naruto! Member of Team 7, and the future Hokage! Believe it!"
Sasuke crossed his arms and spoke in a cold, emotionless tone. "Uchiha Sasuke. I have many dislikes and few things I like. My goal… is to kill a certain man."
Kakashi listened quietly before sighing internally. A fangirl, a loudmouthed dreamer, and a traumatized avenger… he mentally summarized them without much optimism.
His gaze briefly shifted to Ren before he spoke again. At least one of them seemed calm and useful, especially as a support ninja working with multiple teams.
"Well then," Kakashi said lazily. "I'm Kakashi Hatake, your Jonin instructor. What I like and dislike… has nothing to do with you."
Naruto frowned immediately at that answer. "Hey! What kind of introduction is that?!"
"Yeah, all we learned was your name," Sakura complained with a small pout.
Kakashi stared at them with his usual bored expression. "That's all you need to know. Tomorrow we'll meet at Training Ground Seven at six in the morning. Your real test will begin then."
Naruto blinked in confusion at the word test. "Wait… another test? Didn't we already become ninja?"
Kakashi shook his head slightly. "No. If you fail, you'll be sent back to the academy."
He paused briefly before adding one final warning. "Oh, and don't eat breakfast. You might puke."
The moment he finished speaking, Kakashi vanished again using the Body Flicker Technique. The rooftop fell silent as the students processed what had just happened.
"Well, see you guys," Ren said calmly as he stood up. "I've got somewhere to be."
Without waiting for a reply, he jumped off the rooftop and headed toward the village streets. A short while later, he arrived in front of a barbecue restaurant where two familiar girls were waiting.
Ino crossed her arms the moment she saw him approach. "What took you so long? We've been standing here for hours!"
Ren scratched the back of his head awkwardly, offering a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that. Team Seven's instructor showed up late, so introductions took longer than expected."
Hinata gently stepped forward, her soft smile calming the situation instantly. She lightly pulled both of them toward the restaurant entrance.
"Enough about that," she said warmly. "Let's celebrate becoming ninja."
Ren and Ino both laughed as they followed her inside. Plates of grilled meat soon filled their table, and the three friends happily enjoyed their meal together.
Their lives as shinobi had officially begun.