Chapter 14: The DivisionA Morning of Rest
"Ryuzen-kun, Ryuzen-kun..."
For the first time, Ryuzen slept in.
It wasn't until Hinata's gentle voice reached his ears that his consciousness gradually emerged from the depths of sleep.
When he opened his eyes, a pair of pure white Byakugan filled with concern immediately came into view.
"Hinata, you're here." Ryuzen rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up.
Watching Ryuzen as he rose from his futon, Hinata asked worriedly, "Ryuzen-kun, are you feeling alright?"
"What could possibly be wrong with me?" Ryuzen pinched Hinata's nose gently and smiled.
Seeing that his expression didn't seem forced or pained, Hinata breathed a small sigh of relief. Feeling Ryuzen's familiar, intimate gesture, her cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she whispered, "This is the first time I've ever seen you wake up so late. I thought you might be sick."
They had known each other for so many years now. Though Hinata had her own key to Ryuzen's house, she had long grown accustomed to finding him already practicing with his sword in the training hall or sitting quietly in the living room whenever she arrived. This was the first time she had seen him still sleeping. The sight was unexpectedly endearing.
Ryuzen didn't know what thoughts were running through Hinata's mind. After gently releasing her nose, he stood and made his way to the bathroom to wash up.
When he finished brushing his teeth and washing his face, Hinata was already standing beside him, holding out a dry towel.
He accepted it, dried his face, and together they left the bedroom, walking into the main living area.
On the table sat a carefully prepared lunch box—just enough food for two people, arranged with obvious care.
After eating, Ryuzen returned to his room to change clothes.
When he emerged again, Hinata, who had been unconsciously staring at the doorway, felt her cheeks grow warm. She lowered her head quickly, unable to meet his gaze.
The way Ryuzen looked now was striking.
His silver hair was pulled back and tied into a single ponytail with a simple cord. His eyebrows slanted with a sharp, almost sword-like quality above slender crimson eyes that held their usual quiet intensity. He wore a light black kimono with a white scarf wrapped loosely at his neck. His overall presence reminded one of an eagle soaring through night skies—cold, proud, yet carrying an undeniable nobility.
An ordinary bamboo sword hung at his waist. At first glance, he could easily be mistaken for the heir of some prestigious samurai clan.
A genin forehead protector was tied securely around his upper arm.
Ryuzen walked toward the door and glanced back at Hinata. "Let's go."
"Mm-hmm..." Hinata nodded quickly, her eyes following his back with undisguised longing and admiration.
The Classroom Awaits
They arrived at the Ninja Academy together. The classroom was already filled with students.
Every graduate wore their forehead protector somewhere visible—on their foreheads like most, around their necks like Hinata, or tied to their arms like Ryuzen. Their faces shone with anticipation for the ninja careers that awaited them.
What they didn't yet understand was that the real graduation assessment would only begin after the teams were formed.
Ryuzen and Hinata made their way to the back of the classroom and sat down. Almost immediately, Ryuzen's appearance drew the attention of many girls in the room.
When those same girls noticed Hinata sitting beside him, they made no effort to hide their envy.
Time passed steadily. Several more classmates filtered in during this time.
Among them were Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura, who burst through the door as if competing in a hundred-meter dash. Uzumaki Naruto followed shortly after.
Watching the accidental "kiss" that occurred between Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, Ryuzen's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
"Good morning, everyone."
Just as Naruto was being thoroughly scolded by the indignant girls, Iruka walked into the classroom and put an end to the commotion.
Looking at the expectant faces before him, Iruka's eyes held both relief and a touch of nostalgia. He spoke with genuine warmth: "Congratulations! From today onward, you are all officially ninja of Konoha. However, since you're still genin, you'll need to form teams of three. You'll perform missions under the guidance of a jōnin sensei who will lead your group."
"Now then, I'll begin announcing the team assignments."
"..."
At the mention of three-person teams, the classroom's atmosphere grew lively.
A significant number of eager gazes shifted toward Uchiha Sasuke and Ryuzen in turn.
Those eyes held undisguised hope and desire.
Even Hinata, seated beside Ryuzen, glanced at him with hopeful expectation.
But as Iruka called out names one by one, the fiery looks gradually dimmed.
Soon, six teams had been assigned.
"Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke."
"Eh?! Iruka-sensei, why am I stuck on a team with that jerk Sasuke?!"
"That's what I should be saying! Dead last, don't you dare hold me back."
"Bastard Sasuke, what did you say?!"
"QUIET!" Seeing the two about to start fighting again, Iruka shot Naruto a fierce glare. He cleared his throat twice before continuing. "Next, Team 8..."
At those words, Ryuzen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Hyūga Hinata..."
As Iruka spoke her name, Hinata tensed beside him.
"Aburame Shino... and..."
She held her breath.
"Yagyu Ryuzen."
"Ryuzen-kun, that's wonderful!" The moment she heard his name, Hinata's tension melted into excitement. Without thinking, she grabbed Ryuzen's arm—a display of emotion rare enough for the usually shy girl that it showed just how happy she was to be placed with him.
"Ah..."
Ryuzen felt genuine surprise as well. He hadn't expected the Third Hokage to take his situation so seriously.
The old man had actually restructured the perception team to include him.
But Ryuzen found himself quite satisfied with this arrangement.
Not only would he have Hinata—his childhood friend and someone he trusted completely—but also Aburame Shino, whose calm and composed nature made him a reliable teammate. With Shino's insects providing detection within a kilometer radius through the Byakugan's辅助, combined with Ryuzen's own Kenbunshoku Haki, Team 8 would excel as a perception unit.
Their instructor, Yūhi Kurenai, might be somewhat weaker in direct combat compared to some other jōnin, but she would compensate for Ryuzen's relative inexperience with genjutsu.
And Ryuzen would cover their team's physical attack capabilities.
Team 8 would prove far more formidable than its original incarnation.
"Team 9: Inuzuka Kiba..."
"Team 10: Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chōji, Nara Shikamaru."
As Iruka announced the final group's composition, the team assignments came to an end.
When Iruka walked out of the classroom with his attendance list, jōnin instructors began appearing in the doorway one by one.
"Everyone from Team 3, follow me."
"Team 1, come with me."
"..."
The students whose teams were called filed out with expressions ranging from eager anticipation to nervous apprehension.
Before long, a graceful figure walked through the doorway.
She first surveyed the remaining students in the classroom, her gaze eventually settling on Ryuzen's face. A satisfied smile curved her lips. "Team 8, come with me."
"Ryuzen-kun, our sensei is a woman." Watching Yūhi Kurenai's retreating back, Hinata whispered in surprise.
She had seen so many male jōnin pass through that she had assumed all the instructors would be men.
Ryuzen didn't respond verbally. Instead, he turned his attention to Aburame Shino, who was rising from his seat. At that same moment, Shino looked toward him.
Meeting Shino's gaze through those dark sunglasses, Ryuzen felt as though their eyes connected despite the lenses. He gave a slight nod.
Then, with Hinata at his side, he left the classroom to follow their new sensei.
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