Dinner that evening was a study in contrasts.
"I'm going to lose my mind! Who does that Yukinoshita think she is? And now I have to be on a team with her..."
Akizuki Airi hadn't stopped fuming since she walked through the door. Every other sentence was another complaint about Yukino Yukinoshita .
"There, there, Airi. At least we got the bells, right?" Yui Yuigahama played peacemaker beside her, shoveling food into Airi's bowl as she talked.
The cause was simple enough.
During that morning's bell test, Airi had served as the squad's heavy hitter.
She'd already learned basic Water and Lightning Release, and the plan had her going toe-to-toe with their jonin instructor, Anko Mitarashi.
It had taken everything she had. Every ounce of stamina, every trick in her book, grinding away until she'd finally forced a crack in Anko's defense.
And then Yukino, who'd been lurking in the shadows the entire time, slipped through the opening and snatched the bells right out from under her.
To make matters worse, Anko decided to twist the knife. She'd only put out two bells, and with a cat-ate-the-canary grin, she turned to Yukino and asked: "Only two bells. Who are you giving them to?"
Yukino considered her options.
She kept one for herself. The other went to Yui Yuigahama.
She and Yui weren't exactly close, but forced to choose between her and Airi? Not even a moment's hesitation. She'd take anyone over being teammates with Makoto Nishikado's woman.
Airi had nearly exploded on the spot.
The only thing that defused the situation was Anko bursting into laughter. "I'm messing with you girls!" Crisis averted. Barely.
Makoto listened to the retelling and raised an eyebrow.
Given Yukino's self-appointed role as moral crusader, he'd assumed she would've sacrificed her own spot and handed both bells to Airi and Yui. The girl had a sharp tongue, but underneath it, she was genuinely principled.
What he didn't know was that Yukino had her own ambitions now.
Go back to the Academy and repeat a year? That would waste months. Months during which Makoto would pull further and further ahead of her. So after an internal tug-of-war, she'd kept a bell for herself.
"Yui, if you're going to comfort someone, shouldn't it be Hina?"
Yumiko Miura 's voice cut through the noise.
The table went quiet. Every pair of eyes drifted toward Hina Ebina.
She'd been eliminated.
That morning's team assignments had put her with two no-name native NPCs. After the bell test, their jonin instructor had delivered the verdict: all three failed.
The choices were simple. Repeat the year, or drop out entirely.
Yui opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Hina smiled.
"It's fine. I was always the weakest one here."
The mood sank like a stone.
Makoto, unbothered by atmosphere as always, asked directly: "What's your plan? Going back to repeat?"
A few seconds of silence.
"I don't want to be a ninja anymore."
Her instructor had said as much. Her talent was limited. Another year at the Academy wouldn't change that.
"That can't be right! Hina, you just had a bad day!" Yumiko scrambled to reassure her, shooting frantic looks at everyone else around the table.
For all her arrogance toward outsiders, Yumiko was fiercely loyal to her own people.
Yui caught the signal and was about to chime in when Hina spoke first.
"I don't have talent, do I, Nishikado?"
"No. You don't."
He picked up another bite of food, expression unchanged.
Yumiko nearly choked. If anyone else had said that, she'd have torn them apart.
"Then... can I survive long enough to make it back to the real world?"
Hina's smile was bitter.
"If you're in danger and I happen to be there, I can lend a hand."
Another bite.
Translation: If I see it, maybe. But don't expect me to come looking.
Yumiko's face darkened with indignation. That's cold, even for you. The girl spent four years waiting on you hand and foot.
She was about to say something when a sharp pinch landed on her side.
She whipped around. Ichinose Chizuru was staring daggers at her, eyes screaming shut up.
Yumiko swallowed her words and smoothed the anger from her face.
Chizuru exhaled in relief. This girl has zero survival instincts.
Who do you think you are, lecturing Makoto Nishikado?
As a woman who'd been intimate with the man, she understood his personality better than anyone at this table.
Whatever Makoto said, he meant. When you hadn't crossed him and he was in a good mood, there was a real chance he'd help you out of a tight spot.
Cross him, though?
Start picking out a coffin.
The topic of Hina's future faded, and Airi resumed her tirade against Yukino.
"Makoto... I don't want to be on a team with her. Can't you talk to the old man Hokage for me? Please?"
Somewhere between complaining and pleading, she'd drifted against his shoulder, then burrowed into his chest entirely, going full charm offensive.
Nearby, Akizuki Marina kept her thoughts to herself: If team swaps are on the table, I'd like one too. Being grouped with Hikigaya Hachiman and Saika Totsuka left her feeling like a perpetual third wheel.
Watching Airi nestle into Makoto without a care in the world, Chizuru felt that familiar itch.
That morning, passing by the Akizuki sisters' room on the way to the bathroom, she'd heard... sounds. And as a woman who'd had a taste of of his manhood, the effect on her was far more intense than anything Yui might feel.
Makoto... don't just look at those two...
Look at me too...
I want... I want it...
Lost in the thought, her thighs pressed together beneath the table, shifting against each other.
—
Two months later.
Makoto had taken his squad, unofficially dubbed "Team Nishikado," on a grand total of seven D-rank missions.
The rest of the time went to training.
The Chunin Exams were approaching, and with them, the Konoha Crush. They needed to be ready.
He'd tailored each student's development path.
Megumi Katou and Ran Mouri were straightforward. Clear strengths, clear directions. One was being shaped into a stealth assassin, the other into a close-combat brawler.
Utaha Kasumigaoka was the interesting one.
After sparring with her for a few days, Makoto noticed she had genuine talent with shuriken. He'd start her down Tenten's path while keeping her ninjutsu training on track.
Her Chakra affinities were Wind and Fire. Worth testing whether she could channel wind-natured Chakra through her kunai the way Danzo did, sharpening their cutting power.
Wind and Fire. Come to think of it, those suited Utaha perfectly.
The woman was an absolute hurricane when it came to chasing men. And with that black-pantyhose upperclassman energy, she was definitely hot and thirsty enough to match.
All things considered, his team's composition reminded him of Team Guy. Ran as the Rock Lee template, Utaha as the Tenten template.
The only difference was Megumi and Neji, who couldn't be more different.
___________________________________
*The Bonus Chapter*
Every 80 Powerstones= 1 Bonus Chapter