We gathered on the rooftop for introductions.
Kakashi leaned against the railing, looking about as enthusiastic as a man being forced to babysit four hyperactive gremlins. Which, to be fair, was probably accurate.
"Alright, let's start with self-introductions," he said, his visible eye scanning over us before landing on me. "You first."
'Interesting. He's sizing me up.'
Made sense. The Hokage himself had apparently compared me to the Fourth—Namikaze Minato. Kakashi's former sensei. No pressure or anything.
"My name is Saiki," I said, keeping my tone casual but confident. "I like training. Don't really have any dislikes. As for my dream..."
I paused, letting my expression shift to something more serious.
"I want to become strong enough to protect the people I care about."
Simple. Direct. And completely true.
Kakashi nodded slightly, though his face gave nothing away. I could tell he was satisfied, though. Probably connecting the dots—orphan who watched his parents die during the Nine-Tails attack, now driven to protect others.
'Classic tragic backstory. Works every time.'
"Your turn," Kakashi said, gesturing lazily to Naruto.
"WAIT A MINUTE!"
Naruto shot up, pointing accusingly at our instructor.
"You show up an hour late, act all mysterious, and now YOU want US to introduce ourselves first? That's not how this works! You go first!"
'There it is. The Naruto energy.'
What followed was pretty much exactly what I expected. Kakashi gave a vague non-answer about liking things and disliking other things, dreams that were none of our business, blah blah blah.
Naruto went on about ramen and becoming Hokage.
Sakura stammered through her introduction while stealing glances at Sasuke.
Sasuke brooded about revenge and killing "a certain man."
Classic Team 7.
Before leaving, Kakashi dropped the bomb about tomorrow's "survival test" and casually mentioned we shouldn't eat breakfast.
"If you eat, you'll throw up," he said with what I could only assume was a sadistic smile hidden beneath that mask.
And then he vanished.
"Man, what's with that guy?" Naruto groaned. "Is he really a Jonin? He seems totally unreliable!"
"Sasuke!"
Sakura immediately pivoted to her favorite topic. "Since we're on the same squad now, why don't we grab dinner together? To celebrate!"
Her eyes were practically sparkling with hope.
'Oh, Sakura. You poor, optimistic soul.'
Sasuke didn't even look at her.
"Instead of wasting time on stuff like that, you should train. Your skills are... lacking."
Direct hit. Critical damage.
"I—"
"Don't hold me back."
And with that, he walked away without a backward glance.
'Damn. Cold as always.'
Naruto's face twisted with anger. "That bastard! Who does he think he is, talking to Sakura like that? One of these days, I'm gonna—"
The eternal Indra-Asura cycle, playing out right in front of me. Some things really were destined.
I didn't bother getting involved in their little love triangle drama. Once everyone dispersed, I headed home.
'I'm officially a ninja now.'
Years of preparation, all leading to this moment. And tomorrow would be the real beginning.
For once, I skipped my nightly training and just... rested.
The next day.
I strolled into the training ground around noon, hands in my pockets, completely relaxed.
The sight that greeted me was almost pitiful.
Naruto was slumped against a training post, clutching his stomach like he was dying. Sakura looked pale and irritable. Even Sasuke's usually stoic face had a hint of suffering.
"Yo."
I waved casually as I approached.
"SAIKI! YOU'RE LATE!"
Naruto somehow found the energy to yell despite looking like he hadn't eaten in days. Which, technically, he hadn't.
"Did something happen?" Sakura asked, genuine concern in her voice. "You've never been late before..."
Even Sasuke raised an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation.
'These poor, innocent fools.'
"Wait," I said, tilting my head. "You guys actually showed up early? And didn't eat breakfast?"
Naruto blinked. "Huh? Wasn't that the plan? He said to be here at dawn and not to eat..."
I let out a long sigh.
"Intel gathering," I said. "It's one of the most basic skills for any ninja. Did none of you bother to do any research on our instructor?"
"Research...?"
Naruto looked like I'd just spoken a foreign language.
But Sakura and Sasuke—their expressions shifted. Realization dawning.
"Our Jonin instructor is Hatake Kakashi," I continued. "Also known as the Copy Ninja. Also known as the man who is chronically late to everything. Three hours late? Four hours? Completely normal for him. As for the 'don't eat breakfast' thing..."
I shrugged.
"It's a prank. There's no rule against eating before a Jonin test. Never has been. I checked."
Silence.
Complete, utter silence.
"AHHHHH!"
Naruto grabbed his head like his brain was short-circuiting.
"So we've been STARVING since DAWN for NOTHING?!"
"His habits are pretty well-known around the village," I added, perhaps twisting the knife a little. "Silver hair, mask, always reading adult novels in public, perpetually late. You could've found this out just by asking around."
Sasuke's expression darkened. I could practically see the gears turning in his head—the realization that the gap between us wasn't just about combat skills.
'Welcome to the real world, Uchiha. Being a ninja isn't just about shooting fireballs.'
Sakura looked devastated. "I... I was so excited about being on Sasuke's team that I completely forgot..."
"So, uh..." Naruto raised his hand tentatively. "Is it too late to go grab some food?"
Even Sasuke and Sakura perked up slightly at that suggestion.
"Of course it's too late."
A familiar lazy voice came from behind us.
Kakashi had appeared out of nowhere, leaning against a tree like he'd been there the whole time.
"THAT'S SO UNFAIR!" Naruto exploded, pointing at him. "You made us starve on PURPOSE!"
Kakashi's eye crinkled in what might have been amusement.
"Did I? Or did you starve yourselves?" He gestured toward me. "This one just explained it, didn't he? Intelligence gathering is fundamental. You had all night to prepare. You chose not to."
He pushed off from the tree, and for a moment, his gaze lingered on me with something that looked almost like... approval.
"I thought I'd be dealing with four pieces of trash today. But it seems there's at least one who knows what he's doing."
'Well. That's one way to make a first impression.'
Naruto was seething. Sakura looked embarrassed. Sasuke's pride had taken a visible hit.
And me?
[Reputation with Hatake Kakashi: Increased][First Impression: "Shows promise"]
I was exactly where I wanted to be.