The three of them ate lunch together on the rooftop.
During this time, Naruto kept hovering around Sakura, wanting to please her.
However, he was clumsy and often ended up flustered, ultimately messing things up. Not only did he fail to leave a good impression in Sakura's heart, but it actually got worse, and he was yelled at by Sakura.
Seeing this situation, Jokichi felt he had overthought things earlier.
A simp who wants to have it all must use his brain. Simping blindly will only result in having nothing, and it will also raise the difficulty of simping.
Thinking back to his previous life, from his first year of middle school all the way to college, there were girls simping over him every year, yet ultimately gaining nothing, Jokichi felt deeply about this.
A group of silly girls, they did not even know what I liked and just simped blindly, how could they gain my favor?
However, also because of Naruto's clumsiness, the relationship between the three became much more familiar.
After eating lunch, the few of them returned to the classroom to wait for the Jonin instructor's arrival.
Jokichi took out the prepared Pure-Hearted Youth and flipped through it in his hands.
This melodramatic romance novel forged from Kakashi, he himself should like it very much, right!
Jokichi prepared to give this to Kakashi as a gift.
After all, he was the team captain, leaving a good impression and building a good relationship could not go wrong.
Even though the two had known each other for a long time.
At this time, the other classmates successively returned to the classroom.
Just as Jokichi thought they would have to wait a long time before their squad's Jonin instructor Kakashi arrived, the classroom door was suddenly opened.
A young man with short brown hair, wearing a face-guard style forehead protector, dressed in a loose black combat suit paired with a green flak jacket on the outside, walked in.
He looked around, his gaze sweeping back and forth among the newly graduated Genin. A pair of large, pitch-black eyes paired with a meticulous expression made it look as if two holes had been poked out of a piece of cardboard.
The classroom quieted down. Everyone sat up straight and looked at the newcomer.
Although they did not know the newcomer, the green flak jacket that clearly only Chunin and above were qualified to wear, as well as the time of his appearance here, all announced his identity as a Jonin instructor to everyone.
As subordinates, everyone wanted to leave a good impression on their Jonin instructor.
The newcomer swept his gaze across the crowd and said, "Team 7, come with me."
After speaking, he turned and left the classroom.
Huh?
Hearing the voice, Jokichi, whose mind was wandering, snapped back to reality.
He looked at the departing back, his eyes wide open, not even realizing that Pure-Hearted Youth in his hand had fallen to the ground.
"Coming."
Naruto stood up from his seat and clamored as he followed.
Sakura called out to Jokichi in the back and also chased after them.
The actions of the two awakened Jokichi.
He suddenly stood up, a look of astonishment on his face.
What the hell?
Is Team 7's captain not Kakashi?
That back just now was clearly not Kakashi, right? Even the hair color was different.
Is it because of Sasuke?
Because there is no Sharingan in the team, there is no need for Kakashi, who has experience using the Sharingan, to be the instructing captain?
Since he could not figure it out, he did not overthink it.
Jokichi picked up Pure-Hearted Youth from the ground and chased after them, leaving the classroom.
...
The few of them gathered on the teaching building's rooftop.
On the way, Jokichi also saw the front of the instructing Jonin.
Yamato.
A Konoha Jonin, a top-tier elite ninja belonging to the Anbu, the Hokage's direct-control unit. During his childhood, because the cells of the First Hokage Senju Hashirama were implanted into his body, he inherited the First's Wood Release Kekkei Genkai.
Yamato originally belonged to Root, operating under the codename Kinoe. He was later named Yamato by the Third Hokage, and after being transferred to the Anbu, used Tenzo as his operational codename.
As expected, because Sasuke was not there, the Jonin instructor was also changed.
Although Kakashi was proficient in over a thousand ninjutsu, he and Naruto were completely different types.
Kakashi was the type skilled in controlling and suppressing the use of chakra, while Naruto was the type that enhanced and released chakra.
Although ninjutsu could be taught, their styles were completely different; it did not necessarily have to be Kakashi.
Therefore, sending Yamato, who was better able to suppress the Nine-Tails' rampage, was a natural course of action.
A few minutes later, the few of them arrived at the rooftop together.
Yamato leaned against the railing, a hint of a smile on his face, "We will be acting as a team from now on, so before that, let's introduce ourselves and get to know each other!"
"As the captain, let me go first!" Yamato smiled and said, "My name is Yamato. The food I like is walnuts, my hobby is reading books about architecture, and as for my future goal... that is a secret for now."
Hobby is reading books about architecture...
As expected of you, Captain Yamato.
The corners of Jokichi's mouth twitched, feeling somewhat speechless.
"It is my turn next."
Naruto hurriedly raised his right hand, "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. My favorite food to eat is cup ramen, but I like the ramen Iruka-sensei treats me to and the barbecue Jokichi treats me to even more. What I hate is waiting the three minutes for the cup ramen. My hobby is competing with people in eating cup ramen, and then, my future dream is to surpass all past Hokage and make all the villagers acknowledge my existence."
"A good ambition." Yamato nodded approvingly and cast his gaze to Sakura on the left. "It is your turn next."
"My name is Haruno Sakura. The thing I like is more like a certain person I like, however..." Sakura gradually lowered her head, feeling a bit down, but then immediately cheered up, "My goal is to be able to walk together with the person I like in the future."
What an ordinary teenage girl's ambition.
A drop of sweat hung on the back of Yamato's head as he looked awkwardly at Jokichi.
Jokichi seemed to have thought of his wording long ago, introducing himself smoothly, "My name is Sakakura Jokichi. I like getting rewards without putting in effort, I hate having to work hard to get rewards, and my biggest goal is to live a carefree life, just eating and waiting to die."
"Jokichi, how can you have so little ambition?" Naruto clamored in dissatisfaction.
Jokichi looked at Naruto strangely, "How is that lacking ambition?"
"Getting rewards without working hard or whatever, how is such a thing possible!"
"It is precisely because it is impossible that I like it!"
"Moreover, do you not want to live a carefree life?"
"Uh, well, um..."
"Just say whether you want to or not!"
"I do."
"Then there you go."
Yamato looked at Naruto, who had been talked into circles by Jokichi's words, and could not help but feel somewhat speechless.
A silly boy with excess energy, an ordinary young girl, and the grade's first place with weird ideas.
Thinking of the situations of these three people mentioned by Lord Hokage, Yamato felt a mountain of pressure.
However, no matter how difficult the mission assigned by Lord Hokage was, it had to be completed.
Yamato's gaze grew firm.
He clapped his hands, and after attracting the gazes of the three, he said, "Since everyone has finished their introductions, let's start our official mission tomorrow!"
"What mission?" Naruto and Sakura asked in unison.
Yamato smiled slightly and said, "A survival exercise."
"An exercise!?" Naruto froze for a moment, then immediately protested, "We have all already become official ninjas, why are we still doing a survival exercise mission?"
"Well, it is a new team after all, I need to see what your level is like." Yamato's face turned serious, "Moreover, do not treat a ninja's survival exercise like the playing house you did at the academy; people can die. If you are afraid, you do not have to come tomorrow. I will explain it to the academy and let you go back for another year of further study."
Naruto and Sakura were frightened, looks of astonishment on their faces.
Jokichi, however, cheerfully slapped his knee and stood up, "There is such a good thing? I have always felt that my strength is insufficient and I am not qualified to be an official ninja. Please, Yamato-sensei, explain to the academy and let me return to school for further study."
Yamato: "..."
Naruto: "..."
Sakura: "..."