Hokage Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Yamato, who had shed his Anbu attire and put on a green flak jacket, and said earnestly, "Yamato, although you have led many teams in the Anbu, this is your first time leading rookie Genin, right!"
"Please rest assured, Lord Hokage, I have already consulted with Senior Kakashi," Yamato promised with a pat on his chest, looking very confident.
Kakashi?
It seems that no rookie has ever passed his assessment!
The corners of Hiruzen's eyes seemed to twitch violently.
He took a puff of his pipe, removed it, and then slowly exhaled, saying earnestly, "Yamato, leading rookies is different from leading an ordinary team, especially this rookie team you are leading. Both Naruto and Jokichi have very strong personalities."
"Don't worry, Lord Hokage," Yamato remained full of confidence. "I have done a background check beforehand. That Naruto is a famous troublemaker in the village, seemingly having the title of 'Number One Most Unpredictable Ninja.' On the other hand, that Jokichi has excellent grades, has always been first in the academy, and seems very sensible and obedient to his teachers. The last one, Sakura Haruno, although there are no rumors about her, that just proves she is an ordinary rookie Genin. I only need to suppress Naruto Uzumaki's arrogance."
If only it were that simple.
"Yamato, you don't know the full story," Hiruzen sighed in his heart and said, "Jokichi has been precocious since childhood and seems to have been able to remember things from the moment he was born. This is a good thing, but also a bad thing."
"A month after he was born, he encountered the Nine-Tails incident. His parents died, and he himself brushed past death."
"This incident seems to have become a psychological shadow for him, making him lack a sense of security. He started training his body on his own from the age of three and has never stopped since then."
"Isn't that good?" Yamato asked curiously. "Although a lack of security can make people constantly worried, being self-disciplined and training hard from a young age means his future will surely be immeasurable!"
"But the problem lies right there."
Hiruzen took a deep puff of his pipe and then slowly exhaled. The lingering smoke shrouded his aged face, making it look looming with worry.
"That child is not only hardworking, but he also has great potential and talent. A few years ago, a Jonin from the village taught him ninjutsu, and his current level of strength has reached a very formidable point."
"However, that child seems to have taken the Nine-Tails as an imaginary enemy. Even though he is so strong, he still believes he is weak. Not only did he refuse the academy's suggestion to graduate early eight times, but even now he is very reluctant to graduate normally. He wanted to continue training until he possessed the strength to contend with the Nine-Tails before graduating."
"This..."
Yamato's mouth twitched.
Facing such an eccentric person created by coincidence, he didn't know what to say.
"So, when you give those children their assessment, you must handle the measure properly. Do not let him take the opportunity to return to school for further study because his strength is hard to improve further through training alone. Letting him stay in the academy would be very bad for his future and would prevent him from stepping out of his psychological shadow."
"I... I will try my best."
Yamato wiped the sweat from his forehead, no longer as confident as before.
After all, it was his first time leading rookies.
He had consulted Kakashi for experience and prepared a bell-snatching assessment, but it seemed unusable now. Otherwise, that guy would probably take the initiative to quit before it even began.
"Also, that child Jokichi has inherited the Senju bloodline through atavism, and it is very thick," Hiruzen's cloudy eyes flickered, seemingly producing a certain expectation. "Although it is just my personal delusion, perhaps he might also inherit the First Hokage's Wood Release. When the time comes, please do not be stingy with your guidance."
"Understood."
...
Yamato looked at the polite and very modest Jokichi in front of him, and the image of the Hokage's entrustment yesterday couldn't help but appear in his mind.
I didn't even take out the bell-snatching assessment I asked Senior Kakashi about...
This guy is even more outrageous than the Hokage said.
The corners of Yamato's eyes seemed to twitch violently.
"Jokichi, you are too lacking in confidence!" Naruto jumped out and shouted at Jokichi, "Sasuke graduated four years ago, and you are the number one who has always crushed him."
You actually believed that nonsense? Are you an idiot?
Sakura's mouth twitched, powerless to complain.
Although Jokichi acted very low-key in school, he was never lazy. He studied hard in the early years, and there were rumors later that he went to a certain training ground to train every day after school.
His words and deeds were completely opposite to his self-introduction just now.
Furthermore, if he wanted to continue studying at the academy, he could have just intentionally made mistakes on the graduation exam. There was no need to stay until now!
To say such nonsense that contradicted his own actions was obviously just to lighten the atmosphere!
Why on earth would you believe this nonsense!
"Naruto is right," Yamato nodded after a brief silence. "Whether you possess the qualifications to be a ninja was already proven when you passed the graduation exam. Jokichi, you need to be more confident."
Why does Yamato-sensei believe this nonsense too!
Sakura wore a gentle smile on the surface, but her inner persona was roaring.
"Yamato-sensei is right," Naruto followed up, "Jokichi, you are the goal I've always been chasing after. Don't be so depressed!"
"..."
Jokichi lowered his head into silence.
Facing Naruto and Yamato's solemn talk, he didn't know how to respond.
Just as Sakura thought, both the self-introduction and the words about returning to school were just jokes to lighten the atmosphere.
These were lines he had thought of before the graduation exam.
He had originally intended to use them during Kakashi's bell-snatching phase to increase the entertainment effect and see Kakashi's reaction.
Unexpectedly, their team captain was Yamato instead of Kakashi.
Compared to Kakashi, Yamato seemed to lack a sense of humor.
He actually took this obvious nonsense seriously, just like Naruto.
At this time, what should I do?
Jokichi pondered for a long time, then looked up and squeezed out a smile for Naruto and Yamato. "Well, since Yamato-sensei and Naruto have said so, it wouldn't be right for me to still lack confidence."
"That's the spirit!" Naruto patted Jokichi on the shoulder, looking like a proud older brother. "If you were always this confident, you would have surely graduated before Sasuke."
Yamato doesn't know my situation, so it's fine if he thinks I lack confidence.
But you think I'm lacking confidence too?
Looking at Naruto's goofy smile, a row of black lines descended behind Jokichi's head.
Forget it, at this time just a smile is enough. Talking too much to a fool will turn me into a fool too.
"In that case, let's gather at Training Ground 19 tomorrow morning at eight."