"No, that's not required. Once you get the Shinobi Headband, you're a shinobi of the village," Iruka said with a sigh. Kami knows how many times he has had to repeat this to those students who didn't get a Jonin sensei of their own.
Apparently, most Jonin sensei like to tease their new Genin with threats like "Going back to the academy."
If they failed, like the three standing in front of him, it fell onto him to explain that even without a Jonin sensei, they could continue to be Genin. There is something called the Genin Corps in the village for a reason.
"Heh! Really. Meaning that annoying guy lied to us," Karin chided, face turning red with anger. Not only had Genma Shiranui failed them—again, Kami knows for what reason—but he hadn't even informed them of something so crucial before leaving them alone to fend for themselves.
Sukuna kind of knew it though; that's why he mostly kept quiet. He didn't need anyone to tell him—it was kind of obvious. Jonin are a very precious resource in a village.
There are hardly even three-digit numbers of Jonin in a village. Being promoted to Jonin has a high bar; not just anyone can be promoted to one.
They are typically the most outstanding talents of a hidden village. Village leaders usually place them in the Anbu or assign them to key positions.
It's practically impossible for the village to provide every passing Genin with a Jonin sensei. That way, there would be no Genin at all.
Simple math and common sense were enough to know they weren't going back to the academy. Though if they chose to, it was an option to learn a bit more in the academy—an option only available for students during peacetime.
"So what do we do now?" Kiyomi asked with a sigh. Just like Sukuna, she too knew that there was no such thing as truly failing the academy. Kids with any form of shinobi training would become shinobi unless they willingly wished to change that.
"You three can take missions from now on. As newly made Genin without any Jonin sensei, you're only allowed to take D-rank missions. But as you do more D-ranks, sooner or later even C-rank missions will be available for you.
Of course, for higher-ranked missions, you have to be promoted to Chunin first," Iruka explained, taking his time to make sure the children understood how everything worked.
Looking at their expectant yet dejected sighs, he couldn't help but sigh himself. He partly knew why this particular team had failed.
His eyes went to both Sukuna and Kiyomi. Both couldn't perform normal ninjutsu. Most Jonin wouldn't want them on their team—it was obvious.
But Iruka honestly believed it would be different for them since Sukuna was very proficient in medical jutsu, if what he heard from Hokage-sama was anything to go by.
The same went for Karin—maybe not as skilled as Sukuna, but she too knew medical jutsu. Not to mention, Sukuna was number one in the academy overall. Calling him weak just because he couldn't use ninjutsu was a mistake.
A costly one if they were to be his enemies.
As for Kiyomi, Iruka wasn't sure—he knew the girl had her own secrets.
Seeing these excellent new Genin not get a Jonin sensei of their own, Iruka felt pity. Unlike most, he truly believed they deserved one.
Alas, that couldn't be the case.
"Cool, then let's go and take a D-rank mission," Sukuna nodded, already expecting this to be the outcome.
"Thank you, Iruka-sensei, for your help," Sukuna added with a nod.
"Wait…" Iruka called from behind.
"If any of you have any trouble or need to learn anything, feel free to come to me," he said, with genuine willingness to help his students.
Especially both Sukuna and Naruto, who had saved his life from Mizuki. That alone made him realize how capable Sukuna was—especially how he healed him.
He knew his condition best. Mizuki's attack was lethal—he should have been dead. He doubted even if someone had sent him to the hospital in time, he would've survived.
But Sukuna saved him. Not only saved him, but to the point where he was discharged from the hospital the very next day after some blood replenishment.
The three children could feel the care Iruka had for them and were grateful.
"We will, Iruka-sensei. Thank you again," Karin chirped.
Once outside the academy, Sukuna intended to go directly to the Hokage's office and demand a good mission from that old man. However, Kiyomi stopped them.
"Are you two going to take the missions together?" she asked, looking at Karin and then back at Sukuna.
"Obviously. Are you telling me you ain't planning to?" Sukuna asked, recalling that Izumi had been training Kiyomi for years.
The standard format for a team in Konoha—and most villages, in fact—was one mentor and three students. In Konoha especially, it's one Jonin sensei with three Genin, one of them being a girl to balance the team.
However, if a Jonin wished, he or she could take a student directly under their tutelage—a complete mentorship.
Like how Jiraiya only taught Minato in the series. Sukuna had no doubt that both Kiyomi and Izumi might do the same.
"I'm not. I have something else in mind," Kiyomi simply said.
"Wait a minute, she can do that?" Karin asked, not understanding what was going on.
"Yeah, it's on us how we intend to work from now on—either with a team or alone. Or perhaps not take any missions at all," Sukuna shrugged, not caring.
"Then see you again," Kiyomi said with a sharp nod, then vanished from her place, leaving only an afterimage.
Sukuna's eyes narrowed, feeling the lingering curse energy in that move. He had hardly ever seen her use curse energy in anything. She didn't have much, honestly. He couldn't feel strong cursed energy inside her.
But the girl had trained her body well over the past years. With standard curse energy application and physical conditioning, she could perform high-speed movement similar to Shunshin.
'Not bad,' Sukuna mused.
'Wait, does that mean that I'll be alone with Sukuna…'
While Sukuna caught onto how strong the only other curse user beside him in this world had become, Karin's mind was generating an entirely different line of thoughts.
Her mind felt like it was overloading.
'Oh, the possibilities.'
Sukuna, seeing the redhead lost in her own delusions—face flushed and grinning weirdly—decided not to ask what was going on in that messed-up mind of hers and simply tugged her along behind him.
"Come on, let's go to the Hokage's office. I want to be done with the D-rank mission as soon as possible."
…
[Uchiha Compound]
Back in the Uchiha compound, Kiyomi appeared. Sasuke wasn't home—thanks to a certain copy ninja and his lazy habits. But someone else was waiting for her.
"Congratulations on finally becoming a shinobi," Izumi said, welcoming the younger girl with a big smile.
Kiyomi smiled back.
"So, how did it go? Who's your Jonin sensei?" Izumi asked, with a hint of apology in her tone. She had really tried to get Kiyomi in her team, but the Hokage just wouldn't have it.
Sigh.
Thinking back to that annoying Jonin, Kiyomi's face once again fell back into that emotionless, brooding state most fans knew well—thanks to Sasuke.
"What happened?" Izumi asked, a bit worried and even more curious.
"I failed," Kiyomi sighed as she replied.
"Oh…" Izumi nodded, now truly curious about which Jonin that old man Sarutobi had assigned to Kiyomi.
"Hey, Izumi," Kiyomi said, clearly not planning to talk about the bastard who failed her any longer.
"Huh?"
"This means that you can take me as your apprentice, right?" she asked, almost pleading for Izumi to agree.
...
A/N : Not giving them a Genin Sensei was my final decision. While I can give them one, it was easy enough. However, there is nothing much a Jonin can teach Sukuna and Kiyomi. Karin might be but again why bother just to put them under a Jonin if there was no benifit. Right !
xxx
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