After waiting at home for about three days, Zhao Yi Qianming finally received his team assignment.
Meet at the Konohagakure gate at 7 a.m. tomorrow.
Because Zhao Yi Qianming wasn't a regular-term graduate, there would be no classroom test. Whichever squad was short a hand could slot him in to fill the numbers.
For Zhao Yi Qianming, that was ideal. Teaming with genin who had real field time beat being grouped with fresh Academy kids.
At 6:50 the next morning, fully kitted with ninja tools and ready for anything, Zhao Yi Qianming arrived at Konoha's gate.
He was strict about time. Back at the Academy he would always slide into class on the bell. Training was grueling, so he refused to waste a minute he could spend resting.
He was early today to leave his teammates a good impression.
But when he got there, his new team was already waiting, eyeing him with clear distrust.
He had read their files last night. Their leader, Uenome, was a veteran jōnin with deep experience and, by all accounts, decent power even compared to other jōnin.
The other two were interesting. One, Hoshinohara, like Zhao Yi Qianming was a civilian-born shinobi, but he knew some Medical Ninjutsu and helped at the Konoha Hospital when off-mission.
The last member drew Zhao Yi Qianming's attention most. About ten years old, a delicate-faced boy with a mix of babyish softness and stubborn pride. But that wasn't the key point. It was his eyes.
Large, with blank white pupils that made his gaze look misted over.
A member of the Hyuga Clan.
The file named him Hyuga Keita. Skilled in Taijutsu. It didn't say whether he belonged to the main house or the branch.
By Zhao Yi Qianming's guess, the Hyuga wouldn't send a main-house child on routine missions. Hyuga Keita was almost certainly branch family.
"Hello." Zhao Yi Qianming walked up and greeted them.
"Time's not early. We talk on the move," Uenome said with a cursory glance. He flicked a Kunai, pinning their travel pass to the gate post, and set off first.
The other two fell in behind him. Zhao Yi Qianming followed.
So his new teammates didn't exactly welcome him. The days ahead might be rough.
He had expected as much. Just as he didn't want to be stuck with raw graduates, Uenome and company likely didn't want to babysit a brand-new genin.
Once they cleared the village, they pushed hard all morning. Maybe Uenome was testing them; he didn't call a single rest.
Good thing Zhao Yi Qianming never slacked on conditioning. His legs held up. Otherwise he would have embarrassed himself on his very first assignment.
Around noon, Uenome gestured a halt and, with his back to them, said, "Short break. We keep moving this afternoon."
Even during the break, the squad stayed silent. No one seemed chatty. That suited Zhao Yi Qianming, who wasn't talkative either.
After they ate, Hoshinohara couldn't hold it in. "Hey, what's your name?"
'So they don't even know who I am. Guess it was Yamamoto Hideyoshi who slipped me their files,' Zhao Yi Qianming thought.
"Zhao Yi Qianming. Please take care of me."
"So you're Zhao Yi Qianming. I heard of you at the Academy. You're the one who beat Kakashi Hatake, right?" Hyuga Keita looked him over with open curiosity, already warming to him.
"You know Kakashi too?" Zhao Yi Qianming asked.
"Of course. He used to be on our team." At the name, Hoshinohara's face tightened.
Hyuga Keita added, bitterly, "He's strong, but way too arrogant. During missions he doesn't care if comrades live or die…"
He glanced at Zhao Yi Qianming. "But if you beat Kakashi, you must be pretty strong."
So Kakashi had just been booted from their team when Zhao Yi Qianming applied to graduate, and the village plugged him into the slot.
A little talk told Zhao Yi Qianming that both Hoshinohara and Hyuga Keita could be outgoing. Their quiet earlier came from almost getting killed on a mission because of Kakashi. The mission had ended in success, but they were so fed up they kicked Kakashi as soon as they got back.
Which explained why they weren't thrilled about a 'fresh grad' like Zhao Yi Qianming joining them.
Once the three had broken the ice, Uenome cleared his throat. "Our mission is recon in the Land of Rain. It sits at the junction of the Lands of Wind, Earth, and Fire. If war breaks out, Rain will become a battlefield. We're to enter Amegakure territory and gather intel on Iwagakure and Sunagakure."
"Yes!" the three answered in unison.
"Move out." Uenome waved them on, and the four set off again.
In Zhao Yi Qianming's memory, both the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars turned the Land of Rain into a battleground for the great nations. For its people, war was a nightmare. An inescapable, lingering nightmare.
Still, Rain wasn't entirely helpless. Amegakure might be weaker, but it had a top-tier powerhouse known as the 'Demi-God,' Hanzo of the Salamander.
So long as there wasn't a full-scale war, life in the Land of Rain could be relatively calm.
But once a Shinobi World War erupted, even Hanzo couldn't shield the country from harm.
'The Akatsuki trio should have grown by now. Maybe I'll see those three on this trip to Rain,' Zhao Yi Qianming thought.