Chapter 14: Finally Assembled
Poof!
A cloud of white smoke erupted in the middle of the training ground.
When it cleared, Kakashi Hatake stood there lazily, his nose buried in his copy of Make-Out Paradise.
"Yo. Everyone's pretty early," he said, his visible eye crinkling. His gaze lingered on Sasuke for an extra second before shifting away indifferently. "Looks like everyone's here?"
"Whoa! What a cool-looking mister!" Naruto yelled in surprise. "Are you our new sensei?"
Kakashi closed his book. "Not just me."
As he spoke, the other Jonin leaders appeared around the training ground: Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, and...
"Konoha's Noble Blue Beast is here!"
A green figure dropped from the sky, landing in a signature pose as his teeth flashed. "Everyone! The hot blood of youth is burning! Starting today, we will forge a new Konoha legend together!"
Naruto stared dumbfounded at Guy, then at Lee. "Are you two... father and son?"
Lee jumped, overcome with emotion. "No! Guy-sensei is the teacher I respect most in this world! Our youth is..."
"Alright, alright." Asuma cut them off, exhaling a puff of smoke. "Settle down. We have a few things to explain about this Special Tactical Squad."
Kurenai added gently, "This is a brand new experiment. The twelve of you will train together, and the four of us will instruct you in rotation."
Sasuke's eyes suddenly snapped open, his gaze sharp as he looked at Kakashi. "Why?"
Kakashi met his stare, a complex look flashing in his eye. "Because... Konoha needs you to get stronger. Faster."
Just then, more footsteps were heard approaching the training ground.
Everyone turned to see a blonde woman striding toward them, her green robes flapping behind her.
"Because," Tsunade said, stopping in front of the group with her hands on her hips, "the enemies of the future won't wait for you to get strong."
Her gaze swept over every Genin, lingering for an extra moment on Naruto and Sasuke. "Starting today, you will undergo the most rigorous training imaginable. This is not a request. It is an order."
The training ground fell silent, the only sound being the wind rustling through the trees.
The twelve Genin all had different expressions: some excited, some worried, some just plain dazed.
Naruto swallowed, whispering to Shikamaru beside him, "Who is she? She's kinda scary."
"That's Lady Tsunade," Shikamaru whispered back.
"The... Legendary Sannin, that Lady Tsunade?" Naruto froze for a second. Then, he suddenly puffed out his chest, his orange jacket flapping, and broke into a wide grin.
"The most rigorous training? Awesome! I've been wanting to get stronger! I don't care who the enemy is, I'm not afraid!"
As he spoke, he shot a challenging look at Sasuke. "I'll definitely get stronger than you!"
Sasuke stood with his hands in his pockets, looking indifferent on the surface, but his mind was reeling.
Tsunade's words—enemies of the future—were a thorn in his side.
He knew better than anyone that his enemies were never far away.
Neji leaned against a tree, his Byakugan narrowed slightly. Tsunade's words sparked a sliver of doubt in his mind.
Enemies of the future? Konoha is peaceful. What enemies?
Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck, his face a mask of annoyance, but his mind was racing.
Tsunade's words... she clearly knows what's coming. Does she have her memories, too? Or did she get intel from somewhere else?
He glanced at Chouji and Ino. Both of them discreetly sent him a look. Clearly, they had also caught the hidden meaning in Tsunade's words.
Shikamaru sighed. "What a drag. I was hoping to just coast by, but it looks like there's no escaping this."
Lee was already vibrating with energy, bouncing on his toes. "Youth requires rigorous training! Lady Tsunade, please, bring it on! I will break past my limits and let my youth shine its brightest!"
He even shot Tenten a wink. "Tenten, let us work hard together!"
Tenten just smiled, exasperated, and nodded. "Don't worry, I won't fall behind."
Sakura stood in the middle of the group, her expression complex.
Tsunade's words made her remember... fragments of the future.
Sasuke's defection. Naruto's desperate struggle. And her own powerlessness.
Seeing that none of the twelve objected, Tsunade spoke again. "Good. Since no one is backing down, follow me. From this day on, I will be personally overseeing your training."
In the bushes at the edge of the training ground, a young man in a Chunin vest was crouched low, his eyes glued to the twelve young figures in the clearing.
His name was Sato. He was an ordinary Konoha Chunin, but only he knew that his soul contained memories from several years in the future.
He had seen the smoke and fire of Pain's assault on the village. He had seen Naruto sitting alone and dejected on the empty Hokage monument. He had seen Neji fall on the battlefield protecting Hinata. He had even come face-to-face with Madara Uchiha.
"It's... it's really different," Sato muttered, biting his lip, his eyes starting to burn.
He remembered, in his last life, these kids had been split into four separate teams, growing like four separate saplings, only coming together after countless tragedies.
But now, Tsunade had bound them all together in one rope. And she was going to personally oversee them.
Did this mean... that the tragedies seared into his memory had a chance to be rewritten?
He looked at the boy in the orange jacket, his heart full.
The Naruto from his past life had practiced his jutsu in secret, through countless lonely nights, without a single person to confide in.
But this Naruto... he was surrounded by Hinata and Kiba. Even the normally cold Sasuke was standing nearby. He still had that bad attitude, sure, but he wasn't deliberately pushing everyone away like he had last time.
"This is great... Naruto. You're not alone this time. I can rest easy."
Lady Tsunade... thank you, Sato thought. Last time, Tsunade had returned too late. By the time she got back to Konoha, many things were already irreversible.
But now, she was back early. And she had personally changed the course of these children's lives.
If that was the case, he didn't need to risk his neck "secretly" giving the future "savior" a few advantages.
After all, Root still existed in Konoha. Better not to get himself caught up in it.
He remembered, last time... just for giving Naruto a cup of water... he'd been "talked" to by Root. He hadn't been hurt, but the feeling of being watched... it still sent a shiver down his spine just thinking about it.
He wouldn't take that risk this life. Since Tsunade was back, and since the kids had each other, he would just be a quiet Chunin. He would just... watch them grow.
~~~~~
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