~Soutarou POV, Scene Continues~
Turning his paper in, Soutarou waited outside the classroom where Hikaru was already waiting before Hikaru asked Soutarou, "Soutarou-san… How do I get stronger?"
Soutarou turned his head in surprise and said, "Aren't you already making good progress?"
Hikaru's mouth opened and closed and he just silently said, "The… The… Nevermind-"
Soutarou shook his head and said, "I'm guessing your clan is pressuring you as the talent of this generation aren't they? Especially since your rival clan, the Uchiha Clan, has so many talents on the rise like Itachi, Izumi, Naori, and Shisui."
"If you're trying to get stronger… Learn jutsu, water and earth style jutsu that can force your opponent into close range. At present most Hyuga ninja just use their gentle fist style to suppress in close combat or act as medic-ninja and sensory ninja due to the benefits gained from the Byakugan, but in my opinion that's a horrendous waste. No… Instead using the Byakugan to analyze and then cut off your opponent's escape before finishing them off with a close combat barrage."
"I understand that perhaps traditional jutsu are frowned upon in your clan, but I guarantee you even those stuck up elders will step back if you have enough skill and prowess to shine amongst this generation of monsters."
"Honestly, in any other generation someone as hardworking as you Hikaru would be the strongest and best genius of them all. You have the talent, so maybe get some chakra paper and find out your strongest elements."
"I'm guessing its earth and water right now, but still best to check. If you need help with water style I'll always be open to giving you a hand or giving you jutsu."
Hikaru's eyes widened and he deeply bowed as he said, "Thank you Soutarou-san…"
Soutarou shook his head and turned over to see Naori exiting the classroom. Naori shot Hikaru a look and Hikaru suddenly said, "Ah please excuse me Soutarou-san, nature's calling."
And Hikaru dashed off so fast Soutarou could've sworn he was using some space time ninjutsu, before he found himself alone with Naori who quickly intertwined her arm with Soutarou's and softly leaned her head against Soutarou's shoulder and said, "Remember two years ago when we struggled against that Iwa Shinobi? We'd beat him easily now don't you think?"
Soutarou sighed and said, "Yeah I guess so… Still, that was a really weird way to start a conversation with Naori."
Naori rolled her eyes and said, "Like it matters… I made lunch for you today and don't tell me Kabuto made you something, I specifically told that foureyed guy not to today…"
Soutarou sighed again and said, "Alright… I'll try your cooking I guess, you'd better not have poisoned it though."
Naori giggled and said, "Poison it? As if only poison I'd pour in your food is- a love potion…"
Naori softly said the last part, but Soutarou still heard and felt a chill run down his spine and he said, "Naori can you seriously stop saying scary things? I miss the old Naori who'd run off to Ichiraku with me and joking about politics."
Naori frowned and said, "I thought you liked a girl who did things for you?"
Soutarou sighed and said, "Did you seriously take that one time out of context? I said if I had to choose I'd prefer a wife who could give a good massage and maybe cook."
Naori smiled softly and said, "I worked on my massage skills too so don't worry."
Soutarou sighed and said, "Naori… Aren't you acting a bit too obsessed these days?"
Naori pouted and said, "Hmph! That's all your fault, you don't even bother to see me nowadays I'm the one who has to come see you! So of course I cherish the time we have together more. Don't misconstrue it as obsession."
Soutarou's brow twitched and he thought, 'Misconstrue? My ass! If this isn't an obsession then what is? You want to know where I am all the time, you get mad if I talk to other women, and we're not even dating or anything like that! Not to mention I wouldn't date you for at least 9 years, because I'm not a damned pedofile! Honestly the reason I avoid her is because the end result of the Uchiha massacre is you'll probably end up dead… and I rather not get too close with someone who I'll mourn for.'
'Damned Uchiha! Actually no damn Danzo!'
Soutarou sighed again and said, "I'm always training… Unlike a certain someone my eyes don't just get stronger from being in the presence of someone else…"
Naori batted her eyes in that 'whatever could you possibly be talking about? Oh you meant me? But I'm just a harmless little thing.'
Soutarou sighed again and slumped his shoulders and thought, 'Damn why did I get a yandere Uchiha? Can I get a refund?'
Seeing that Soutarou wasn't pushing her away Naori happily held his arm and hummed away, when Izumi and Hana finally finished and came out they saw the scene and chuckled awkwardly. Izumi made that 'good job sister!' face while Hana made that pitying, 'I hope you survive' face to Soutarou.
Hikaru came back the moment the other two girls came and Naori still didn't let go of Soutarou if anything the moment Hana glanced at him her grip tightened and Soutarou finally got worried and pried her off of him using his superior physical strength making Naori puff her cheeks up and say, "I didn't get enough!"
Soutarou drily replied, "Well unfortunately I got way too much in fact I was hoping only for a small hug."
Naori glared at him and said, "Hmph. I'll forgive you if we're on the same team…"
Soutarou then grimly said, "And if we're not?"
Naori chilling replied, "You'd better not get too close to the girl on your team then."
Soutarou gulped and muttered, "I totally understand the Nara mentality now… Women are too damned scary!"
Hikaru, Izumi, and Hana all just face palmed, while Naori's gaze turned deathly and she said, "I'm scary now am I?"
Soutarou shook his head vigorously and said, "I-"
Naori then began laughing uncontrollably before Izumi, Hana, and Hikaru tried to hold back their laughter as they all pointed at Soutarou and clutched their stomachs before Hikaru finally said, "Damn she got you good, you almost thought she was going to be a scary woman. BAHAHA! Good one Naori."
Soutarou blanked and said, "You guys were acting?"
Naori slapped Soutarou shoulder and said, "Of course we were seeing how long you'd fall for it dumbass, Itachi told Izumi that you called me a bit crazy way back when and like a few weeks ago Izumi remember and told me and so that's why for the past few weeks I was trying to play the role to see how you'd react. Damn you're so funny Soutarou."
Hikaru on the other hand straightened himself out and said, "Soutarou-san I took no part in this abhorrently filthy prank on your dignity-"
Soutarou just put his hand out and said, "Hikaru… You're a god damned traitor!"
Before Soutarou finally asked, "You were really joking?"
Naori rolled her eyes, "Yes yes, sometimes you're so smart, but other times you're so dumb."
Soutarou then said, "Nevermind that what about my lunch?"
Naori said, "Lunch? Bah fine I'll take you to Ichiraku for old times sake, did you seriously think I could cook?"
Soutarou's gaze turned dark and he said, "Dammit I hate you guys and what do you mean you can't cook? Who's going to marry you then?"
Naori rolled her eyes and said, "It's fine when I get there I'll get there."
She smirked at Soutarou and said, "Though you gotta admit I got you good, and just for the record we're even now after that nonsense you pulled that one time of dying in a forest we were walking through just to mess with me I think you deserved this nonsense too."
Soutarou opened his mouth and then closed it before shaking his head helplessly. After that the group quieted down as Ikaku-sensei came back out and called everyone one by one back into the class room for their practical evaluations which just consisted of the three academy jutsu.
And quickly all five got their practicals over and were sent off to the Hokage's office with brand new Konoha headbands.
Soutarou tied his around his arm, while everyone else tied theirs around their foreheads like normal people.
While they were heading towards the Hokage's office with Ikaku-sensei in tow, Naori asked, "Why didn't you tie your headband around your forehead?"
Soutarou waved his hand dismissively and said, "And hide part of my handsome face? Hell no!"
Naori rolled her eyes and said, "There he goes again, acting all arrogant, sometimes I wonder if you're the Uchiha or I am."
Soutarou replied and said, "If my Grandfather heard that he'd blast open his grave just to scold you."
Naori chuckled and said, "I feel like your grandfather would scold you too for hanging with so many Uchiha in the first place."
Hikaru lightly commented and said, "I still don't get this joke."
Naori just said, "Don't worry about it, we'll tell you later."
Before she used the group's private language to sign out, [Outsiders listening, I'll tell you in a bit.]
The group reached the first floor of the Hokage office and quickly did their registration before being led back to another classroom back in the academy where Kabuto, Itachi, an unknown person that Soutarou identified as Yugao Uzuki, and another unknown face that Izumi and Naori identified as Kiyome Uchiha
Soutarou lightly commented, "Looks like there's enough of us for about three teams, huh?"
Naori nodded and asked, "What are your predictions, Soutarou?"
Soutarou scratched his chin and he said, "Kabuto and I probably won't be on the same team, and I'm guessing there's going to be one all Uchiha team."
"So the line up is probably Kiyome-san, Itachi, and Izumi on one team, while Yugao-san, Kabuto, and Hana will end up together. As for me, I'll probably end up with you and Hikaru."
Naori nodded her head and the pair sat down before Ikaku-sensei came back in holding a paper and he read off, "Team One will be Soutarou Morita, Yugao Uzuki, and Hikaru Hyuga."
Naori immediately quipped, "Looks like somebody was wrong."
Soutarou sighed and shook his head after shrugging in confusion. Ikaku continued, "Team Two will be Itachi Uchiha, Izumi Uchiha, and Kiyome Uchiha. Team Three will be Naori Uchiha, Kabuto Morita, and Hana Inuzuka. Please wait while your instructors arrive."
The moment Ikaku said those words a dirty blonde woman wearing a jonin vest slid the door open and called out, "Team three please follow me."
Kabuto glanced back at Soutarou in confusion before the pair looked at the Team Three Lead.
'Nono-nee?!'
Kabuto waved off Soutarou, as did Hana and Naori, the remaining six waited before a brown hair jonin with a short pony tail came in and called out, "Team Two come with me."
'If I'm not wrong, that was Yūki Minazuki, Itachi's old team leader… Huh… So Itachi's basically in the same team again? Though I"m curious why they didn't give an all Uchiha Team an Uchiha Jonin Lead… Maybe for brainwashing? Possible… Very possible. If I'm not wrong that guy Yuki Minazuki is firmly in the hokage faction… Like to the point he's Sarutobi's fan boy. Still not a huge problem, he's a good teacher to a degree… I mean he can't have been that bad if Itachi didn't leave his team until three years after graduating in the original timeline.'
Just as Soutarou was getting lost in his thoughts a grayish tinged hair ponytailed man with a sword strapped to his back and a scar running down the left side of his lips said, "Team Three, I'll be your instructor, please come with me."
Soutarou's eyes narrowed a bit and he thought, 'Well I'll be damned… Hayama Shirakumo. One of the stronger Elite Jonins Konoha has right now… And a damned good swordsman… So he's there to teach me wind style, hammer my swordsmanship, teach Yugao the same, and at the same time help Hikaru come up with counters to close combat weapon specialists and force him to learn jutsu as well.'
'In fact based on this I can tell something else… They actually want to slow down the growth of the Uchiha team while brainwashing them… But they want to speed up our growth. In fact that was the same design for Naori's team. Naori's team won't be able to leave Konoha very often because Nono is the Director of the Hospital, not to mention Kabuto's a recognized medical ninja.'
'And if I'm not wrong Hana was really interested in Medical Ninjutsu… Still to implicate other people in this plan… Those old foxes… Well… It's not my headache, they gave me a damned good teacher so I won't complain.'
Soutarou got up and followed the man out of the building alongside the purple haired Yugao, and the brown haired white pupiled Hikaru. The man then took the trio to the top of the building and said, "This should do… Allow me to introduce myself, I am Hayama Shirakumo, Elite Jonin of Konohagakure and the Jonin Leader of Team One. It's a pleasure to meet you."