Naruto SI: Kaito Red Lightnin Chapter 231
Kaito let out a small breath through his nose, amused. "Anyway… just thought it was funny, ya know." He pushed himself off the wall slightly. "I mean, what—you'd have to be, what, fourteen? Fifteen at the time?" He gave a short laugh. "Bit young for that, ya know."
Guy opened his mouth—
Then stopped.
Just for a second.
Subtle. Barely noticeable.
His brows twitched faintly, like something didn't quite line up in his head—but just as quickly, it was gone.
Kaito didn't notice. He was already turning toward the door.
"Anyway," Kaito nodded once, already moving. "I'll assign him to you. I'll fill out the rest of your team and make it official."
He pushed the door open, glancing back over his shoulder. "Come back in a week. You'll have your full squad by then."
Guy straightened instantly. "Understood!"
Kaito gave a small wave as he stepped inside. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't shout 'Hokage-sama' next time we meet, ya know."
"HAHA! I shall restrain my youthful enthusiasm next time!"
The door closed behind Kaito.
Guy remained there for a moment, arms folding again—though this time, there was a thoughtful look behind his usual bright expression. "…Rock Lee," he murmured quietly.
…
Morning sunlight streamed through the wide windows of the Hokage office, casting long, pale lines across the floor.
Kaito sat leaned back in the chair behind the desk, one leg lazily propped up on the desk, both arms folded behind his head. The chair tilted slightly under his weight, balanced just enough.
His eyes were closed. His posture loose.
Like he didn't have a single problem in the world.
—
A faint shift of air came from the window.
A shadow clone stepped in, landing lightly before straightening.
Kaito's eyes opened without moving anything else. "…Took you long enough"
The clone shut the window behind him and walked in fully, holding a paper bag. "Well, what did you expect?" he said, sounding mildly annoyed. "The shop wasn't open yet. I had to wait till it opened."
He held the bag out. "Here."
Kaito dropped his leg off the desk and leaned forward, taking it. "Yeah, yeah."
Kaito opened the bag, pulling out the dango and mochi. "Thanks."
He didn't waste time, taking a bite right away.
The clone watched for a second… then casually reached over, trying to grab a skewer.
Kaito smacked his hand away without even looking. "Don't."
The clone stared at him. "…Seriously?"
Kaito kept eating.
"Come on," the clone said, incredulous. "At least let me have one."
Kaito shot him a look. "I'm pretty sure you already had some on your way back."
The clone didn't even try to deny it. "Okay, yeah—but that's not the point. I'm the one who bought it. The least you can do is give me one."
Kaito shook his head, pulling the bag slightly closer to himself. "It's a waste."
The clone frowned. "…A waste?"
"Yeah," Kaito said simply. "You eat, then you dispel, and the food's gone. Doesn't come back to me. That's just wasting good food and money, ya know."
The clone crossed his arms, clearly unimpressed. "…And you wonder why we don't help you with paperwork."
Kaito raised an eyebrow, glancing at him. "…Oh?"
"Yeah," the clone muttered, glaring. "You don't even share food with us."
Kaito gave him a skeptical look. "…So if I shared food with you, you'd help me with paperwork?"
The clone shrugged slightly. "It'd be a start, ya know."
Kaito stared at him for a second. "…Yeah, not worth it."
The clone clicked his tongue.
—
Just then, the door to the office opened.
Shizune peeked her head in. "Ah Kaito, Good you're here." She stepped inside fully, a clipboard in hand she walked toward the desk
Kaito glanced up at her and gave a lazy wave, still chewing. "Yo, Shizu-nee… what's up"
At the same time.
The clone moved. Quick. He snatched a few skewers straight from Kaito's hand.
"—tch." Kaito immediately pulled the rest of the bag closer, shooting him an annoyed look.
The clone ignored him completely, already eating, looking far too pleased with himself. He even gave Shizune a lazy wave with a grin.
Shizune paused for half a second, then just sighed softly and continued walking.
Kaito looked back at her like nothing happened. "…So what do we have today?"
Shizune glanced down at the clipboard, flipping a page. "Let's see… there's a meeting with the barrier team. Maintenance on the village detection system—they've been requesting approval for an upgrade for weeks now."
Kaito nodded slightly. "Yeah, Mom told me about that. I'll head over to the barrier division later"
Shizune nodded, flipping to the next page. "Also… the paperwork from the Daimyō's office arrived this morning."
Kaito already looked less interested.
"Next quarter's budget allocation revisions," she continued. "You'll want to go through that yourself."
Kaito sighed quietly, finishing off the skewer in his hand. "Yeah."
Shizune flipped to another page. "Oh—and T&I filed three interrogation summaries. You don't need to sit in, but they want your sign-off on the conclusions."
Kaito nodded. "Have they sent the summaries yet?"
Shizune nodded. "Hai. It's on my desk. I'll get it for you in a bit."
Kaito gave a small nod. "What else?"
Shizune continued, eyes moving down the clipboard. "You need to visit the Konoha Intelligence Division sometime today. They flagged a few unusual communication patterns. Could be nothing, but they'd prefer you're aware."
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Unusual how?"
Shizune shrugged lightly. "I don't know. It came in earlier this morning, after you left."
Kaito exhaled softly and nodded. "Alright. Anything else?"
Shizune paused, scanning the clipboard again, then nodded. "Yes. The team assignments." She looked up at him. "You'll need to assign a jōnin instructor and confirm the genin team placements by the end of this week."
Kaito nodded. "Yeah, I know. Have the student lists arrived yet?"
Shizune shook her head. "No, but they should be in shortly."
"Alright."
Shizune pulled a letter from the clipboard and handed it to him. "The Kurama Clan head submitted a request. They want their heir placed under Kurenai Yūhi."
Kaito glanced at the letter, nodding slightly. "Yakumo, right?"
Shizune nodded. "Yes." Then, like she had just remembered something, she added, "That reminds me—Gai-san also requested a student. He actually asked Lady Tsunade a few months ago, before she went on maternity leave."
"Yeah… Guy mentioned that to me earlier." Kaito leaned back slightly in his chair, tapping the empty dango skewer absently against the desk as he thought for a moment. He glanced back at her. "…Anything else?"
"Yeah… Guy approached me earlier about that," he said, leaning back slightly in his chair, tapping the empty dango skewer against the desk. "…Anything else?"
Shizune nodded. "Well, other than that, you'll need to greet the newly minted genin and accept their shinobi registration forms."
She looked up at him.
Kaito blinked. "…Do I have to? Can't they just hand it to someone else? Assign a chūnin or something."
Shizune shook her head. "It's tradition. The Hokage greets the genin and wishes them luck."
Kaito frowned slightly. "But I'm not actually the Hokage though. That should matter. If anything, Aunt Tsunade should be the one doing it—she's the current Hokage."
Shizune shook her head again. "You're her chosen successor. And you're already widely known in the village as the future Sixth Hokage." She paused. "A lot of the academy students look up to you."
Kaito scratched the side of his head, making a face.
Beside him, the shadow clone snickered.
Kaito shot him a look. "You're enjoying this too much."
"Of course not, boss," the clone said, clearly amused. "I was just thinking—it's an easy job. You're basically just saying 'good job' to a bunch of kids." As he spoke, he casually reached for another skewer.
Kaito noticed. He smirked slightly. "…Yeah. You're right."
The clone paused mid-reach.
Kaito turned to Shizune. "Then he can handle it."
The clone froze. "…Eh?"
Kaito shrugged. "Like you said—it's easy. Shouldn't be much work for you." He leaned back again. "And you did say you'd help if I shared the food."
Shizune didn't even question it. She simply pulled out a paper and handed it to the clone. "The meeting will be in Mission Room One."
The clone stared at the paper in his hand. "…Wait I—"
Just then there was another knock at the door.
"…Come in," Kaito said.
Kotetsu and Izumo stepped in, both carrying towering stacks of files in their arms. The folders were piled so high it nearly covered their faces.
Kotetsu leaned slightly to the side just to see past the stack. "Morning, Kaito."
Izumo followed behind him, adjusting his grip. "We've got—"
Kaito straightened immediately, eyes widening slightly as he took in the sheer amount they were carrying. "…What the—"
From the side, the shadow clone—who had been about to argue about greeting the genin—froze mid-sentence. "…wh—" his eyes locking onto the stacks of files.
Then toward Shizune. "…You said Mission Room 1, right?"
Shizune blinked. "Yes, but—"
"I think I'll go first." And just like that.
He bolted.
Gone before Kotetsu and Izumo even made it halfway into the room.
There was a brief silence.
Kotetsu and Izumo both glanced back at the still-open door.
"…Did your clone just run away?" Izumo asked.
Kotetsu shrugged lightly. "Smart guy."
He stepped forward and dropped the stack onto the desk with a heavy thud.
Izumo followed, setting his own stack down beside it. "Man… that was heavy."
Kaito stared at the pile. Then slowly looked up at them. "…What the hell is this?" he said, incredulous, gesturing at the stacks. "Why is there so much paperwork today?"
Shizune frowned slightly. "This isn't paperwork." She tapped the top file. "These are the profiles and assessments from the academy instructors of all the graduates."
Kaito blinked. "…The what?"
Izumo stretched his back slightly. "Don't look so surprised. This is only half of it."
Kotetsu nodded. "We still need to bring in the rest."
There was a pause.
Kaito looked at them. "…What do you mean this is only half?"
Shizune tilted her head slightly, puzzled by his reaction. "There are about four hundred and fifty students graduating this year. I thought you knew that."
Just then, Shikaku walked in through the open door, holding two thinner folders in one hand. He sounded mildly annoyed. "…Why are you so loud this early?"
Kaito ignored him, still looking at Shizune. "I know that. But why is all of it here?" He pointed at the stacks. "The Hokage only assigns the top class, right?"
Shikaku walked over to the desk and gave him a flat look. "…That was under the previous system."
Kaito frowned, turning toward him. "Previous system?"
Shikaku let out a quiet sigh, then glanced at Shizune and the others. "I'll explain it to him."
He set the two thinner folders down beside the mountain of files.
Shizune nodded. "Right. Shikaku-sama, I'll let you handle it."
Kotetsu and Izumo were already heading back toward the door. "We'll bring the rest in," Kotetsu said casually.
"Try not to run away like your clone," Izumo added. The door closed behind them.
Silence settled in the room for a second.
Kaito leaned forward slightly. "What do you mean 'previous system,' sensei? The new academy structure's been in place for years now. We've been getting more graduates every year since it started."
Shikaku nodded once. "We have."
Kaito frowned, more confused now. "Then why are there four hundred and fifty student profiles on the desk? Aunt Tsunade didn't have to deal with all this last year." He gestured toward the stacks again.
Shikaku nodded. "Because those classes weren't fully under the new system."
Kaito's frown deepened.
"They were transitional batches," Shikaku continued. "Students who started under the old structure and were shifted midway. The curriculum changed, but the output didn't fully reflect your revisions yet." He tapped one of the files lightly. "This… is the first full batch."
Kaito stared at him. "…What do you mean? I specifically designed the system so it wouldn't need a phase-in. The students who graduated the past few years were already trained under it.
"You're right," Shikaku said. "The academy isn't the issue." He paused slightly. "The problem is Konoha's post-graduation infrastructure."
Kaito blinked. "…Huh?"
"In the old system," Shikaku said, "only the top class was assigned to Jōnin instructors. Standard three-man squads. Everyone else who passed—but didn't qualify—or failed the Jōnin test… went into the Genin corps."
Kaito nodded. "Yeah. I know. That's why I said it was wasteful."
Shikaku gave him a flat look. "And you weren't wrong." He continued, voice steady. "But pushing better-trained shinobi into the Genin corps after investing resources into them… is just as wasteful."
There was a brief pause.
Kaito dropped back into the chair and groaned, rubbing his face. "…You're telling me… this is my fault."
Shikaku shrugged slightly. "…Partly."
Kaito leaned back slowly. "Ugh… You're telling me this is the first time it's fully applied."
"Yes."
"…Great." Kaito dragged a hand down his face. "Just great. Now I have to assign all four hundred and fifty of them in a week."
Shikaku shook his head. "…No."
Kaito paused, looking up. "…No?"
Shikaku exhaled quietly and crossed his arms. "You don't have to assign all of them into teams." He tapped the top of the stack. "Only around ninety."
Kaito blinked. "…Only ninety?" He frowned. "Then what about the rest?"
Shikaku nodded slightly, like he expected that. "That's where the problem came in."
Kaito raised a brow. "…What problem?"
Shikaku gestured lightly toward the stack. "Numbers," he said calmly. "We simply don't have enough Jōnin to assign four hundred and fifty students every year. That would require roughly one hundred and fifty jōnin annually."
He continued without pause. "In a few years, we'd run out of available jōnin entirely. The village doesn't function if every jōnin is stuck babysitting fresh genin."
"…Right." Kaito nodded slowly. Jōnin were already the minority—barely twenty to twenty-five percent of the entire shinobi force.
"Our infrastructure wasn't built for that scale," Shikaku added. "So the system had to be adjusted."
Kaito leaned forward slightly. "…How?"
Shikaku answered without hesitation. "Tsunade-sama designed a tiered allocation system. That way, all the graduates can still reach their potential." He raised a finger. "The top twenty percent—around ninety students—are assigned to jōnin instructors. These are the ones most likely to reach jōnin level in the future."
He raised a second finger. "The next forty percent are directly recruited into divisions."
Kaito frowned slightly. "Divisions?"
Shikaku nodded. "Medical corps, barrier division, sealing units, intelligence, logistics, police, and so on. They're selected based on aptitude." He continued, voice steady. "Instead of wasting years in the genin corps, they go straight into specialization."
He paused briefly. "It reduces casualties. And it uses their strengths properly."
Shikaku added, "The academy instructors have already compiled their profiles based on strengths and weaknesses. Those have been sent to the respective divisions. The division heads will make their selections and send you a list to review and approve."
Kaito nodded, following.
Shikaku raised a third finger. "The remaining forty percent are assigned to chūnin-led teams."
Kaito frowned slightly. "…Chūnin?"
"Yes."
"They'll still operate as three-man genin teams," Shikaku explained. "But under chūnin leadership instead of jōnin. They're expected to reach at least chūnin level." He added, "It also benefits the chūnin. Successfully leading and training a team becomes a factor for jōnin promotion."
Kaito leaned back again, thinking it through. "…So the system balances itself."
Shikaku nodded once. "Exactly."
Kaito glanced at the stacks again, then back at him. "But you said I only have to assign ninety, right? What about the other one-eighty that need chūnin teams?"
"They've already been formed," Shikaku said.
Kaito looked at him. "…Already?"
"By their academy instructors," Shikaku confirmed. "Based on teamwork during training and D-rank assignments."
Kaito exhaled quietly. "…I see. So all I have to do is assign them a suitable chūnin."
Shikaku slid the two folders he brought closer to Kaito. "Yes."
Kaito looked down at them. "I'm guessing these are the available chūnin and jōnin."
Shikaku nodded, arms crossed. "They are."
kaito glanced at the mountain of student files. Then back at Shikaku. "…So I only have to decide the future of ninety high-potential genin… and assign the rest to capable leadership."
Shikaku nodded. "Yes."
There was a short silence.
Kaito leaned back in his chair again. "…no pressure at all, ya know."
Shikaku didn't respond.
After a second, Kaito reached forward and pulled the jōnin list closer. "…Alright," he muttered. He flipped it open. "…Let's see what I'm working with."
…
A few hours later, around lunchtime, the Hokage office had turned into something far less formal than it usually was.
Kaito, Shikaku, and Minato—still in his ANBU cloak—sat on the floor in a loose circle. The desk didn't have enough space, so the floor had become their workspace instead.
Between them were a few opened bento boxes Kushina had prepared.
Around them, stacks of files were spread out—organized, but still overwhelming. Sixty teams in total. Each stack held around twenty files. One hundred sixty academy graduates… and sixty chūnin assigned across them.
They had already finished the hardest part—selecting the jōnin and chūnin from the available pool Shikaku had brought. Thirty jōnin out of a hundred. Sixty chūnin out of two hundred.
And then assigning those chūnin to each team.
Minato had his mask slightly lifted as he ate, though his face wasn't his own—just a simple transformation into a generic black-haired man. Even now, he stayed cautious.
—
Finishing off his food, Kaito closed the bento and set it on the ground. He reached for the water bottle beside him, taking a drink before capping it. "Man… that hit the spot."
He leaned back on his hands, looking at the stacks around them. "I didn't think we'd finish that this fast."
Minato finished his as well, lowering his mask back into place. He picked up his empty bento, closing the lid before handing it to Kaito. "The teams were already pre-assigned," he said. "We only had to assig a suitable chūnin."
Kaito took it, nodding slightly. "Still… I expected it to take longer."
"preselectiing the chunin saved us time we didnt have to go therought the rest everytime we assigned a new team," Shikaku closed his own bento and handed it over as well. he said calmly. "pass my thanks to kusina minato"
Minato gave a small chuckle. "Kushina will be glad to hear that."
"Yeah, yeah," Kaito muttered, taking the last box. "I will."
He pulled out a sealing scroll, quickly sealing the empty bentos inside before rolling it back up.
Kaito glanced at the remaining files. "So what now?" He gestured toward the stacks. "Do we send these back to the academy or something?"
Shikaku shook his head slightly. "First, you log everything. Teams, assigned personnel—make it official."
Minato nodded. "Then you call in the chūnin who've been assigned and inform them."
Kaito paused, looking between them. "…Wait."
He frowned slightly.
"They haven't been informed yet?"
Kaito took it, nodding slightly. "Still… I expected it to take longer."
"Narrowing down the number of chūnin saved time," Shikaku said calmly, closing his own bento and handing it over. "We didn't have to go through the entire list every time we assigned a new team. "
Kaito collected the empty bento, sealing it into a scroll before rolling it up. "…So what do we do now?" he asked, pointing at the files. "Do we send these back to the academy or something?"
Shikaku shook his head. "First, you log everything. The teams and the personnel you've assigned to each one."
Minato continued, "Then you call in the chūnin assigned to those teams and inform them of their assignments."
Kaito paused. "…Wait. The chūnin haven't been informed yet?"
Shikaku shook his head. "No. This is a new system. First time we're implementing it." He added, "Some of them will likely refuse… or feel they're not ready to take on a team. You'll have to reassign those teams if that happens."
Kaito looked between them, disbelief clear on his face. "…Then why did we just spend the past hour assigning teams if we don't even know they'll take them?"
Minato chuckled softly. "Because it gives us a structured starting point. It's easier to adjust than to build everything from scratch."
Kaito stared at him for a moment.
Then sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "…I hate this job already."
Shikaku snorted lightly.
Kaito pushed himself up to his feet, stretching his arms overhead before rolling his shoulders. "…Alright," he muttered. "Let's just get this over with." He brought his hands together. "Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Two clones popped into existence beside him in soft puffs of smoke. Without needing instructions, both moved immediately, grabbing stacks of genin team files assigned to the chūnin's and bringing them over to the desk.
Meanwhile, Kaito walked over to the main desk, where two stacks of files sat—one labeled Class A, the other Class B.
He picked up the Class A stack along with the list of selected jōnin instructors, then moved to the center of the room and set everything down on the floor between them.
Kaito glanced up at Shikaku. "How are we doing this? Splitting it like before?"
Shikaku shook his head, picking up the top file. "No." He looked at Kaito. "You'll be making the teams."
Kaito frowned slightly.
"We'll give input," Shikaku continued. "Advice. But the decisions are yours." He tapped the file lightly. "This is something you need to learn."
Kaito let out a quiet breath, already expecting that. "…Yeah."
The door suddenly opened. No knock. Tsunade walked in like she owned the place resting against her chest were her twins, asleep and bundled securely. It had been about a month since she'd given birth the twins a boy and a girl. Both had inherited her blonde hair and brown eyes.
The girl was named Kiyomi and the boy Itsuki both of them were also given them the Senju name.
When Kaito had asked about it before, she had just shrugged. "It's about time the name came back."
Kaito blinked, looking up at her as she walked in. "…What are you doing here?"
Tsunade glanced at him. "I thought you might need help," she said. "I was free, so I dropped by."
Kaito gave her a skeptical look. "…Uh-huh."
Her gaze shifted, taking in the three of them sitting on the floor. "…Why are you three sitting on the floor?"
Kaito pointed lazily toward the desk without looking up from the files. "Desk didn't have space. Easier like this."
Minato spoke up, voice calm. "How are Itsuki-kun and Kiyomi-chan doing?"
Tsunade adjusted them slightly in her arms. "They've been a handful," she said. "I just fed them, so they'll be out for a few hours."
Kaito's eyes lingered on the twins for a moment before he looked back at her. "…You sure about bringing them here?"
Tsunade walked further in, closing the door behind her. "It'll be fine brat. I'm not planning on for staying long."
Her eyes shifted toward one of Kaito's clones. "You—bring the chair."
The clone didn't argue. It stood, walked over, grabbed the Hokage chair, and dragged it over to her.
Tsunade sat down on it, settling comfortably with both babies still asleep against her.
She looked between the three of them. "So," she said, "have you started assigning jōnin to the teams yet?"
Kaito's eye twitched slightly.
'She's here to make sure Naoki gets placed properly,' he thought flatly.
Shikaku shook his head. "No. We've only finished assigning the chūnin squads."
Minato added calmly, "Kaito was just about to start team assignments for Class-A."
Kaito glanced at Shikaku. "Speaking of Class-A… I forgot to ask. Who was rookie of the year?"
Shikaku, still reading through the academy instructors' assessments, answered without looking up. "That Yuki kid. Haku."
Kaito blinked, clearly surprised. "…Wait. It wasn't Neji?"
Shikaku shook his head, flipping the page. "No. Neji Hyūga was second."
Kaito frowned slightly. "…Huh."
He held his hand out. "Let me see the rankings, sensei."
Shikaku handed him the folder without comment.
Kaito flipped it open, scanning down the list. His eyes slowed slightly as he read through the top names. "…Haku topped the class… and Neji came in behind him…" he muttered. He kept going. "Torune Aburame… Guren… Shin… Kimimaro…" By the time he reached the middle, his expression shifted just a little. "…Naoki only ranked twentieth, huh."
He paused, then leaned back slightly, letting out a quiet breath. "…Even with a second chance, he couldn't top the class." It sounded casual. But it wasn't.
Tsunade's eye twitched almost immediately. "…You done?" she said flatly.
Kaito looked up at her, confused. "Huh? What? I was just making an observation."
Minato let out a quiet chuckle.
Shikaku raised an eyebrow slightly, staying silent.
Tsunade clicked her tongue and looked away. "…Tch." She adjusted the twins slightly in her arms before glancing back at the files. "…So," she said, shifting the topic, "who are the jōnin this year?"
Kaito closed the folder and handed it back to Shikaku, then reached over, grabbing a stack of papers and passing it to her. "These are the fifteen jōnin we picked for Class-A."
Tsunade shifted the twins into one arm and began flipping through the list with the other, eyes moving quickly as she scanned. Then she stopped. Her gaze flicked up toward Kaito. "…You're pulling Tenzo out of ANBU?"
Kaito met her gaze without hesitation. "Yeah."
Tsunade gave him a look. "Why him? He's one of the best ANBU we have."
Kaito shrugged slightly. "He's my friend. I know him well enough." He leaned back on one hand, tone calm. "He won't say it out loud, but he Wants to build connections. Have something outside of missions."
Tsunade didn't respond immediately.
Kaito continued, voice steady. "Leading a genin squad would help him. Just because someone grew up in the shadows doesn't mean they have to stay there forever."
Tsunade clicked her tongue. "Tch. You just want to pluck out all my best operatives."
Kaito didn't even try to deny it. he added, glancing at the list, "he's Also, the only one who can really help Guren develop her Crystal Release properly." His eyes shifted back to her. "Unless you're willing to let Kahyō take a team."
Tsunade huffed. "You know I can't do that." She adjusted the twins slightly as one of them shifted in her arms. "She has her own clan to manage now. The other clans would start complaining if I gave her a genin team on top of that."
Tsunade went back to the list, flipping another page—then paused again.
"…Genma?" she said, glancing up. "Why is he on here? Isn't he working with the police force right now?"
Kaito shook his head. "Genma reapplied for regular shinobi duty earlier this month. Couldn't stay stuck in the village that long." He rested his arm casually on his knee. "He's available, and he's capable. It made sense to give him a team. Dad agreed."
Tsunade's eyes shifted toward Minato.
Minato gave a small nod. "It's a good fit," he said calmly. "Keeps him on standard assignments instead of high-risk ones. And it gives him more time with his family."
Tsunade nodded slightly as she finished going through the list. Then she looked up again. "…Why isn't Kakashi on this?"
Kaito answered without hesitation. "I think he'd be better for next year's class. As Naruto's sensei."
Tsunade raised a brow. "Wouldn't Tenzo be a better pick for Naruto? With his Wood Release, he can suppress the Nine-Tails."
Kaito shook his head slightly. "It would… if the Nine-Tails was still a problem." He leaned forward a bit, resting his arm on his knee. "But Naruto and the Nine-Tails aren't like that anymore. Naruto's been trying to befriend him. They understand each other a lot more now. I don't think the Nine-Tails is going to try taking over."
His tone stayed calm, matter-of-fact. "The bigger issue is the Akatsuki. And between the two… Kakashi's stronger."
Tsunade studied him for a second, then nodded. "I see you've thought this through."
She handed the list back.
Kaito scoffed as he took it. "Of course. I'm not an idiot."
Tsunade snorted. "Could've fooled me."
Kaito ignored her, already placing the jōnin profiles down on the floor one by one, spacing them out evenly. "…Let's get this over with," he muttered. "I want to head home early."
He glanced over the layout, then gave a small nod. "Alright… this'll make it easier."
He reached for the student files, pulling one from the top and scanning through it.
After a moment, he hummed. "…This kid's got decent fundamentals… good chakra control… and he's taken kenjutsu as an elective." He shifted the file and placed it beside one of the jōnin profiles. "He'll fit here. Can push his kenjutsu further."
Minato nodded. "Takashi-san has excellent kenjutsu. He'll benefit from that kind of guidance."
Kaito hummed in agreement and reached for another file.
This time, he paused almost immediately after seeing the name.
"…Yakumo Kurama." He barely needed to think. "That's straightforward."
He placed the file beside Kurenai's profile without much thought. "She's going to Kurenai. The Kurama Clan already requested it, and it's the best fit."
He leaned back slightly, eyes moving over the remaining files.
Kaito pulled another file, flipping it open. "…Haku." He stared at it for a moment, thinking. "…I'm really tempted to just put Guren, Haku, and Kimimaro together under Tenzo," he said. "They already work well together. Makes my job easier, ya know."
Shikaku spoke immediately. "If you put all three in the same team, the rest will be imbalanced."
Tsunade nodded slightly. "Those three are isolated enough from the rest. Better to split them."
Kaito waved them away. "Yeah, yeah, I know." He glanced back at the files. "They need to form ties with the rest of the village and all that."
His gaze shifted across the jōnin profiles. "…So who's best for Haku…"
"Gai won't help much there… Guren's going to Tenzo…" He muttered under his breath, thinking.
Minato spoke up. "I'd suggest Genma."
Kaito glanced at him. "…Genma?" He frowned slightly. "Haku's probably going to surpass him in a few years. Wouldn't Gai be better?"
Minato shook his head. "Haku's kekkei genkai isn't something Gai can guide," he said. "Kahyō can help with that side." He gestured slightly toward the file. "But what Haku needs right now is refinement. Fundamentals. Adaptability. Mission awareness."
He paused briefly. "Genma's well-rounded. He'll build that foundation properly."
"…And Gai's style," Minato added, "doesn't match Haku's temperament."
Kaito listened, then gave a small shrug. "…Alright. Genma it is."
He placed Haku's file down beside Genma's profile.
Without pausing, he grabbed another file.
"…Lee." He didn't even think about it. The file went straight onto Gai's profile. "Gai asked for him specifically."
Kaito reached for the next file. "Let's see… Uzumaki Naoki."
He glanced at Tsunade for just a split second.
Then, very deliberately—
He placed Naoki's file under a random, no-name jōnin.
There was a brief silence.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "…Kaito."
Kaito looked up, blinking innocently. "Hmm?"
"That's not funny."
Kaito tilted his head slightly. "What's not funny?"
Tsunade didn't answer. She just stared at him.
"Naoki doesn't have anything special like a kekkei genkai," Kaito continued, tone casual—but pointed. "It'd be a waste putting him under someone like Gai or Tenzo." He gestured loosely at the layout. "Besides… if he keeps jumping onto paper bombs like an idiot, it won't matter who we assign him to. He'll end up in pieces anyway."
Silence.
He tapped the file lightly. "We can't show favoritism."
"Honestly," Kaito added, "the only people who can stop him from blowing himself up are me or Dad."
He glanced at Minato. "…You want to take a student, Dad?"
Minato let out a small, awkward chuckle. "…I don't think that's a good idea right now."
Shikaku looked between them, clearly missing context. "…Am I missing something?"
Tsunade didn't take her eyes off Kaito. "Kaito."
Kaito clicked his tongue. "…Tch." He picked Naoki's file back up. "Fine."
This time, he actually looked.
His eyes moved across the jōnin profiles—careful now, not just reacting.
"…Gai."
He paused there, staring at the placement for a moment. 'Lee fits with Gai… that part works.' His gaze shifted slightly. 'But Neji and Tenten didn't get much out of it… not because Gai was bad… just not the right match.' A quiet exhale. 'If I just recreate the same team again… it won't help anyone.'
Kaito adjusted his posture slightly.
Then placed Naoki's file under Gai. "…This could work." He tapped the placement once, then glanced at Tsunade. "You can handle his ninjutsu training. Gai can push his physical side."
He leaned back slightly, satisfied. "…Yeah. This fits better."
By the end All of Class A had been assigned.
Team Gai
Rock Lee
Uzumaki Naoki
Nara Tsukiko
Team Tenzo
Guren
Torune Aburame
Tenji Inuzuka
Team Genma
Sarutobi Kenma
Shin
Haku Yuki
Team Kurenai
Yakumo Kurama
Fū Yamanaka
Neji Hyūga
Team Asuma
Tenten
Kimimaro
Taiko Uchiha
Kaito glanced over the full layout one more time, checking for any obvious issues. "…Alright," he muttered quietly. "That's done."
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