The scorching sun blazed overhead, and the sky stretched clear for miles.
Land of Fire, Konaha.
Ninja Academy.
Inside the classroom, Uzumaki Naruto sat cross-legged on the floor, his whiskered face full of exasperation as he watched the other Genin leave one by one. His patience finally snapped.
"Hey! It's been forever already! Where the hell is our Team 7 teacher?!"
Naruto pulled out a crumpled ramen coupon and checked the expiration date. His face instantly turned pale with despair.
Clutching his head with both hands, he wailed, "Ahhh! My ramen coupon is about to expire!"
He had saved that coupon for ages, planning to invite Sakura Haruno to Ichiraku Ramen for a date after Team 7 was formed.
Across the room, Uchiha Sasuke crossed his arms and propped his chin on one hand, glancing at Naruto with cold indifference.
"Hmph. Idiot."
"Sasuke-kun is so cool…" Sakura Haruno ignored Naruto entirely, gazing at Sasuke like an infatuated girl, secretly stealing glances at him from across the room.
"Damn it, you arrogant bastard…" Naruto was just about to fire back when his light-blue eyes shifted. A mischievous grin slowly crept across his face.
Under everyone's puzzled stares, Naruto stood on a chair and wedged a blackboard eraser into the crack above the classroom door.
He tilted his head, examining his handiwork.
"This should work, right? Hehehe… Being late as Team 7's teacher? Just wait. I'll teach you a lesson and make you look like a fool."
He covered his mouth and snickered, already imagining their teacher walking in and getting smacked on the head by the falling eraser.
Sakura frowned at the trap and scolded him, "Naruto! What are you doing? As members of Team 7, we need to make a good impression on our new Jonin-sensei!"
Outwardly, she scolded him.
But inwardly—
Yes!
That's perfect!
Maybe add a few more erasers and really teach the late teacher a lesson!
"Hmph. A boring trick." Sasuke slipped his hands into his pockets and leaned against the wall.
"Most Jonin-sensei are Jonin-level experts. How could they fall for such a low-level trap?"
Academy graduates were placed into three-person squads—two boys and one girl—to encourage competition.
Their squad leader, who also served as captain, was typically a Jonin-level ninja.
How could someone strong enough to ignore attacks with their eyes closed fall for something this childish?
Naruto clasped his hands behind his head and grinned. "Sasuke, you arrogant bastard, you're secretly hoping it works, aren't you?"
"Childish. Don't lump me in with a super idiot like you."
"What did you say, bastard?!"
A vein throbbed on Naruto's forehead. He rolled up his sleeves and grabbed Sasuke by the collar, ready to throw hands.
"Stop it, idiot. You're nowhere near my level," Sasuke replied coolly, hands still in his pockets.
"Let go of Sasuke, Naruto!" Sakura shouted angrily.
Naruto deflated like a punctured balloon. "Sakura-chan… I'm the one getting insulted here…"
"It's your fault anyway!" he snapped, immediately pointing at Sasuke.
The classroom crackled with tension.
Naruto glared at Sasuke.
Sakura glared at Naruto.
Sasuke stared back at Naruto with cold indifference.
Creak—
The faint sound of the door opening cut through the silence.
All three turned toward the entrance.
A tall, slender man stepped inside—around 185 centimeters. He had messy white hair and wore a black hooded hoodie, black casual pants, and black ankle boots.
But what drew their attention most were his sky-blue eyes—clear as gemstones and carrying a faint, dangerous aura.
He was Hyuga Renji.
"Is he our Team 7 teacher? So… so handsome…" Sakura covered her mouth, pink hearts practically sparkling in her eyes as she stared at him.
"This guy… he feels even more arrogant than Sasuke. Hehe… you're about to get embarrassed," Naruto muttered, sneaking a glance at the eraser beginning to fall.
"Hmph." Sasuke snorted, pretending not to care—though his eyes tracked the falling eraser carefully.
Everyone watched.
The eraser slowly descended toward Renji's head.
Just before it struck—
It stopped.
Midair.
Then, as if guided by invisible strings, it floated gently into Renji's hand.
Silence.
Team 7 froze.
The eraser… stopped?
And then floated into his hand?
What the hell just happened?
Naruto blinked repeatedly. "Is that real or fake? That has to be fake!"
"Is this the power of a Jonin?" Sasuke's lips curled slightly. "Interesting."
Sakura clasped her hands together. "He's even more handsome than Sasuke…"
None of them understood how Renji had controlled the eraser. They only knew one thing—
He was strong.
And very, very confident.
Renji casually toyed with the eraser, his sky-blue eyes sweeping across the three of them. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"My apologies, my apologies. I was late because I was busy rejecting several female ninja's mating invitations."
"…M-Mating invitations?"
All three of them were speechless.
Was that something you said to Academy graduates?
"Hello, everyone. I am Renji of the Hyuga Clan. Due to several annoying circumstances, starting today, I'll be your new Team 7 teacher."
He paused, then smirked.
"Take good care of me from now on, you stinky brats."
The eraser floated above his palm again.
Then—
Whoosh!
"Thwack!"
It shot forward so fast none of them could react.
The eraser smashed directly into Naruto's face, sending him flying across the classroom.
He rolled several times before landing flat on his back, dizzy and seeing stars.
Renji dusted off his hands calmly and looked at Naruto with a faint smile.
"Anyway, I'm your Team 7 teacher now. Let's all get along from here on out."