𝙇𝘼𝙑𝙀𝙉𝘿𝙀𝙍. | 𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗢

V

ON the other side of the Village sat the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Iruka Umino, Team Seven's old academy teacher. They both sat on a brown wood table across from each other. The skies were bright and the clouds were a pretty white that floated about in the sky.

The two of them were sat in one of the many conference rooms of the Hokage Tower, and in front of them were two cups of warm dark tea. The white cups reflected the sun that peaked through the windows. Iruka peered at his distorted reflection in his own cup of tea, before lifting his face up to meet the esteemed Hokage's.

"Lord Hokage, why would you out Naruto on the team with Sasuke?" Iruka paused for a moment. "I-It's not like I doubt your judgement, but you put the three of the most smartest in the same group, did you not? I find it a little strange."

The Hokage brought a wrinkled hand up to his mouth and he cleared his throat. "Iruka, you do know that you passed Naruto rather late. I wasn't planning on having the Hyuga and Uchiha on the same team at all." The Hokage drew a sheet of paper from within his white silk sleeves and pushed it on the table, towards Iruka.

"Look, Iruka. Naruto's admission to become a genin came late, therefore we had no choice but to change a few of the teams."

Iruka smiled sheepishly. "I'm really sorry, Lord Hokage. It's that I had to pass Naruto. His heroic actions swayed me."

The Hokage took a long puff of his pipe."I do not doubt you decision, Iruka, but Sasuke Uchiha and Riki Hyuga were not meant to be on the same team. I had originally meant for Haruno and Sasuke to be on the same team, but the Hyuga was meant to have been on a team with her heiress and Shino Aburame.

"Riki has one of the top grades for kunoichi's this year, coming right after Sakura Haruno and Ami Inoue in terms of academics. Her taijutsu is quite above avarage, but that is a given." The Hokage gestured to Riki's name on the sheet that had a detailed profile of her appearance, age, grades and other personal information.

"The heiress, Hinata Hyuga, and Shino Aburame both have average grades, one having close range attacks and the other short range. It would've been a good balance, don't you agree?"

Iruka nodded weakly at the Hokage. He picked up his cup of tea and took a long sip. He let the beverage slip down his throat, and he shuddered at it's warmth. "However, I can tell you aren't here to discuss the team members and drink tea, young Iruka. I ask you to tell me why you have come all the way out here."

Iruka looked at the Hokage again. "Lord Third, I do not wish to disclaim your wise judgement. But of all jonin, why did you make that Kakashi the instructor of Team Seven?"

"Why? Does it concern you?"

"I just heard a rumor that concerns me. That is all." The Hokage produced another book from his silk sleeve. This time it was green book, rather than a sheet of paper. He placed it on the brown table.

"What is this?" Iruka looked at the Hokage questioningly. The Hokage gave his answer quickly. "It's a pass-fail list of all the junior ninjas Kakashi has been in charge of unill now."

Iruka picked the book off the table. "Let me have a quick look," he said nervously. He opened the book, and he was aghast.

"This can't be," Iruka began. He flicked tgrough each page, skimming over it's writing. "He hasn't passed a single person this whole time . . ."

"Iruka . . ." The Hokage sighed and took a smoke of his pipe again. "Even I don't know whether it's good for these children to become shinobi right away. However, Kakashi's judgement was somewhat right. Like how you judged Naruto and deemed he had the ability to become a genin, Kakashi had deemed it proper for the children to return back to the academy."