Chương 34: CHAPTER 34
(A/N: Dear gentle readers, Hatake Sakumo is considered older than sanins by one-three years but there is no depiction of it anywhere, it's just considered only.
As the sanin never married or have children, so we can't compare their age at all, we know that they are 51 at the cannon time, while sakumo will also be 51 or so years around cannon time, so it doesn't really matter, just enjoy and stop whining.)
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The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting an amber glow over the village as the graduation exams finally came to an end.
Inside the academy, the remaining students shuffled back into the classroom, some with broad smiles and others with furrowed brows, waiting nervously for their results.
The anticipation in the room was palpable, filling the space with whispered conversations and hopeful glances.
As the door creaked open, a jonin instructor stepped into the room, holding a large scroll in his hands.
His face was stern, but there was a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes as he walked up to the podium.
He unrolled the scroll with a snap, and the quiet murmur of the students came to an abrupt halt.
"The exams have concluded, and the results are ready," the jonin announced, his voice echoing across the silent room. "Listen carefully as I announce the rankings."
He paused for a moment, letting the tension build before he continued. "First rank: Hatake Sakumo. Second rank: Tsunade Senju. Third rank: Uchiha Naito. Fourth rank: Orochimaru. Fifth rank: Nara Uzuki..."
As the names rolled off his tongue, students began to shift in their seats, some sitting up straighter, others sinking lower as their names were called.
"Twenty-first rank: Jiraiya," the jonin finally said, casting a glance toward the corner of the room where Jiraiya sat.
The white-haired boy gave a sheepish grin, ruffling his hair as a few snickers echoed from the back of the room.
Despite his low ranking, Jiraiya remained unfazed, his mind already wandering elsewhere.
"Now, the squad assignments," the jonin continued, moving on to the next part of the process.
"Squad one: Tsunade Senju, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya. Your sensei will meet you after class." He paused for a moment, letting the names sink in.
Jiraiya's eyes lit up at the mention of his teammates, while Tsunade crossed her arms, already less than thrilled about the pairing.
The jonin continued down the list, pairing up students into teams of three, with each group assigned to a jonin sensei.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, watching the events unfold on his crystal ball.
The Hokage stroked his chin thoughtfully as he observed the performances of Sakumo, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya.
"These four are shaping up well," Hiruzen mused aloud, a satisfied smile creeping across his face.
"With a little more experience, they'll reach the level of chunin. By the time the Second Shinobi War arrives, they'll be strong enough to hold their own in any battlefront."
Hiruzen turned to Uchiha Kagami, his trusted friend and fellow shinobi, who stood silently beside him.
"The Uchiha prodigy, Naito, has great potential too," Hiruzen continued. "With proper guidance, he'll master his Sharingan and might even rival some of the S-rank shinobi in the world."
Kagami nodded, his eyes also fixed on the crystal ball. "I'll take personal responsibility for Uchiha Naito's training, along with his teammates. They have the potential to become elite jonin in the future," he replied confidently. "But it's up to us to nurture that talent."
Hiruzen smiled and leaned forward. "The results this year are exceptional. Out of 1,000 students, 180 have made it to genin. That's quite the achievement, especially with the difficulty level we increased in the exams."
Kagami chuckled softly. "Your reforms have really paid off. Even the weakest of these genin have the potential to grow into capable chunin in the next year."
Back in the classroom, the tension had subsided somewhat as the jonin finished announcing the squads.
Conversations started to bubble up once more, with students comparing their ranks and future plans.
"That was the hardest exam yet!" one student exclaimed, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Yeah, if it wasn't for all those extra training sessions in chakra control, I would've failed for sure," another agreed, still catching his breath.
Uchiha Naito, who had been sitting quietly, scoffed at their remarks. "That was nothing," he said with a smirk. "If you think that was hard, you're in for a rude awakening once we start real missions."
His comment was met with a few glares, but most of the students knew better than to challenge him.
Naito had a reputation for being a prodigy, and even the jonin spoke of his potential in hushed tones.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya was busy boasting to his newly assigned teammates. "Tsunade, you're lucky you got paired with me!" he said with a broad grin, puffing out his chest. "I'll protect you in every mission, no need to worry."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, not bothering to hide her irritation. "You? Protect me?" she scoffed. "You barely passed the exam, Jiraiya. Focus on not getting yourself hurt before you start worrying about me."
Jiraiya's grin faltered, and he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Hey, I'm just saying… I'll get stronger, you'll see!" He gave a thumbs-up, determined to win her over.
Orochimaru, who had been watching the exchange in silence, finally spoke. "I'm sure Jiraiya will protect us both," he said with a sly smile, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
His tongue flicked out briefly as if tasting the air, making Jiraiya shift uncomfortably.
Before Jiraiya could respond, several jonin instructors entered the classroom, each one there to collect their squads.
Among them was Uchiha Kagami, his presence instantly commanding respect. The students quickly fell silent as Kagami and the other jonin called their teams forward and led them out of the classroom.
Only four students remained—Hatake Sakumo, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.
The room suddenly felt much emptier, and an uneasy silence settled over them. Jiraiya, looking confused, finally broke the silence.
"Why isn't our sensei here yet?" he grumbled, glancing around the room. "Everyone else is already gone."
Before anyone could answer, Jiraiya noticed Sakumo sitting calmly in the corner.
He pointed at him and asked, "Hey, weren't you supposed to go to the Hokage? Why are you still here?"
Sakumo smiled, brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes. "A jonin told me to wait here, so I'm just following orders."
Realization dawned on Tsunade and Orochimaru at the same time, and they exchanged knowing glances.
"Could it be... our sensei is Hokage-sama?" Tsunade asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed from the back of the room. "That's correct, my dear students." Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, stepped into the room with a warm smile on his face.
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