Here's the BONUS CHAPTER as promised—thanks for the support, and let's keep this energy going!
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What the head teacher said was true—grouping is all about balancing strength across teams.
After all, this generation doesn't have any particularly iconic lineups like Ino–Shika–Chō, or standouts from clans like the Uchiha or Hyuga.
Even the prodigy Kakashi got paired with Obito, the dead last. That's as balanced as it gets.
Kato Shizune wasn't dead last, sure—but she's a medic-nin, not a combat specialist.
If a real fight broke out, I'm not even sure she'd last against Obito.
Guts is a physical powerhouse, and Kurenai hails from a family of illusionists. Add in a medical ninja, and the combo actually makes sense.
Once the groupings were finalized, the head teacher gave us the usual encouragement speech before leaving.
Soon after, the Jōnin leaders started arriving to pick up their teams.
The most memorable arrival?
Naturally, Namikaze Minato.
He's only 18 and already brushing the threshold of Kage-level. Guy's a walking legend.
He even gave me a wave before heading off with Kakashi and his group. Cool as always.
We waited another twenty minutes or so before Tsunade finally showed up.
"Yo, I'm your guide Jōnin. Come with me,"
She said lazily, clearly not fully awake.
Both Kurenai and Shizune lit up, voices full of admiration.
"You're half an hour late. Gambling all night again?"
I didn't bother hiding the contempt in my tone.
Tsunade let out a dry laugh, clearly trying to gloss over the embarrassment. She shot me a quick glare like,
"Could you not talk about that now?"
Truth is, if it weren't for me pestering her, she probably wouldn't have taken this job at all.
As the Princess of Konoha, Tsunade led us up to the rear mountain, the perfect vantage point to overlook the entire village.
"All right, self-introductions. I'm Senju Tsunade. I don't think I need to explain who I am."
She waved a hand lazily.
"I like gambling and researching medical ninjutsu. I hate—hmm—people like Jiraiya."
She paused for half a second.
"My favorite food? Sake and grilled chicken. I hate sweets. As for my dream… Probably to become the Goddess of Gambling."
"That dream's already dead in the water," I said without missing a beat.
She shot me a glare sharp enough to kill.
Couldn't this brat not misbehave for just once?
"Fine then. You're first,"
Tsunade snapped, clearly wanting revenge.
I pointed at myself, then shrugged.
"Name's Guts. I like strength and beautiful women. Don't really have any foods I hate—as long as it tastes good, I'm in. My dream? Simple. More strength, more beauties."
Tsunade muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Pfft. Like aiming to be Hokage is 'elegant.' Danzo sure didn't look elegant to me."
I casually leaned on Kurenai's shoulder. She tensed up, clearly flustered, cheeks flushing.
Shizune, standing next to her, looked a little confused. Probably wondering who Danzo was.
Tsunade ignored my antics and turned to the girls.
"I'm Yuhi Kurenai," Kurenai said.
"I like strong flavors, dislike sweets. I specialize in genjutsu and... I hope to become a kunoichi like you, Lady Tsunade."
Next, Shizune stepped forward.
"My name is Kato Shizune. I like rice, dislike meat. I also want to become a ninja like you."
Tsunade tried to act indifferent, but I caught the smile tugging at her lips. Even she wasn't immune to sincere admiration.
"Then you should work on paying off your gambling debt yourself," I said, deadpan.
Her smile cracked. If facial expressions could kill, I'd be buried already.
Kurenai and Shizune both blinked in surprise, clearly wondering what kind of relationship I had with Tsunade.
Teacher-student, sure—but it didn't feel like that at all.
"Ahem! Come on, let's test your skills," she said, clearing her throat to hide the awkwardness.
She led us to a familiar-looking training ground. If I remember right, this is where Rock Lee and Sasuke will clash someday.
Was she really going to do the bell test?
Before I could finish the thought, Tsunade reached into her pouch and tossed something at me.
I caught it without effort—it was two bells.
"Guts, you know what this means, right?" she asked, smirking.
"You're the examiner. These two will try to grab the bells from you. One hour. Go."
Kurenai and Shizune blinked in surprise again.
Then their gazes sharpened.
They understood quickly—I'm already a Chūnin, and Kurenai especially knows I'm not far off from Jōnin level. No surprise I'm the one testing them.
"You're just trying to get out of work, huh?"
I shot her a look, but didn't complain. I clipped the bells to my waistband and raised a hand casually, signaling the start.
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