My Name Is Namikaze Naruto - Chapter 37

For a ninja’s first battle, Naruto’s performance was undeniably exceptional. His calmness and composure during dangerous moments, as well as his decisiveness and directness in seizing opportunities, were all qualities of an outstanding ninja. Kakashi could easily see these traits in Naruto.

“Hmm, my first impression of you all is quite good. Let’s head to the rooftop for introductions and to get to know each other better.”

After scanning the three of them, Kakashi nodded slightly. His one visible eye showed a faint smile as he spoke. Without waiting for a response, he turned and left the classroom, heading toward the rooftop.

It seemed he wasn’t concerned at all, or perhaps he was certain they would follow him.

He showed no awareness that he was over three hours late compared to the other teams’ instructors.

This left Sakura fuming. She had just started to feel relieved that the instructor had arrived, but now she was irritated by how unreliable he seemed.

“A supposed ‘instructor’ who looks completely unreliable and doesn’t even explain why he’s late…”

Sakura couldn’t help but internally vent.

Her teammates already seemed off, and now their squad leader was just as unreliable.

Sakura felt as if her ninja career was turning bleak before it even began.

Still, she had to follow. Seeing Naruto and Sasuke get up calmly to follow Kakashi, she sighed internally and quickly followed their lead.

When they reached the rooftop, Kakashi was leaning against the railing with his arms crossed, still looking nonchalant.

“Alright, let’s start with introductions. We’ll be working together as a team for the next few years, so it’s important to get to know each other.”

Kakashi’s voice was calm as he spoke.

But when he finished, he found that none of the three spoke up immediately.

Naruto wore a faint smile, Sasuke remained cold and distant, and Sakura was simply too stunned to respond at first.

Kakashi hadn’t expected such silence in response.

Most importantly, he could see a hint of wariness in Naruto’s eyes and a bit of impatience in Sasuke’s expression.

This gave Kakashi a slight headache.

“These are definitely two problem children,” he thought.

However, Kakashi could understand Naruto’s wariness and Sasuke’s impatience. Both had experienced exceptionally harsh childhoods. Naruto, especially, had grown up in a challenging environment, so it was natural for him to be cautious around strangers. As for Sasuke, Kakashi saw him as still just a child.

But Kakashi didn’t realize the real reason behind Naruto’s wariness. Naruto knew that Kakashi was one of the Third Hokage’s most trusted subordinates and would even be recognized as the Sixth Hokage in the future. Such a figure could greatly impact Naruto’s plans. Kakashi wasn’t someone easy to deceive, and facing him required careful handling to avoid raising suspicions before Naruto was strong enough to protect himself or escape.

This caution showed in Naruto’s eyes, but given his difficult childhood, a bit of unusual behavior was understandable and didn’t arouse Kakashi’s suspicion.

Due to Naruto and Sasuke’s silence, the atmosphere grew awkward again.

Thankfully, Sakura was relatively normal. Although she had been mentally cursing Kakashi, she decided to break the silence, even if it meant pretending to be the obedient girl.

“Um, teacher? What exactly should we say in our introductions?”

Sakura looked a bit nervous, glancing at Sasuke before raising her hand and asking softly.

Finally, someone spoke.

Kakashi, who was secretly relieved but maintained a calm exterior, said with a lazy tone, “Just say your name, your dreams, things you like and dislike, and anything else you want to share. It’s just about making a first impression.”

Seeing that their instructor seemed friendly, Sakura felt a bit bolder.

“Could you introduce yourself first, teacher?”

Sakura’s eyes sparkled as she asked, her voice a bit louder.

“Me? Sure.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, then nodded nonchalantly.

“My name is Kakashi Hatake, a Jonin of the Leaf Village. What I like isn’t suitable to share with you right now. There’s nothing I particularly dislike. As for my dreams, that’s a secret.”

So, they only learned his name? Keeping secrets from the kids?
Sakura couldn’t help but internally complain.

Despite her thoughts, the three listened intently. Both Sasuke and Sakura’s expressions changed slightly upon learning Kakashi was a Jonin. They understood what it meant to be a Jonin in a major ninja village, and realizing their seemingly unreliable leader was a Jonin made Sasuke’s eyes turn serious.

Not a Chunin, but a Jonin of the Leaf Village.

Jonin = Strength.

In Sasuke’s eyes, this meant the man before him had the ability to make him stronger.

This finally piqued Sasuke’s interest and attention.

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