Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

With the help of the Silence Fruit, Zixu once again slept soundly. No one suffered except for his clone, who was forced to train in mastering the Silence Fruit. It was like this—Labor Day is a holiday, but the name itself implies labor, so logically, the clone worked while the main body rested.

"By the way, I should report today."

After sorting everything out, Zixu left his clone behind in the room to continue training and headed out to the Ninja Academy.

If the Ninja Academy was the first step in selecting shinobi, then this class division was the real deal. From here on, they would be formally assigned into three-person squads, each led by a Jonin instructor. Unless something unforeseen occurred, the teacher wouldn't change, and the three-man teams would continue learning under their instructor, taking on missions while gaining experience, until they were ready for the Chunin and Jonin promotion exams.

Thanks to their high-quality sleep, Hyuga Chinano and Aburame Hatsuizumi were already in the classroom when Zixu arrived. Each squad had its own designated classroom, though they wouldn't be using it much in the future, as most of their training would involve field missions or combat drills.

At that moment, Hatsuizumi was sitting beside Chinano, showing her a peculiar insect. When she spotted Zixu walking in, she waved at him.

"Zixu, Zixu! Look, I discovered that small lightworms and moonlight worms can actually mate naturally. They can reproduce without human intervention, and even evolve naturally..." Hatsuizumi excitedly shared her new finding.

Zixu nodded but was more curious about something else.

"Why isn't our instructor here yet? I thought I was running late."

"No idea. Gouda Takeshi said our teacher had something to take care of and told us to wait for a bit," Chinano replied, resting her chin on one hand, looking bored.

Zixu casually sat down next to her and asked, "How's your family treating you now?"

"What else? Same as always. A big stick followed by a sweet date," she said indifferently. "That's how they deal with branch family members. Let alone someone like me with 'impure' blood."

She spoke so naturally, without the slightest emotional fluctuation, as if she had long accepted it.

Before Zixu could say anything, the classroom door creaked open. The three turned their heads to see a man walk in. He had short brown hair, a forehead protector, a black tactical uniform, and a green Jonin vest over it.

As he entered, his eyes swept across the room. Seeing the three students, he gave an apologetic smile.

"Sorry for being late. I'm your new Jonin instructor. You can call me Tenzo. We'll be working together for a long time, so let's get along," he said warmly. His constant smile made him seem easy to push around.

"Tenzo? You mean the Wood Release Tenzo? Shouldn't you be part of the Anbu under the Third Hokage?" Chinano asked, raising an eyebrow.

Her words immediately told Zixu that their so-called easygoing instructor was no ordinary shinobi. He was actually quite famous.

"Oh, I got recognized already?" Tenzo scratched his head. "Well, there's been a shortage of instructors lately, so I was reassigned to take over a squad. Think of it as a temporary break from Anbu duties."

He spread his hands in a helpless manner, but both Zixu and Hatsuizumi were confused.

"Wait... Wood Release Tenzo?" Hatsuizumi muttered, her mind racing. "Isn't Wood Release an exclusive technique of the First Hokage? Does that mean...?"

Her gaze flickered between the man in front of her and the stone monument of the First Hokage in her memory. Then she looked at his forehead protector, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the Second Hokage's. A thought formed in her mind.

Tenzo, noticing Hatsuizumi's increasingly suspicious looks—one moment nodding in realization, then smiling subtly, then furrowing her brows—felt the need to clarify before she got any weirder ideas.

"Just to be clear, I have no blood relation to the First or Second Hokage," he said quickly. "I got my Wood Release through... special circumstances."

He clearly had no interest in discussing his origins further, and immediately changed the topic.

"Now then, let's test whether you're actually qualified to become ninjas."

His words caught the three of them off guard.

"You mean… we still need to pass a test?" Zixu asked, eyes narrowing.

"Of course," Tenzo smiled. "Becoming an official shinobi isn't as simple as just graduating.

"Does it mean I have to pass this test to officially become a Genin? What happens if I fail?" Zixu stood up from his seat, voicing his concerns.

Tenzo still had a gentle smile on his face, but his words were ice-cold.

"People who can't complete their missions are worthless. For those who are worthless, preventing them from becoming shinobi for the rest of their lives is the greatest kindness we can offer them."

"So failing the test means losing our qualifications as ninja? Then just tell us what the test is." Hyuga Chinano summarized the situation in a straightforward manner.

Tenzo waved his hand, signaling them to follow him outside. Since this was obviously a practical exam, there was no need for a written test inside a classroom. As they followed him out, Zixu found himself wondering why someone like Tenzo was assigned as their instructor.

First of all, Tenzo operated directly under the Third Hokage, meaning all his actions were on Sarutobi Hiruzen's orders. That meant this was something the Hokage had arranged. Considering the makeup of their squad, Zixu felt that it wasn't because of him—his performance was only slightly above average, nothing exceptional. Of course, there was always a small chance that the Anbu had discovered his secret, but that possibility was low.

Aburame Hatsuizumi could also be ruled out. If she had the ability to control a lineage of plague-infected insects, then maybe, but based on what she had shown so far, she wasn't strong enough to concern the Third Hokage or the others in power.

"So, if Tenzo's arrival wasn't just a coincidence, then his real target can only be Chinano. This must have something to do with the Hyuga Clan…"

Zixu had heard Chinano talk about the incident before. A ninja leader from the Land of Lightning had attempted to kidnap the Hyuga Clan's young heir to uncover the secrets of the Byakugan. However, he was killed by the head of the main family, Hyuga Hiashi. Instead of admitting their crime, the Land of Lightning used his death as an excuse to make unreasonable demands, insisting on seeing the body of the Hyuga Clan leader.

Otherwise, they threatened to attack both the Hidden Leaf Village and the Hyuga Clan. To prevent war, Hyuga Hizashi—the head of the branch family and Chinano's father—stepped forward and sacrificed himself in place of Hiashi.

No matter how Zixu looked at it, something didn't add up. He couldn't help but wonder: What was the Third Hokage doing? Was this really a joint decision between the Hyuga Clan and Sarutobi Hiruzen? Was it possible that even the so-called "kidnapping" by the Land of Lightning was just part of a greater scheme orchestrated by both the clan and the Hokage? Could it be that Hyuga Hizashi "volunteered" to die under the so-called "negotiations" between Hiashi and the Third Hokage?

Zixu made a mental note to remind Chinano to be cautious around Tenzo.

By the time they arrived at the training grounds, Tenzo stood opposite them, pulling out three explosive tags.

"The most important thing for a ninja team is trust between its members. My test is simple: This is a special explosive tag. Once infused with chakra, it will detonate in exactly thirty seconds. You will pass it between each other, and in the end, the person holding it when time runs out will be eliminated.

"You cannot throw it away, and I will be watching closely. The one who holds it last will fail, while the other two pass. That's all."

Tenzo infused chakra into an explosive tag and tossed it into the air. Within seconds, it ignited, bursting into flames and sending a wave of heat across their faces—proof that it was very real.

"Now, who should we start with?" Tenzo asked, his dark eyes reflecting their tense expressions. "Don't worry, Konoha's medical team is highly skilled. You won't get hurt… much."

Despite his casual tone, he had already activated another explosive tag in his hand. Zixu caught onto this and stepped forward, taking the tag from him. As he held it, his mind raced.

"A Konoha instructor wouldn't deliberately cause us harm outside of a mission. Even if the Third Hokage and the Hyuga main family wanted to suppress the branch family, they wouldn't use a method like this. So… does that mean only the first of these three tags is actually dangerous?"

Even though he had a strong hunch, he couldn't be completely sure.

Hatsuizumi and Chinano grew anxious as they saw Zixu standing still. They knew him well—despite his physical strength, he never acted recklessly.

"Sensei, you said the most important thing for a ninja team is trust between members, but won't a test like this only create division? Even if someone passes, they won't feel happy. Instead, they'll carry guilt for the rest of their lives.

"In summary, I think this test is completely unnecessary."

Zixu's tone was firmer than ever. The explosive tag in his hand was heating up, but he still refused to pass it on.

Tenzo's smile faded as he stared into Zixu's eyes. His voice lost its previous warmth.

"Well said. But a ninja must always put the mission first. If you insist on thinking that way… then you fail."

Hatsuizumi grew agitated, speaking up while summoning several blue insects that flew toward Zixu.

"How can there be such a rule?! What kind of ninja abandons their comrades?!"

At the same time, Chinano tensed her body, preparing to rush toward Tenzo.

Tenzo didn't react. He simply raised his hand, his fingers extending into wooden tendrils that ensnared the insects mid-air. Then, an immense pressure radiated from him—so suffocating that both Hatsuizumi and Chinano found it difficult to breathe.

Only then did they remember—this man who had been acting so friendly was a Jonin. A Jonin who had mastered countless killing techniques.

"..."

Tenzo silently watched Zixu, who was still holding the tag, his brow slightly raised. The heat from the tag was getting stronger.

Wait… was this really not a fake?

BOOM!

An explosion erupted, sending a wave of heat and burnt wood into the air. But when the smoke cleared, Zixu was completely unharmed. The blast had been contained inside a wooden cage—created by none other than Tenzo himself.

Seeing this, Tenzo nodded in satisfaction and smiled for real this time.

"To be honest, I really wanted to fail you. After all, according to your records, your performance is average at best. You have no outstanding qualities. The survival rate for shinobi like that is extremely low."

He stretched his arms and turned to look at the others, casually releasing the captured blue insects back to Hatsuizumi.

"But data isn't everything. You clearly have strengths that aren't reflected in your records. More importantly, your teammates trust you deeply. That kind of trust must have been built through experience. So…"

Tenzo trailed off, tossing aside the charred wood remains and waving at the three of them.

"What are you all standing around for? Class is starting."

Chinano glanced at Zixu, checking to make sure he wasn't hurt. Only after confirming his safety did she relax, dragging the still-confused Hatsuizumi along with her.

"He talks tough, but he's actually a good teacher," Zixu thought, watching the three walk ahead before following after them.

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