My kunai met against his blade, each and every stroke he makes, scratches appeared in my body.

"What's wrong? Is that all you've got!"

He yelled at me, looking at my teammates and gave us disappointed gaze.

"Here I am, looking at you guys, and you all only have this much? How laughable…"

He sneers at us, I'm that full of scratches in a bloodied body. While my other Genin teammates grunting in the field, either holding their stomach or groaning and crying.

I mean, I know that the world outside is scary. But, seeing the savagery of a Jonin like Itachi and Shisui make my day…

However, this guy is different!

The man in front of me is the guy that always visiting mother and us in the orphanage. Although he's pale and always brought some katana in his back, using bandana like Konoha badge. The man is always full of smiles and kind!

However, this guy is different!

Hayate Gekkou!

He's fucking, pointing the damn blade to us! His Genin team?!

"Oh, that eyes. I preferred to kill you all right here right now. Rather than being close to you all, only to have you… betray Konoha…"

"We… won't do that!"

"you… Hyuuga Erika… do someone that has a caged bird seal, can disobey the Clan master's order? For your information, the seal on Hyuuga clan is an open secret to the anbu… for all we know, the Clan isn't someone we can trust, at some point, I agree with Danzo"

The girl's eyes glassy, she held back her tears. The shame the seal brings is something that all of them know, none dared to complain about it. As the Byakugan is something worth that much…

Not many kill to be able to have those eyes, even the Uchiha can be afraid to be killed one day and be farmed for their eyes.

Konoha is the only village, that has doujutsu in their army. Not one of the Clans from another village has the doujutsu.

Although Kekkei Genkai is something they had, it's not something that can be passed on by blood. The doujutsu is the only kekkei Genkai that can be passed on to…

Well, leaving aside the jutsu like Yamanaka and Nara, and… oh… wow

Let me rephrase that, there's only several Clan that can have their kekkei Genkai be passed on, while most… can't…

The example is like the Tsuchikage from several generations, or today… they have a kekkei touta like dust and something… I don't really know, as the library only tell something that known for what they aren't classified…

"Akh…"

"Weak… this is the academy's graduate? I expect more than this…"

He smirks at us, while we can only see the dark and grim expression of his, another one of my teammates, Uchiha Hiura exclaimed: "our Uchiha clan won't accept this disgrace!"

"Oh, and what'd he said? The jounin beat my ass so you all need to beat the bastard's ass? You really think they'd do that? We're a ninja, those which are incompetent will be killed… either by their enemies or their allies… no mercy will be given, as an idiot ally will kill you, and an idiotic enemy is a point for you!"

At his words, Hiura silenced. Sadness and fury at the same time, fear, can blatantly be seen in his eyes. Deep fear, that shouldn't be seen by a ninja, seen in his eyes…

"See… those fear in your eyes is what makes you became a traitor, even your 'teammates' can see those traitorous gazes you've to create in those pupil…"

Startled, Hiura looks at me and Erika, we can see the disappointment in Erika's eyes. While Hayate smirked, and laugh out loud.

"You guys all failed! Go back to the academy!"

.

.

.

After the scene of his hope that burned down, the story got skipped by a lot… in the next scene fear and hope, guilt and sadness filled his scream, his laughter forced emptiness from the sound and the cries embed sadness from within…

Hotaru then awaken with tears glistening in his cheeks, feeling how real the situation is, and today should be the day he met with his mentor. The day that should be the one day, he'll come back to the academy…

"that sure is a weird dream… but, is it a dream?" murmured Hotaru

Shout from below then echoed "Wake up the fire! Or you'll be late for the big day!"

"I'm awake!" he then dashed to the shower, and tidy himself up.

"Look at my boy! He'll be a ninja today!"

"Oh, hi dad, hi sis… done with the preparation already?"

"Oh, we have done that, so you just need to go and get your team a chin up!"

"Uh… what?"

"Leave the dumb father behind, and go, brother!"

"Okay sis, I'm going!"

"Safe journey!"

With a dash, Hotaru left the place, leaving the shop and go to the academy.

Well, in any case, it's your usual waiting for the teacher to come, however, our MC isn't the last…

"Oh, it's Hayate-san! Which's your students?"

"Oh, hello there Hotaru-kun. I'm taking you along with Erika Hyuuga and Hiura Uchiha"

"Oh…"

"I'm here!"

"So am I!"

'This is weird…' So Hotaru thought while following Hayate with his teammates…

Remembering his dream, Hotaru can only think of how can he failed. No longer a ninja and continuing his father's job as a Ramen Chef.

Knowing that he didn't think of it as a bad idea altogether. However, the feeling he got after, without a vision make him feeling hard to believe. Moreover, the early part as to why Gekkou even try to hurt them?

He's already heard the story about the Jounin test the team leader occasionally do to their new team, that's not weird at all, as every person has their own criteria about their own team. As the leader had the jurisdiction to do that.

Making their Genin go back to the academy also possible for them. However, it's not many cases that a Genin demoted back to being a trainee in Academy. As most of them go back to their home, rather than bearing the disgrace.

Although the case of Kakashi's ex-member, that he rejected already a cold case. The scar's still there.

However, either Hotaru became a Genin ninja or became a Chef. That's not something the Hokage want.

It's already not a secret that Hokage eying Hotaru, to became a part of Konoha's force. Although he's small chakra reserve, his head full of ideas.

Those ideas were what make the Hokage eying him, as there's not many smart Shinobi that as loyal as he is. Knowing how many those smart shinobi became a missing ninja out there, including the sannin...

"I've been told by Hokage to take care of you as a good leader, it's a weird composition after all…"

"A Hyuuga, Uchiha, and a founder of the disciplinary group! It's indeed amazing!" Shout the Uchiha brat

"Yes, it is amazing, however, do we really need a group like this?" question the Hyuuga

"It is, because the same as the village's harmony, the team need to have a harmony also you know? Furthermore, this step, hopefully, can help us to create a better future harmony between Hyuuga and Uchiha, knowing they're rivaling each other…"

"That's a nice theory you have there, teach!"

"Indeed"

"However…"

All along, Hotaru stays silent and recounting every word uttered by Hayate and the brats. He continues to recall the words, while the last one…

""You can't be a ninja if you're weak"" Mimic Hotaru at the same time as Hayate, and make him stop his sentence.

"Whoa, that's freaky…"

"…"

"You can already tell, Hotaru-kun?"

"I don't know..."

"Ok then, let me continue…"

""A ninja shouldn't be weak! They must be strong! In either their heart or their will! Nothing much can be helped if you're physically weak aside from training but, a ninja must have a strong will that'd not bent even after crashed by a monster!""

Another time, he murmured the sentences Gekkou made. While astonished even by himself. Gekkou continues.

"I'll test you guys, and this test should make me understand, how superior you are! Moreover, this test… if you guys failed in this test, I have the jurisdiction to fail you and make you learn in the academy again!"

The brats just chuckle at the word, as they believe Hayate won't do that, while Hotaru only puzzled with the thing. However, Hayate only sees them expressionlessly, and saying… "Start!"

At the words, the brats don't know what to do. And they become like a headless chicken, while Hotaru throws his kunai off to Hayate, and somersault while throwing off his shuriken to the Uchiha brat.

"Erika, move closer to Hiura! Hiura Defend her!" Order him

The Uchiha brat and Hyuuga brat unconsciously following his order and move closer to each other. Hayate saw that, and smiled thinly while unsheathing his blade, moving it around left and right over and over again slowing until he rotated it halfway and…

"Half Moon"

Pierce towards Hotaru, using his swords-skill. Hotaru, as if already know what'll happen using his kunai to deflect the swords skill.

"Safe…" whisper him, while reach his pouch to grab an explosive talisman and throw it to Hayate, drawing his blade and fall back. Only to defend against the barrage of Kunai and shuriken thrown at him from the front and behind him.

Unknowingly, he's being stuck between Hotaru and the other two. They then attack Hayate like they've planned this before.

The description may have been long, but the battle happened very fast that it's only been several minutes since Hayate said start…

"Don't try to attack in close range! Stay at this distance!" yelled Hotaru, while focusing his eyes on Hayate.

"Catch that!"

"Understood!"

Hayate then smiled widely at this, knowing that some brats cornering him like this make his smile widen at the epiphany these reliable brats will be his teammates.

The brats, however, look at him creepily… what the heck with our leader, is he a masochist or something? Erika and Hiura thought…

"Not everything will go as you planned it, as the enemy sometimes behaves out of your imagination… Fire element, Fire breath!"

Hayate said while throwing his fire to Erika and Hiura, they dodge it, but separately and knowing that Hotaru dashed out to the Hyuuga side. And help her to stand up…

There's a reason behind his action, a Hyuuga is a good sensor in the battlefield but they're bad in a long-distance fight, while an Uchiha is all around type in a close or long-distance fight. Especially Hiura, and Erika. As they're his classmates, he already understands their bad and good thing.

"We'll retreat for now! Hiura, come fast!"

"Right behind you!"

Hayate sees that and allows them to retreat…