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Might Guy downed his drink in one gulp and said with a smile, "Next up is the matter of team assignments!"
At the mention of jonin instructors, everyone in Team Guy (Third Class) became serious.
There's a saying: a teacher opens the door, but the disciple must walk through it. However, if the teacher isn't suited to the student, all that effort could go to waste.
Take their Team 3, for example.
Both Rock Lee and Hyuga Neji are taijutsu-focused shinobi who specialize in close-quarters combat. Having Might Guy—a taijutsu specialist known throughout Konoha for his mastery of the Eight Gates and his legendary duel with Kakashi Hatake—as their instructor couldn't have been more fitting.
As for Tenten, her inclusion was more for balance. A long-range weapon specialist with impeccable accuracy, her role was to support Lee and Neji from a distance. Though Might Guy couldn't provide her the same level of taijutsu guidance, his battlefield experience and strategic insight were still invaluable.
Because of this, all three cared deeply about who would be assigned as Ye Dou's jonin leader, and whether that person could truly support his growth.
"It would've been great if Senior Ye Dou could join our Team 3," Rock Lee said with a bit of regret. "Or maybe, Sensei, you could ask the Hokage to let him join us?"
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Might Guy flicked Lee on the forehead. "The three-man cell is a time-honored Konoha tradition—it can't just be changed on a whim."
He then added seriously, "Besides, don't underestimate Konoha's jonin instructors. Each of them is an elite shinobi."
Though he said that with conviction, Might Guy couldn't shake his unease. He was genuinely worried that Ye Dou would be assigned to a team under a jonin like Kurenai Yuhi—known for her expertise in genjutsu. For someone like Ye Dou, with no clear inclination toward genjutsu, such a pairing could prove detrimental.
In the worst-case scenario, if Ye Dou were treated as a support-type or backup in missions, his development could be stunted—or worse, he could be exposed to life-threatening danger needlessly.
"I'm sorry, Sensei! I shouldn't have doubted the Hokage's decision," Lee apologized sincerely, realizing his mistake.
"What about you?" Neji asked, glancing at Ye Dou. "Do you have any preference?"
"Doesn't matter to me," Ye Dou replied flatly. His tone was calm, almost indifferent, like a breeze that passed and vanished.
In truth, he didn't care who his jonin instructor would be.
Whether it was Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, or someone else—it wouldn't change his path. Unless the instructor could truly help him, it made no difference. And his greatest secret—the Gravity Release Kekkei Genkai—was something he would never reveal. With that hidden, no instructor could truly aid his development anyway.
That said, he did hope not to be placed under Kakashi Hatake.
At this stage, Ye Dou had no interest in forming ties with either Naruto Uzumaki or Sasuke Uchiha.
Naruto was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, a living beacon of attention wherever he went. His movements were always watched. Sasuke, meanwhile, was Uchiha Itachi's younger brother. Being around him was equally dangerous—especially since Ye Dou was the one who had taken Shisui Uchiha's right Mangekyō Sharingan. If that secret were exposed, the consequences would be catastrophic.
"As expected of my student!" Might Guy suddenly roared with enthusiasm. "Facing the unknown with courage and composure—that's the spirit of youth!"
He pulled out a rectangular box. "Here! This is my graduation gift to you. I hope it serves you well!"
Ye Dou didn't thank him. He simply took the box and opened it.
Inside was a finely crafted chakra-conducting ninjatō. Even without testing it, he could tell from the craftsmanship and the materials that it was extremely valuable.
"Whoa! A chakra blade!" Lee exclaimed.
"Teacher Guy, that's totally unfair! You've never given us something this fancy!" Tenten added, her eyes wide.
Though chakra blades weren't as legendary as the Raijin Sword or the Kusanagi no Tsurugi, they were still rare and costly. Infusing chakra into the blade enhanced its sharpness, could alter its elemental nature, and allowed for integration with ninjutsu.
"Haha, it's nothing too extravagant," Might Guy laughed. "Try it out, Ye Dou. See how it feels!"
He didn't deny that he was playing favorites. Truthfully, his feelings for Ye Dou were different than for the others.
Ye Dou had no family, no clan—just like Lee. He was alone in the world, but never used that as an excuse. He trained harder than anyone, even going so far as to hunt in the forests alone at the age of five just to sustain himself.
Might Guy saw in Ye Dou a reflection of his own youth, and perhaps a fragment of his father, Might Duy, who had once placed all his hope into his son and entrusted him with the spirit of youth.
He wanted Ye Dou to succeed, to grow into a shinobi who could hold his own against the world.
Looking at Guy's beaming face, Ye Dou suddenly felt the sword in his hands become strangely heavy.
"…It fits perfectly," he finally said, quietly.
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[Iori Ye Dou]
"It fits well. Flows smoothly," Ye Dou repeated, sheathing the sword and returning it to the box without change in expression.
Truthfully, the blade wasn't quite right for him—it was too light, too delicate. He was more accustomed to heavier blades or ordinary steel training swords, which didn't draw attention.
In fact, inside his sealing scroll, he already had several chakra blades stored.
But this wasn't about the sword.
He accepted it because of who gave it to him—and because, in a life where every connection was a risk, Might Guy's earnest gift was one of the few things that felt genuine.
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