Chapter 214: Metamorphosis and Class Assignment

Leaf Village, the sun shining brightly, clearly another pleasant day.

Iruka stood on the classroom podium, watching the noisy students below; he felt both nostalgic and helpless.

Time passed, and before he knew it another batch of students had graduated, about to embark on their own ninja careers.

Each time he saw this scene, his heart swelled with joy; perhaps this is the value and meaning of being a teacher.

He cannot be like his contemporaries' seniors, who are each brilliant and powerful—such as Senior Yuzhi, who has already become Hokage.

At the very least, like Senior Kakashi, he has now become the ANBU chief.

He has always been an ordinary member, but even so he can demonstrate his worth and serve Leaf Village.

The only regret, however, is

"These little guys are way too noisy!"

Looking at the students before him, Iruka felt a headache; these kids are perhaps a bit too lively?

The Leaf Village kids are one thing, but those exchange students are each overly excited; where has their usual quiet gone?

But Iruka only mutters to himself; he doesn't stop the students' 'going wild', after all the aftermath would be uncomfortable for them.

Graduating from the Leaf Village school isn't hard; after years of education, anyone who studies earnestly can graduate smoothly.

Those with talent find it even easier, so becoming a Genin isn't overly difficult.

What truly gives headaches is the promotion from Genin to Chunin; in each Chunin exam, countless ninja fall.

Now they can rejoice at becoming Genin, but after the celebration the days ahead truly depend on 'grinding'.

"Yuzhi's doing this is also kind of..."

Shaking his head, Iruka didn't bother to think further; the time was nearly up.

"Alright, you may be quiet now."

Iruka thought of this, clapped his hands loudly, and soon all the excited students fell silent, which made Iruka nod in satisfaction.

He gave a slight smile, then spoke slowly.

"Today is the graduation and class-sorting day; I won't say more than necessary, and I think everyone is already eager.

Becoming a ninja is something to be proud of, but it's also a new beginning; I hope everyone can adjust their mindset.

However, before that I must assign teams, because ninja missions are never solo; they require cooperation with partners."

Iruka's words seemed redundant, since they'd already asked their seniors about these matters, yet everyone listened attentively.

At the same time they were silently wondering who they'd be teamed up with.

Those not worried about team composition were pondering the teacher's question; after all, for the ambitious ones, a good teacher matters more than anything!

"Then let's begin."

Iruka nodded, then took the roster and began reviewing it; although he'd seen it before, a second glance still made him frown.

"Such a class assignment is truly..."

Because Leaf Village has many exchange students from smaller ninja villages and from large villages like Mist Village, they are temporarily staying within the Leaf Village system to learn and grow.

They will consider returning to their home villages after becoming Chunin, so Iruka can see surnames like 'Guideng' on the list.

Although he treats all students the same and isn't surprised by such matters, he truly is a responsible teacher.

He constantly wonders, 'When those students from other villages go back, what will happen to the original squads?'

But he quickly smiled, realizing it's a needless concern.

"The real headache is the team-leading Jonin; we don't even know who's leading the team."

——

"You really don't intend to try leading a team?"

In a conference room of the Hokage Tower, Yuzhi looked at his Shadow Guard members and asked helplessly.

The conference room was crowded; many had already decided to become team-leading Jonin, while others were undecided, contemplating whether to 'adjust' their roles.

After all, although team-leading Jonin initially follow a 'voluntary principle', the adult world doesn't have that much 'volunteerism'.

If they can't meet the current requirements, they must accept 'compliance adjustment', which everyone understands.

"Lord Hokage, we are not considering leading for now; we are members of the Shadow Guard and don't intend to leave."

Linn, as the representative, smiled and shook her head, while behind her Asuma, Hong, and Aoba nodded, clearly having no desire to lead students.

Being in the Shadow Guard comes with great benefits, especially when it's Yuzhi's Hokage Shadow Guard, which is incredibly convenient!

Moreover, they're not just after convenience; they've learned to use Sage Mode together with the cursed seal, and now naturally seek further self-improvement.

After all, they are aware of some of Yuzhi's plans, especially what other nations might do to Leaf Village.

Thus they remain uninterested in leading students; they prefer to improve themselves so they can contribute more in the future!

"Sigh, fine then."

Yuzhi saw Linn and the others' expressions and realized they truly didn't want to; he then considered the others' plans.

If it really doesn't work, just adjust directly!

What amused Yuzhi was that Hong didn't want to join, Asuma didn't want to join, and Kakashi had already become the ANBU chief.

That means the original Twelve Strong now have three squads without a team-leading Jonin.

This gave Yuzhi some difficulty; even though he admits he's a 'plot crusher', the situation still leaves him helpless.

"Forget it, I'm just a Leaf clone; none of this concerns me."

Yuzhi muttered internally, then grew too lazy to fuss over it.

Leaf Village is full of talent; it's not that things fall apart without Kakashi, especially since Kakashi's squad now has a brand-new teacher ready to take over.

Yuzhi feels reassured, as that person is Ziraiye!

Ziraiye, as a high-ranking official of Leaf Village and a hands‑off manager type, truly has little to do.

Since being 'enlightened' by Yuzhi, the guy knows he may have to shoulder more responsibilities and duties.

Thus, as long as Yuzhi arranges something, he won't refuse; although this fellow still loiters between bars and bathhouses all day, he has changed a great deal.

Since Kakashi is busy with other matters and has no time to lead a team, Kakashi himself seems to have no intention of leading one.

Especially when Yuzhi asked him, "Do you want to lead a squad made up of Shadow's children?" he just laughed twice, and the next day slipped out of the village to carry out a mission.

Being a teacher to the Shadow's offspring sounds terrifying just to think about; in any case, Kakashi would never, ever do such a thing!

Looking across the entire Leaf Village, the only one who can keep the place in order, hold a high position, and not have so many trivial matters, after much thought, seems to be Ziraiye.

And the most suitable candidate also appears to be Ziraiye; naturally, Ziraiye became their choice, and the fellow showed no sign of refusing.

As for the other two squads, that's not an issue at all, or rather, it has never been an issue.

Without Hong and Asuma, there are still others who can step up.

"Alright, before the selection ends, I think I still need to say a couple of words."

The Third Hokage saw his son refuse, muttered "disobedient child" to himself, and then calmly spoke.

"All of you are Jonin, the core personnel of Leaf Village; now some matters truly need to be told to everyone so that you can be mentally prepared."

The Third Hokage's words made all the Jonin present pause, then they instinctively turned their gaze toward Yuzhi.

Yuzhi simply shrugged, which allowed all the Jonin to sit down with relief; after all, they genuinely respect Yuzhi and do not wish any overstepping to occur.

The Third Hokage wasn't angry at all, because he knows Yuzhi's standing in the hearts of the current Leaf Village ninjas.

He also looked at Yuzhi; after receiving Yuzhi's signal, he continued to preside over the meeting.

"Everyone, I've kept you all here because there's an important matter to inform you of: according to accurate intelligence, the Chunin Exams this September, other villages probably won't stay peaceful.

They may likely use this Chunin Exam as an opportunity to attack Leaf Village, possibly even launch a direct assault on our village; we need to make sufficient preparations."

"What?"

The Jonin present initially thought the summons was just about trivial matters, but the Third Hokage's opening gave them a huge shock!

This instantly blew the Jonin's minds.

Attack Leaf Village?

Allied with every other village?

These people are insane, or are they just fed up with life?

None of the Jonin present were scared; although Leaf Village has been in peace these years, at least ten years have passed without any war.

But which of these Jonin hasn't endured the test of war, which hasn't been "highly meritorious"?

Facing war, they are somewhat displeased, yet they would never think they can't win, because Yuzhi is the source of their confidence!

With Yuzhi present, they are confident they can face any war!

Moreover, these years, those most deeply influenced by Yuzhi's "cultural and ideological impact" are actually the Leaf Village ninjas.

There is a saying: to deceive others, you must first deceive yourself.

Yuzhi isn't really deceiving anyone; you could say he influences others through a public‑opinion war, inevitably affecting his own people as well.

They have long concluded and endorsed one thing: the ninja world actually needs integration.

Only by integrating the entire ninja world can everyone enjoy a better life and avoid war!

They have ideas, but Leaf Village shows no movement, which leaves them somewhat frustrated.

"Why not root them out completely, so it would be solved once and for all?"

Many ninjas think that way, and the foresighted have already guessed that "the village just lacks a pretext for war"!

So indeed some have considered whether to go to another village and deliberately stage a "disappearance", giving the village a reason to look for them!

Of course, even thinking like that, they still hardly dare to act on it.

They can just bluster, but as ninjas they still have ninja discipline; whatever Leaf Village says, they'll do.

But now the situation is different; these people actually bring the opportunity to their doorstep, how could they not feel excited?

If they act, wouldn't they be able to forge true peace?

Thus, all the Jonin present felt not only anger but also a great deal of excitement!

"Everyone, calm down."

Yuzhi looked at the war‑eager crowd, feeling a bit of a headache; he could only helplessly shake his head and speak.

"In any case, it's a war; we must respond seriously."

"Exactly, especially since this war might break out within the village."

The Third Hokage immediately took up the thread, speaking earnestly.

"Therefore we must make further preparations; besides that, this war also serves other purposes and ideas we have."

"Hokage, why not take the initiative and block them at the gate directly?"

At this moment a Jonin couldn't help but ask; he wasn't opposed to fighting, but the thought of battle breaking out inside the village gave him a headache.

"Starting a war inside the village could cause many accidents; since we all know they're about to act, why don't we be more proactive?"

His question made many people glance at Yuzhi; evidently everyone was pondering this issue.

"I understand everyone's doubts; a war erupting inside the village would understandably damage Leaf Village."

Seeing this, Yuzhi straightforwardly explained; although a wood clone, he still follows his original mindset and knows exactly what he must do.

"However, everyone, the point of war for us is not what we lose, but what we gain through it."

At this point Yuzhi paused briefly, looked at the crowd and asked with a smile.

"War is actually not difficult for us at all; I trust everyone's strength, and of course, I trust my own."

Yuzhi's words instantly made everyone present laugh; although his words pierced their thoughts, no one objected.

And they are confident; should war truly arise, they know exactly what to do.

"But we also need to consider more now, such as the children who have just become ninjas."

Yuzhi leaned on the Hokage's chair, chuckled softly, and looked out the tranquil window before speaking.

"They have never seen blood, have never witnessed the battles of war; the only things they roughly know are our accounts and what they've seen through movies."

"Although the film is shot very realistically, the protagonists always turn misfortune into fortune; that for the sake of the plot is understandable, but it may also give the youngsters a false perception."

"I certainly don't want each of them to think they're born protagonists; when the time comes on the battlefield, they'd truly be in trouble."

The Jonin present, upon hearing this, couldn't help but nod; each person is the protagonist of their own life, but never the protagonist of this world.

Even if occasional luck on the battlefield makes you stand out, most of it comes from unknown sources—Kunai whose shooters are unseen.

Or those overwhelming ninjutsu whose practitioners are completely unknown.

The cruelty of war can only be understood through personal experience; now Leaf Village is too peaceful, and the youngsters truly haven't faced such trials.

"Besides these youngsters, I also need their invasion this time, to give us a chance to act."

Yuzhi saw that everyone understood, and he opened the discussion.

Everyone present are Jonin, who may in the future be stationed in other countries and villages in key positions; therefore Yuzhi felt some ideas and thoughts should be clarified.

To prevent them later from being unprepared and not knowing what to do, which would be troublesome.

"I think everyone is puzzled why, although we clearly have the strength to sweep them away and integrate the entire ninja world, we haven't acted yet?"

This question instantly quieted those present; they had indeed discussed it privately and each had their own view.

But now Yuzhi, as Hokage, explained to them, and naturally they wanted to know what "the higher‑ups" meant.

"The reason is simple: they have already formed a new way of thinking."

Yuzhi shrugged; he spoke with a hint of helplessness.

"Back when the village was still being founded, someone refused to integrate them, believing the village model could bring peace, and the result…"

Yuzhi's words made everyone present lower their heads in silence, while a person in the corner wore a helpless expression.

It was clearly something the Sage of Six Paths caused, yet somehow the blame fell on us.

"Because we missed that opportunity, people from other villages gradually developed a will for a village, a sense of belonging."

Yuzhi didn't care what others thought; he continued, "

"And to break all this, using violent means is unacceptable; forcibly conquering them will only bring endless repercussions.

We desire peace, we desire that everyone has the chance and ability to showcase themselves, not harboring hatred, constantly opposing us, ready to strike at any moment.

If that were truly the case, may I ask whether we still need to conquer them?"

Yuzhi's question silenced the Jonin; they only thought about bringing peace to the ninja world, without ever considering these issues.

This made each of them feel a bit ashamed, and when they put themselves in others' shoes, it seemed that if someone directly breached their own home and forcibly conquered everything they had, then

"We would probably resist to the end!"

Even the people of Leaf Village are like that; what about the others?

Moreover, what they aim to conquer is not a single country or village, but the entire ninja world; they dare not even imagine how huge the trouble would become.

That would involve countless rioters who could turn against you at any moment; such a scenario is truly terrifying.

"Of course, there are ways to deal with those rioters."

Yuzhi muttered to himself that, strictly speaking, he had indeed considered a direct push, and thus contemplated how to handle those thugs.

In fact, before his transmigration, two countries had already shown him their "process".

How to make the masses of rioters not become rebels, but obediently become stepping stones for us?

The plan is actually simple: first rely on theocracy and faith.

Religion has always been able to house a person's spiritual world, as long as it interprets suffering through faith.

Tell them "faith in the next life", or "life is suffering and needs redemption", etc., prompting them to experience self‑inspiration and self‑conversion.

Then the urge to rebel will naturally diminish, especially with "faith in the next life", firmly believing "present suffering, future bliss".

Continuously admonish them to "think of your family", and the will to resist will wane.

Of course, that was the old version; before Yuzhi's transmigration there was a newer version, which relied on "medicine".

If everyone gets "overly high", that effectively strips them of the ability to think and resist.

Then all that's left is to wait until his death, squeeze out his final value, without ever worrying about any sabotage.

The "world diversity" before Yuzhi's transmigration provided him with far too many reference materials.

But the problem is, Yuzhi is innately averse to a second kind of aversion, something etched into his bones, and he has never wanted a dead, stagnant world.

What he wants is a vibrant world that can create value and endless excitement, a world that can later play a role in opposing the Ōtsutsuki.

Those "overly high" "drug dogs" won't even think, let alone rebel, and certainly won't deal with the invading Ōtsutsuki.

The first to kneel will most likely be them.

Thus Yuzhi prefers to take it slow, prefers a "justified cause", prefers "cultural invasion", and doesn't want a scene of utter chaos.

He has always been exceptionally clear about what he must do!

"So, everyone."

Seeing the silent Jonin present, Yuzhi tapped the table and continued, "

"We need to clearly understand what we must do, and also figure out how to do it, how to proceed.

You are all Jonin, the elite of Leaf Village, and thus need to grasp these issues.

Now they have taken the initiative to strike, which is more than advantageous for us, and we must use this pretext to tell them that they acted first.

And we must also let them see what damage they have caused and what we intend to do.

Public opinion is in our hands; we naturally hold the advantage, and we must make good use of it to utterly crush them beyond rebuttal—that is what we must do!"

"I think you all should understand my meaning now, right?"

——

"."

"Team 7, Uzumaki Naruto, Gaara, Sasuke Uchiha!"

"Class Eight: Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuga!"

"."

"Class Ten: Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, Shikamaru Nara!"

At the podium, Iruka read out the class assignments for this graduating cohort, and soon the appropriate ninja will come to escort them out.

However, for this class—or rather for the vast majority of its members—the ones who come will mostly be Jonin.

After all, this is an elite class; those who can enter it are recognized as having great potential and are favored by the Leaf Village.

Just like Yuzhi and Uchiha Obito back then, they were the class laggards, yet their class was also an elite class.

Iruka continued to read the assignments methodically, but the students below instantly erupted into a heated discussion.

Perhaps other groupings weren't as concerning, but Sasuke and Naruto being placed together—does that really make sense?

Naruto and Sasuke have always been the class's "showstoppers," after all they are both Hokage's children, so the attention they receive is naturally huge.

And they are especially ambitious, even though they cause all sorts of trouble daily, like skipping classes.

But their grades and abilities are evident to all; they could have graduated years ago!

Yet they didn't; they stayed honestly at school, were especially friendly to everyone, and got along with all.

People like that—who wouldn't like them, who wouldn't want to graduate and team up with one of them?

So, that's it?

"Teacher, why were Sasuke and Naruto placed in the same class?"

Sakura couldn't hold back any longer; she had already been hoping to team up with one of them, especially Sasuke.

But now she's told that the two are "locked," and a red‑haired guy from an outside village has also joined them, which makes her a bit resentful.

"As far as I know, shouldn't class assignments consider the graduates' abilities and aim for balance?"

Among this cohort, both Sasuke and Naruto rank first overall, and Gaara, as an exchange student, also has good grades.

Putting the three of them together, is that really a reasonable assignment?"

"Exactly."

The other girls also stood up at this moment, clearly dissatisfied.

"Having both first‑place students is one thing, but adding the second‑place too—this is so unfair!"

"Exactly, why not swap us in instead!"

"Right, at least the teams should be balanced, right?"

"."

Facing this chattering uproar, even Iruka, who had mentally prepared himself, couldn't hold back any longer.

He didn't decide the class assignments; he was just reading the list, so telling him about it was useless, right?

Naruto and Sasuke couldn't help but glance at each other, both a bit stunned.

What's going on, what's happening, why are they placed together?

But in an instant their expressions changed.

"Crap, it must be the Hokage uncle (Father) arranging this, being with that guy—what does that mean for my future?"

Thinking back to Ningci's pitiful look, and seeing them assigned together again, they couldn't help but have an idea.

Could it be that this was done for better "training" of us?

Then, do we even have a future—

"It should start now."

While all sorts of chaos unfold in the ninja world, Yuzhi's true self sits calmly cross‑legged inside the Hane Village Temple.

In front of him is the massive Reincarnation Eye, while Hikari quietly watches from a short distance, her expression slightly worried.

But Yuzhi doesn't look; he has already made up his mind that he must steadfastly walk this path.

Moreover, he has already reached a stage where he can "advance further," so how could he give up or miss it?

Accompanying Yuzhi's breath, chakra surges within his body, terrifying and massive waves of chakra erupt one after another.

The Wheel Eye's ocular power activates, resonating with the massive energy of the nearby Reincarnation Eye.

Two chakras, both possessing creative and destructive qualities, merge and begin to reverberate throughout the temple.

With the fusion of these two forces, Yuzhi's chakra aura becomes distinctly separated.

Within his body, various Bloodline Limits have already been prepared.

Each manifestation of a Bloodline Limit exudes a completely different aura, its chakra characteristics unmistakably clear.

Not only the power of these Bloodline Limits, but Yuzhi's own bloodline power also erupts continuously, constantly manifesting his existence.

Having fused four bloodlines, Yuzhi has progressed halfway, yet he no longer dares to continue lightly.

Besides the ever‑increasing difficulty, the chakra consumption has reached a level he can't even imagine.

He can endure this boost, after all he possesses a Dragon Vein, Tailed Beast chakra, and the power of the Reincarnation Eye.

But he also wishes to fully consolidate these chakras, to completely integrate all his power!

"Ninjutsu: Oni Sprout Technique!"

When Yuzhi completely separates his own power with crystal clarity, his hands swiftly complete the sealing hand signs.

In an instant, a black, sprout‑like unknown chakra slowly emerges.

This chakra emits a strange aura, and as it appears, Yuzhi's own aura momentarily tightens.

The black "sprout" spreads slowly, covering Yuzhi, and before long he is entirely enveloped by this black chakra.

From afar, he looks like a brand‑new, singular "Black Absolute."

However, as this wrapping continues, Yuzhi's own aura seems to gradually dissipate until it vanishes completely!

"Please, don't let anything happen."

Seeing Yuzhi, who had already completely become the "Black Absolute", she whispered to herself in her heart, then she instantly opened her Reincarnation Eye.

Her eyes kept scanning Yuzhi's body, and at the same time she continuously sensed the "Eight Thousand Spears" mark that belonged to her on Yuzhi.

Time passed second by second, and Yuzhi remained calm and still, as if nothing had happened.

Only the constantly intertwining and reverberating Reincarnation Eye chakra was telling that Yuzhi was doing something extremely dangerous.

"How much longer?"

Hikari whispered in her heart, but at that moment the Reincarnation Eye suddenly stalled, and in the next instant a torrent of raging chakra surged out.

It wasn't just the Reincarnation Eye's chakra; in that instant it seemed that all the chakra Hikari could sense was erupting!

The power of the dragon vein, the power of the tailed beast, even Yuzhi's Susanoo, were all wildly converging at that moment.

And all of this was sealed within Yuzhi's black body!

"So quickly reaching such a critical moment, then…"

Hikari showed no hesitation; her eyes instantly turned into the Eternal Eye state, and in an instant she linked with the Eight Thousand Spears mark on Yuzhi.

Endless chakra continuously poured out of her, and her chakra, fully channeled through the Eight Thousand Spears link, converged onto Yuzhi.

That massive chakra output almost turned her complexion pale; it should be noted that Hikari's chakra was already on par with any tailed beast, yet this alone nearly drained her.

One can imagine how enormous the chakra Yuzhi required was!

Dong—

Dong—

When the chakra infusion was nearly saturated, the black "Binding" on Yuzhi's body began to throb like a heart, emitting a resonant sound.

Accompanying this throb, a few cracks suddenly appeared on the black chakra, and a sacred aura slowly rose from them.

"Heartbeat" grew faster and stronger, and the faint cracks kept spreading.

In the next instant, the cracks suddenly spread completely, covering the entire surface of the black chakra like a spiderweb!

Ding—

As if peeled and shattered, the black chakra instantly scattered into specks of starlight.

That vast and sacred aura instantly spread throughout the Feather Village Temple.