Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 258

"Hey! Sasuke, you bastard!" Naruto immediately bristled.

Sakura looked at the two guys who loved to argue all the time with a bit of an exasperation: "You two, is this the time to be talking about this?"

She then turned to Gaara and gave him a gentle smile: "Please take good care of yourself, Gaara-kun."

Temari and Kankuro stood to the side, their faces showing relief.

Kankuro patted Naruto on the shoulder, everything was understood without words.

Granny Chiyo held a tightly wrapped scroll and looked at everything with a complicated expression.

In the end, he simply bowed deeply to Kakashi and the others, and silently left the ward.

The grief of losing a loved one and the joy of seeing the village's future intertwined are beyond words.

Because they successfully rescued the Kazekage, they saved the pillar of Sunagakure.

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi were treated as the most honored guests by the Sand Village.

The Kazekage's office officially announced: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Kakashi Hatake.

They will permanently enjoy the highest level of friendly visitation rights in Sunagakure.

As long as their actions do not endanger the safety of Sunagakure, the gates of Sunagakure are always open to them.

This honor is Sunagakure's highest gratitude and recognition to Konoha, and even more so to the individual members of Team 7.

Saying goodbye is always accompanied by reluctance.

At the entrance to Sunagakure, Naruto patted Gaara on the shoulder forcefully: "Hey! Kazekage! Do your best! Next time we meet, I might be Hokage!"

Gaara's lips curled up slightly, and he nodded gently: "Yes, I'm looking forward to it."

Sasuke simply said, "I'm leaving."

Sakura then reminded Gaara to take a rest.

Kakashi's expression softened considerably as he watched this scene.

He nodded slightly to Gaara: "Take care, Lord Kazekage."

The journey home no longer requires a high-speed rush.

With no immediate crisis looming, the four members of Class 7 opted for a more leisurely pace.

Naruto excitedly described the giant cactus and strange sand lizards he saw in Sunagakure along the way.

Sasuke occasionally makes a sarcastic remark.

Sakura was in charge of calming things down.

Kakashi, meanwhile, leisurely flipped through his copy of "Icha Icha Paradise," which he had somehow pulled out again, as if the previous life-or-death battle had never happened.

The setting sun cast long shadows of them, leaving a trail of relaxed and warm imprints on the golden sand dunes.

A few days later, the familiar gates of Konoha finally came into view.

The massive Fire Shadow Rock overlooks the village, bringing a sense of reassuring belonging.

Walking through the bustling streets and feeling the everyday life of the villagers, Team 7 went straight to the Hokage Building.

"Yo, you're finally back."

Kakashi put away his novel and stretched lazily: "I'll submit the mission report to Lady Tsunade. You've all worked hard too."

He paused, looking at the three students in front of him who had shed much of their naivety and had experienced the true baptism of war, and his eyes became serious.

He cleared his throat and spoke in a tone that was quite different from his usual one, one that was more formal:

"Alright, this mission has been successfully completed, which also marks the last collective mission for our Class 7."

"well???"

"Kakashi-sensei, you're quitting?!"

"What do you mean?!"

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke exclaimed almost simultaneously, their faces filled with astonishment and confusion.

Kakashi waved his hand, signaling them to be quiet: "Don't be nervous, it's not that I'm not going to be a ninja anymore. Have you all forgotten?"

He pointed to Naruto and Sasuke's headbands: "You two, and Sakura, are already Chunin."

The three were taken aback, only then realizing that the Chunin Exams were long gone.

"The graduating teams from the Ninja Academy are mainly for genin (lower-ranking ninja)."

Kakashi explained, his tone carrying a hint of mentor's satisfaction: "When an entire squad is promoted to Chunin."

"And after a period of task execution and capability assessment, once it is confirmed that you have the ability to execute tasks independently or in more flexible teams."

"The genin squad format naturally disbanded."

He looked at the three students before him, each with a distinct style yet equally outstanding, and his eyes revealed approval: "So, congratulations, Class Seven—you've passed!"

"From today onwards, you are no longer members of a genin squad that must be bound together."

"Instead, they are Konoha Chunin who can freely accept missions and choose their partners."

The news came somewhat suddenly, yet it was also quite reasonable.

For a moment, all three fell silent, a faint sense of parting and reluctance, as well as uncertainty about the future, filling the air.

Kakashi's gaze fell on Naruto and Sasuke: "Furthermore, given your outstanding performance in the support mission in the Land of Demons and in this Sand Village rescue mission."

"Whether it's strength, decisiveness, or faith in their comrades, they have demonstrated a level that surpasses that of a Chunin."

"I will formally submit a written evaluation report to Lady Tsunade and request that you two be tested for Jonin qualifications."

"A Jonin?!"

Naruto instantly snapped out of his farewell mood, his eyes widening in shock.

He then erupted in immense elation: "Hahahaha! Jonin!"

"Really?! Kakashi-sensei?! That's fantastic! Becoming a Jonin brings me one big step closer to becoming Hokage! Hahahaha!"

He danced with excitement, as if he could already see himself wearing the Hokage robe.

"Tch, this is so annoying."

Sasuke, as always, expressed his impatience with Naruto's incessant chatter.

But Kakashi keenly noticed the slight upturn of his eyebrows and the fleeting glint in his eyes.

Jonin means greater strength and greater responsibility.

Sakura looked at the excited Naruto and the seemingly indifferent but actually recognized Sasuke, and felt genuinely happy for them.

He smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "After all, becoming Hokage is Naruto's biggest dream! Sasuke has also been working very hard!"

She secretly encouraged herself, determined to work even harder and not fall too far behind them.

Kakashi looked at the three students in front of him, who had caused him so much worry, yet also brought him countless surprises and pride.

A complex feeling of "the child has finally grown up" arises spontaneously.

He resumed his languid demeanor, slipping one hand into his ninja tool pouch and casually waving the other:

"Alright, mission complete, team disband."

"Go do what you're supposed to do."

"Leave the reporting to me. Any new assignments or performance evaluations will be communicated to you through the usual channels."

He paused, then added, his tone carrying a barely perceptible gentleness: "Everyone did a great job."

"Yes! Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto straightened his back and answered loudly, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Sasuke responded with a sound of agreement, then nodded slightly and turned to leave.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei! You've worked hard!"

Sakura thanked him politely.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows of the three people onto the ground in front of the Hokage Building.

The "Seventh Class" that used to always bicker and travel together, setting off and returning together.

At this moment, in this familiar place, they went their separate ways.

Naruto jumped up and down, eager to tell Iruka-sensei the good news, and maybe even go out for a bowl of ramen to celebrate;

Sasuke's figure quickly disappeared around the street corner, his destination probably the training grounds or the Uchiha clan's territory;

Sakura took a deep breath and walked towards Konoha Hospital. She didn't want to miss a single day of her medical ninjutsu training.

Kakashi stood there, watching their departing figures, a faint smile, tinged with relief and a touch of melancholy, curving his lips beneath his mask.

He took out "I Love Paradise" but didn't open it immediately, instead casting his gaze towards the massive Fire Shadow Rock in the distance.

“Obito, Rin... another batch of kids have successfully ‘graduated’.”

He muttered to himself, his voice so soft that only he could hear it.

His role as a mentor has also come to a temporary end.

It's time to submit the report, and then... treat yourself well.

He touched his wallet, calculating how many servings of char siu he would need for Ichiraku Ramen to make it worthwhile.

Chapter 279 The New Teacher of Konohamaru's Class

In the early morning in Konoha Village, sunlight filters through the new green leaves, casting dappled shadows on the training ground.

The air was filled with the fragrance of grass and earth, and the clear chirping of birds announced the start of a new day.

For Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon, these three kids who had only recently been promoted to genin, this was yet another...

Hmm, it's most likely a D-level mission day involving weeding, finding cats, or cleaning up river debris.

"Sigh... Udon, what kind of mission do you think Ebisu-sensei will give us today?"

Menghuang sat on a wooden stake by the training field, resting her chin on her hands and swinging her legs listlessly.