Game of the Year: A Naruto Quest

CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT - AUTHORIZED PERSONEL ONLY


FROM THE DESK OF SARUTOBI HIRUZEN, THIRD HOKAGE OF KONOHA


TEAM ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE 63RD GRADUATING CLASS OF KONOHA NINJA ACADEMY

INSTRUCTOR: UMINO IRUKA



TEAM 1:
MEMBERS: TAO ITSUO, ITO TOBIO, EGUICHI FUKI
JOUNIN IN COMMAND: TENMODAI KABEMORI
SPECIALIZATION: SABOTAGE

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES: Tobio and Fuki are both somewhat lacking in direct combat skills, and while Itsuo is capable of holding his own in a pitched battle, his true talent lies in his surprising knack for Fuuinjutsu. Fuki, meanwhile, is more than capable of moving about unnoticed, both in a crowd and in the wilderness. Finally, Tobio's skill at trapping is a force to be reckoned with when he is given adequate preparation time and supplies. My recommendation is that the three be formed into a saboteur squad who focus on stealthily destroying enemy infrastructure, fortifications, and supply lines where necessary.

HOKAGE'S NOTES: The three students certainly have potential as saboteurs, however, sabotage is not currently a high priority skillset for Konoha (although it may become so in the near future, depending on how the political situation with Iron and Cloud develops). To this end, Team One will be led by Jounin Tenmodai Kabemori, who has experience in Fuuinjutsu, traps, explosives, and most pertinently logistics and fortifications. With some time to develop, Team One will hopefully develop into a powerful strategic asset to control the flow of large scale conflict. During peace-time the team will be given missions relating to urgent infrastructure projects, disaster relief, and demolition of hostile listening posts within Land of Fire territory.



TEAM 2:
MEMBERS: DATE IZUMI, UEDA ARATA, IWAMOTO KYOKO
JOUNIN IN COMMAND: HYUUGA HOHETO
SPECIALIZATION: INVESTIGATION

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES: While all three members are capable in direct combat, frankly put, that is not where their talents lie. Izumi is exceptional when it comes to deductive reasoning, second only to Nara Shikamaru in this year's class. Arata, meanwhile, suffers from a chronic tendency towards mild paranoia (on a personal note, I think it has more to do with the fact that Arata is particularly credulous and creative with his conspiracy theories, rather than a genuine fear or non-specified feeling of persecution). That said, despite the fact that Arata's theories sound far-fetched, more often than not they have some element of truth to them, and we have had to subtly steer him away from several potential security breaches in the academy. I'm not sure where he gets his ideas, but the kid's intuition is surprisingly sharp, if difficult to follow at times. Finally, Iwamoto Kyoko was easily the highest scorer in the academy's perception-based metrics, this despite having no significant bloodline to assist in doing so.

HOKAGE'S NOTES: While few teams graduate out of the academy directly into an investigation specialty, the ones that do almost invariably contribute a great deal to the village, therefore I will tentatively agree to Team Two's classification. In order to improve the team's general combat readiness and survivability, Team Two will be led by Hyuuga Hoheto, an investigative specialist himself (if nothing else, his demeanor would certainly benefit from having someone to teach). A recommendation will be given to Hoheto that he focus on anti-ambush countermeasures and to help Iwamoto Kyoko refine her perceptive abilities. Team Two will be given missions related to internal security and as support for law enforcement forces within the Land of Fire and allied territories.



TEAM 3:
MEMBERS: TAKAGI HASEO, TAKENAKA MINORU, HIRATA AMI
JOUNIN IN COMMAND: AKIMICHI SUTEKI
SPECIALIZATION: FIELD DEFENSE

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES: Haseo and Ami are both quite good in combat, and while Minoru is otherwise exceptional, he has an unfortunate tendency towards low mobility. Normally, this would be a fatal flaw for a Shinobi in combat, but Haseo is particularly talented in creating rapid field fortifications and controlling the battlefield with his traps and admittedly limited earth jutsu, and can reduce enemy options for mobility. Ami meanwhile is an expert in ranged weaponry to further pin down and herd enemy combatants towards Minoru. With the help of his teammates, Minoru changes from a sitting duck on the battlefield to a defensive force to be reckoned with.

HOKAGE'S NOTES: Most shinobi battles have a tendency towards skirmishing and high mobility. That said, Iwagakure more than proved the effectiveness of field fortifications during the last war. We'll likely never catch up to them in terms of the effectiveness of our own defensive structures, but even a few would have made a great difference. It goes without saying that having such a team would also help our own shinobi more effectively train against enemy fortifications as well. In order to fully leverage the potential of this team, Akimichi Suteki will be the Jounin in command, and will be given instructions to train his team in the rapid creation and dismantlement of field fortifications, as well as how to effectively retreat to avoid being pinned down within their own fort. Team Three can expect to be assigned escort and security missions all across the elemental nations.



TEAM 4:
MEMBERS: KAWAGUCHI TAKAHIRO, KIMURA GORO, TSUDA AKARI
JOUNIN IN COMMAND: YAMANAKA MOMOKA
SPECIALIZATION: INFILTRATION

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES: Of these three students, only Akari can be considered proficient in direct combat. That said, the talents of these students lie in infiltration. Takahiro is a surprisingly talented social manipulator for any level of Genin, let alone a newly minted one. He also has the curious tendency to somehow end up in otherwise restricted areas seemingly by accident. The nature of these 'accidents' is belied by his purposeful action when he finds himself with access to sensitive materials, such as when he managed to sneak into the grades and records room of the Shinobi Academy to revise several of his tests to have near-perfect scores without being caught, earning him the 11th spot in the class rankings. Kimura Goro is somewhat less suave, and tends to rely on more conventional stealth, relying on not being seen or heard, rather than on being unnoticed. While he never quite managed anything quite as brazen as Takahiro, this was more for lack of motivation than talent, as he had a tendency to execute pranks within the classroom through stealth, then avoid repercussions by framing even the most unlikely of his classmates. Finally Tsuda Akari's talent is best exemplified by her ability to seamlessly blend with just about every group within the academy, changing her behavior and mannerisms from minute to minute as she flitted between social groups. Her skill as an infiltrator is also augmented by her mastery of the Henge and her talent at both lockpicking and stealth.

HOKAGE'S NOTES: Team Four appears to be a promising, if yet untempered, infiltration squad. While their talents for infiltration have received particularly high praise from instructors, they lack the combat skill necessary to escape should their cover be blown. Furthermore, all three members have demonstrated a degree of emotional immaturity unacceptable for undercover operatives. Jounin Yamanaka Momoka will be tasked with nurturing this team to its full potential, both emotionally and physically. Team Four can expect a longer than average initial training period during which they will only be allowed D-Rank missions. Once they have demonstrated sufficient competence in combat and passed the standard battery of psychological examinations for undercover operatives, they will be assigned infiltration, security, and information gathering missions as the opportunity arises.



TEAM 5:
MEMBERS: HATSUMOTO HIDEKI, IGE YOSHIAKI, TAKAHASHI KASUMI
JOUNIN IN COMMAND: GENMA SHIRANUI
SPECIALIZATION: SKIRMISHING

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES: All three members of this team have demonstrated significant talent in open combat, as well as a preference for skirmishing tactics. However, their repertoire of techniques and strategies remain somewhat limited. Hideki is perhaps the most proficient overall as far as basics go, but has demonstrated an unwillingness to innovate and adapt in combat, a fact which has kept him from achieving a higher class ranking. Yoshiaki has the opposite problem, in that he tends to focus on gimmicks and tricks overmuch without solidifying his basic principles first. When he succeeds, he does so with seemingly effortless grace as he outmaneuvers his opponent, but if his tricks are thwarted, he tends to find himself on the back foot no matter the enemy's fighting style due to his poor grasp of the basics. Finally, Kasumi is frequently held back due to her relatively poor physical condition in comparison to her classmates. A congenital defect exacerbated by a lack of exercise and medical attention has resulted in an otherwise promising kunoichi with an unfortunate lack of stamina. As a whole, the team is promising, but they really need someone to whip them into shape.

HOKAGE'S NOTES: Team Five is a talented team let down by a significant lack of discipline and inspiration. While they certainly have the potential to be an exceptional skirmishing team, they need inspiration and the strength to pursue it. Personality analysis of the three students recommends a Jounin Sensei they might find 'cool'. Per the recommendation of Elite Jounin Maito Gai, Jounin Genma Shiranui has been identified as an ideal candidate due to his wide variety of skirmishing techniques, lack of prior assignment, and 'hip' attitude. Once Team Five is performing to Jounin Shiranui's standards, they may be assigned hostile suppression, patrol, pursuit, and a wide variety of other combat oriented and scouting missions all across the elemental nations.



TEAM 6:
MEMBERS: ITOU AKIO, UCHIYAMA HYOSUKE, NAKANO CHISAKO
JOUNIN IN COMMAND: KITARUKU RYUKO
SPECIALIZATION: COURIER

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES: All three members of this team have only basic competence in combat, and lack special skills to make up for it when in contact with hostiles. That said, these three are among the fastest students in long distance travel to graduate this year, and have significant wilderness survival skills. Furthermore, they also demonstrate competence in cooperation and teamwork largely unseen amongst other graduating teams so far. While they will make an exceptional courier team for relatively safe missions, these students desperately need someone to train them in combat and encourage them to pursue supporting skills for their combat styles on their own.

HOKAGE'S NOTES: Team Six is perhaps the most ready for C-Rank missions right out of the gate. However, this belies a significant flaw in their training, as they apparently lack anything more than the bare minimum of combat skills to graduate from the academy. Jounin Kitaraku Ryuko will be placed in command of this team and tasked with improving their combat skills, particularly in cooperative tactics. Furthermore, every member of Team Six will be required to demonstrate proficiency in at least one non-combat skill, until then, they will only be assigned D-Rank missions and C-Rank courier missions to locations within the interior of the Land of Fire. Only after completing these conditions will the restriction be lifted.



TEAM 7: HEAVY COMBAT
MEMBERS: SASUKE UCHIHA, UZUMAKI NARUTO, HINATA HYUUGA
JOUNIN IN COMMAND: HATAKE KAKASHI
SPECIALIZATION: HEAVY COMBAT

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES: I have serious reservations about this team as listed. While every member of the team is competent in combat and has useful supporting skills, their interpersonal relations are an absolute mess. Sasuke can't stand Naruto and largely ignores Hinata. Naruto exhibits extreme feelings of inferiority in relation to Sasuke and thus constantly picks fights with him, and is incapable of talking to Hinata due to her extreme reaction to his presence. Hinata is too timid to countermand or argue with Sasuke and can hardly be in the presence of Naruto without stammering uncontrollably, occasionally losing consciousness when he gets too close. Despite the talents of every member of this team, I can't in good conscience recommend its formation as is. However, since I have been overridden on this team's creation, I can only say that the absolute top priority must be teambuilding and bonding.

HOKAGE'S NOTES: This team is something of a gamble on my part, I must admit. All three members of the team have significant interpersonal issues and have no close friendships within the village. If they do not manage to solve these issues and bond as a team, they will collapse, but if they do, I expect this team to be the single most promising and versatile team of this generation. I will be assigning Elite Jounin Hatake Kakashi as the commander of this team. This may seem odd, but it is my belief that the members of Team Seven will ultimately band together, and, in the process help Kakashi resolve some of his own long standing issues. As per Iruka's recommendation, Hatake is instructed to focus primarily on teambuilding and the creation of strong interpersonal bonds among team members. Once a sufficient level of team unity has been achieved, Team 7 can expect all manner of missions throughout the entirety of the elemental nations, with a focus on missions where combat is likely or where success is paramount but resources are limited.



TEAM 8:
MEMBERS: ABURAME SHINO, HIRUMA JABARI, HARUNO SAKURA
JOUNIN IN COMMAND: INUZUKA GAKU
SPECIALIZATION: PURSUIT

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES: Team Eight is tailor made for harassment and long-distance pursuit. Shino's Aburame clan techniques form the backbone of this team, thanks to their ability to drain chakra and utility in marking pursuit targets. Jabari's skill in close combat combined with his fledgling chakra sense makes Team Eight a hard target to counter-ambush, and his tendency to analyze his foes as thoroughly as possible will help the team to develop effective strategies for when they do catch their target. Sakura meanwhile, exhibits a strong grasp of fundamental skills, a significant talent for chakra control and shape manipulation, and a surprising amount of stamina. While she largely acts as an element to round the team out at the moment, with the proper training she could either become the team's heaviest hitter or a medic who can sustain her teammates during battles of attrition.

HOKAGE'S NOTES: Team Eight demonstrates a significant capacity for attrition focused combat. However, they lack many of the skills necessary for long-distance tracking or finding targets in the first place. In order to supplement their abilities in these fields and shore up their weaknesses, I will be assigning Jounin Inuzuka Gaku to lead this team. Gaku is a veteran in both short-range combat and long distance tracking, and has been looking to pass on his more conventional techniques to a Genin team for some time, making him the perfect candidate. Team Eight can expect to receive pursuit, investigation, and scouting missions in Land of Fire and allied territory.



TEAM 9:
MEMBERS: KOIZUMI SHINSUKE, YONEDA UNAGI, SHIRAI KAIRI
JOUNIN IN COMMAND: SHIMIZU AKON
SPECIALIZATION: SURVEILLANCE

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES: While members of Team Nine demonstrate no particular flare for combat they are perceptive and show a certain talent for long term stealth. Kairi stands head and shoulders above the other two members of her team in stakeout skills, thanks primarily to her uncomfortably extensive experience in applying them. Shinsuke is somewhat lacking in practical skills, but makes up for it with his detailed understanding of the theoretical skills necessary to perform effective surveillance, including logistics, the creation of cover stories, and a knack for finding inconsistencies and clues in paperwork. Finally, Unagi seems to have a knack for eavesdropping and stealthily trailing targets, but is let down by his poor woodscraft.

HOKAGE'S NOTES: Team Nine is in something of an odd position with regards to their skills. They are neither skillful enough in infiltration for a proper specialty, nor in wilderness survival and stealth to be a tracking or pursuit team. However, between their keen analytical and observational skills, they could make a promising long-term surveillance and investigation team. To that end, I will be assigning Jounin Shimizu Akon as their commander. As an expert in wilderness survival and stealth, he should be just the Sensei these students need to be able to apply their specialty more broadly. Team Nine will be given long term surveillance and counterintelligence missions within the Land of Fire and friendly territories.



TEAM 10:
MEMBERS: AKIMICHI CHOUJI, NARA SHIKAMARU, YAMANAKA INO
JOUNIN IN COMMAND: SARUTOBI ASUMA
SPECIALIZATION: LIVE CAPTURE

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES: Similar to past iterations of the "Ino-Shika-Cho" team, Team 10 is a natural fit for live capture objectives. However, this iteration has a slight difference, in that Ino has developed a talent for close quarters combat with her kenjutsu to supplement her own clan jutsu, instead of the traditional option of ninjutsu or genjutsu. That said, I would recommend a particularly flexible Jounin commander, as it's likely this version of "Ino-Shika-Cho" will be rather different than former generations.

HOKAGE'S NOTES: Live capture teams are a disproportionately important part of Konoha military doctrine. It is incredibly important that this team have a commander with a wide variety of skills and techniques as well as a sufficiently hands-off attitude to allow each team member to determine the best skills necessary to optimize their teamwork. I will therefore select Elite Jounin Sarutobi Asuma, one of the most highly decorated and flexible Jounin this village has to offer. Team 10 can expect to receive a wide variety of combat missions, with a priority towards 'capture and retrieval', field interrogation, and non-lethal suppression missions.



TEAM 11:
MEMBERS: SATOMURA DAISUKE, INUZUKA KIBA, YOKOTA MARIKO
JOUNIN IN COMMAND: YUHI KURENAI
SPECIALIZATION: SEARCH & DESTROY

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES: This is another team with potential teamwork issues. That said, all three members are socially well-adjusted; given a Jounin Sensei who will force them to take time to consider their words and actions, I believe their issues are not insurmountable. Mariko demonstrates significant aptitude for genjutsu and close range combat, but is somewhat wanting when it comes to tactics. Kiba has the opposite issue, he is skilled in a direct fight and can make his limited repertoire of skills stretch a long way, but lacks flexibility and could do with someone to help him broaden his horizons. Finally, Daisuke is both flexible and very effective in pitched battle, but is let down by his arrogance, which causes him to make poor decisions in combat. By placing these three together, I hope that they will be able to help each other shore up each-others' weaknesses and amplify their respective strengths.

HOKAGE'S NOTES: With two genjutsu users to disable foes, Satomura-kun's fledgling reconstruction of samurai techniques, and a tracking and combat specialist, Team Eleven appears to be an ideal candidate for Search and Destroy operations. I have selected Elite Jounin Yuhi Kurenai in order to best nurture the genin's fledgling skills at both using and detecting genjutsu. Team Eleven will be assigned hostile suppression, pursuit, and sabotage missions throughout the elemental nations.



TEAM 12:
MEMBERS: SHINSATO REN, FUJIWARA HIBACHI, HAZAKURA YUI
JOUNIN IN COMMAND: NARA REINA
SPECIALIZATION: RETRIEVAL

INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES: I'm a little worried about the students I put together for Team Twelve. The idea was to foster understanding among the somewhat more social class-focused students, but between all three students' wildly differing backgrounds, this team might just fall apart from the get-go. That said, their skills really do complement eachother for a retrieval focused team. Ren is somewhat lacking in terms of conventional ninja skills, but growing up with no support structure and limited means has given him a certain desperate ingenuity and talent for misdirection. Hibachi is his exact opposite, he is conventionally skilled and familiar with ninja culture in the way only a child with two ninja parents can be. However, he consistently displays a lack of drive or direction, and seems to be a ninja solely because it is expected of him. Finally, Yui is a close relative of Hazakura Zaou, a major merchant within the Land of Fire (see subject case file 24201). She is certainly driven and displays a passion for the techniques that interest her, but regularly disregards entire subjects which she feels are below her.

HOKAGE'S NOTES: It appears that Team 12 has the beginnings of a particularly promising retrieval focused team. Two of the three members display significant skill in techniques useful in larceny and hostage retrieval, while the third has a good understanding of conventional tactics and stratagems. I will be assigning Jounin Nara Reina to this team, as she has a tendency towards creative solutions which may help each team member form a more realistic plan for their respective futures as shinobi. Team 12 can expect to receive a wide variety of item and personnel retrieval missions, as well as larceny missions throughout the Land of Fire and allied territories.