Chapter 52: Team Assignments

Once all the students had completed their exams, it signified their official advancement to Genin.

All the students who passed were excitedly discussing it in the classroom.

To their innocent minds, they were finally one step closer to their dreams.

Little did they know, they had officially entered the brutal world of the shinobi.

Iruka walked into the classroom, his gaze sweeping over each youthful face as if trying to memorize every one of them. Pride filled his heart, mixed with a touch of reluctance.

He wondered if, after several years, even half of the ninjas in this entire class would still be alive.

"Congratulations, everyone, on successfully passing the exam. You are all now Genin of Konoha."

As his words fell, the classroom erupted in thunderous applause.

"Next, I will announce the squad lists. Your Jonin instructors will come to collect you shortly thereafter."

The students below immediately started chattering amongst themselves.

"We're finally getting grouped! I want to be on Naruto's team. He's so gentle; he must be a really reliable teammate."

"You're dreaming. The ones grouped with Naruto will definitely be geniuses. We don't stand a chance."

"If you ask me, Sasuke will probably be on his team."

"I just wonder who the last spot will go to."

Ino and Sakura were huddled in a corner, their faces alight with excitement.

"I want to be on Sasuke's team! That way, I can be with him every day. It'll be bliss!" Ino exclaimed, looking utterly smitten.

"Don't even think about it. The Ino-Shika-Cho members are always teamed together. So, Ino, you're stuck with us," Shikamaru drawled lazily from the side.

"Damn it, why do I have to be with you guys?!" Ino looked utterly dejected.

"Tch, troublesome woman."

"Munch, munch. Is being on our team so bad?" Choji said, vigorously eating his chips.

"Sigh, I want to be on a team with a handsome guy," Ino said, crestfallen.

The "Ino-Shika-Cho" – Konoha's trump card combination.

In battle, the Nara clan, with their Shadow Imitation Jutsu and extremely high intellect, typically handled strategy and core control. The Yamanaka clan, skilled in sensory perception and mind control, were responsible for tracking targets and linking the trio's minds. Finally, the Akimichi clan, possessing immense destructive power, delivered the final attacks.

Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji had grown up together and had excellent synergy, so it was a hundred percent certain they would be grouped together.

"Sakura, I don't have a chance anymore, but you definitely can!!" Ino hugged Sakura, whispering in her ear, "Imagine being on a team with Naruto! With his gentle nature, he'll definitely protect you. When you encounter a strong enemy, and you're covered in blood, he'll carry you princess-style, fighting while comforting you, ahhh!"

At Ino's description, Sakura's face turned beet red.

"Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji." At the podium, Iruka was already announcing the names.

"Hyuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba."

As the list was read out, some were joyful, others despondent.

Sakura nervously clutched her sleeves, anticipating her team assignment.

However, she didn't actually dare to hope for being on a team with Naruto and Sasuke.

Although her grades were good, she came from a common background, and her abilities were rather unremarkable.

"Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto."

The next moment, Iruka's voice plunged Sakura into a state of shocked ecstasy.

It took her a long while before she abruptly shot up from her seat, cheering.

"Sakura, it really is you!! Go on, hurry over there!" Urged by Ino and under the envious gazes of their classmates, Sakura walked towards Naruto.

"It's this fangirl," Sasuke lamented, burying his face in his hand, already imagining the days to come.

Sakura would flutter around Naruto like a social butterfly, chattering incessantly every day. This would inevitably interfere with his and Naruto's training time.

Even worse…

Their training group might have to include the lovesick Sakura.

Damn it.

Just thinking about it was despair-inducing.

Naruto must be having a headache too, right?

Sasuke glanced at Naruto, only to find the latter smiling. "Welcome, Sakura."

Sasuke's face instantly turned a shade of green.

Sakura sat down next to Naruto, looking somewhat shy and flustered.

"Am I a monster? To make you so nervous?" Naruto chuckled teasingly.

"No, of course not! I was just wondering how to talk to you, Naruto-kun," Sakura replied, her face blushing, the air around them seemingly filled with pink bubbles.

"Hmph." Sasuke snorted coldly, propping his chin on his hand and looking out the window, the corner of his mouth unconsciously curling into a subtly arrogant smirk.

A true powerhouse won't let a woman hinder his progress.

Naruto's talent is indeed astonishing, but I'll soon surpass him with these eyes. Go on, indulge in feminine charms. One day, you'll suddenly realize...

Just how overwhelmingly strong I've become.

Sasuke gently caressed his eyes; the powerful force contained within the Sharingan made him feel instantly "empowered."

As the supervising Jonin appeared one by one, soon only Naruto's trio remained in the classroom.

"Is our supervising Jonin late?" Sakura grumbled, resting her head on the desk with a look of resignation.

Her Inner Sakura was roaring with rage.

"It's alright. Let's wait a bit longer. Perhaps he was held up by something," Naruto maintained his perfect smile.

What he was truly thinking, however, remained unknown.

Kakashi looked into the mirror.

The man in the reflection had white hair and handsome, striking features.

After a moment of silence, he put on his mask and glanced at the sky outside.

It was getting late.

He was late again.

Kakashi gazed at the scenery outside the window with a complicated expression.

He was a disciple of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and also the Copy Ninja Kakashi, praised by everyone in Konoha.

But at the same time, he was also an unqualified disciple.

He had stood by and done nothing as his teacher's orphaned son endured the malice of the villagers.

He lived like a walking corpse, consumed by guilt and pain.

He kept telling himself that everything would get better.

But now, he had a chance for redemption.

He was about to become the teacher of his sensei's son, Uzumaki Naruto.

Previously, he couldn't interfere in Naruto's life. Now, he could guide Naruto's growth.

A myriad of emotions swirled within him.

Consequently, Kakashi had suffered from insomnia the previous night.

For a ninja, being troubled by such chaotic emotions was a very unprofessional display.

Kakashi quickly tidied himself up and then headed towards the Ninja Academy.

He strolled along leisurely, buying breakfast, and even helped an old lady and fed a stray kitten along the way.

As if on a leisurely tour, he finally arrived at the Ninja Academy.

He reached the classroom door.

He pushed it open and entered.

He saw three students sitting obediently in the classroom.

One of them, a cool-looking boy, was glaring at him with slightly annoyed eyes.

Another, a girl with pink hair, was feigning obedience, but her fists were already clenched tight.

As for the last one, a blond-haired boy, he was neatly dressed and exuded an air of refined elegance.

He wore a gentle, graceful smile, showing no dissatisfaction whatsoever at Kakashi's tardiness.

That warm smile momentarily overlapped with the image of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

"Sensei," Kakashi murmured, his eyes filled with nostalgia.

But he quickly snapped back to reality, leaning lazily against the doorframe.

"My first impression of you all... isn't too bad."