"Uh..." Naruto scratched his head hard, tugging at his hair in frustration. "I can't remember."
The name felt incredibly familiar, like something he should know, but his mind was completely blank. He could only spread his hands helplessly.
"Naruto!" Sakura snapped, a vein throbbing on her forehead. She really wanted to punch his thick skull. Dropping the ball at a moment like this was enough to drive anyone crazy.
Sasuke turned his head away. As expected, relying on Naruto was a complete waste of time.
"Hey, don't worry!" Naruto said quickly, sensing their dissatisfaction and hurrying to smooth things over. "There are so many graduates. What are the odds we would end up on Kakashi's team? It will definitely be fine!"
"Maybe..." Sakura and Sasuke exchanged a glance, forcing down their unease for the moment. They fixed their eyes on the classroom door, waiting for Iruka to arrive.
Students clustered in small groups, speculating about team assignments and wondering who their instructors would be. Some were excited, others anxious. A few looked terrified.
Before long, Iruka entered the classroom holding the team assignment list. The room instantly fell silent, all eyes turning to him.
"First of all, congratulations," he said, looking at the students wearing their new forehead protectors. "Starting today, you are independent ninjas!"
A few scattered cheers broke out, quickly hushed by the more serious students who wanted to hear the rest.
"However, you are only newly graduated genin and cannot yet carry out missions on your own. According to village rules, you will be divided into groups of three, forming squads under the guidance of a jonin instructor to carry out missions."
Whispers rippled through the classroom. Students leaned toward each other, confirming what they had heard.
"So what Daiki said was true..." Sakura muttered, unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes. Beside her, Naruto and Sasuke leaned in closer.
"Please don't let it be Kakashi..." she whispered.
In the back row, Ino clasped her hands together, silently wishing for the same thing.
"Now, I will announce the team assignments." Iruka opened the roster in his hand and began reading out the squad members according to the list.
He worked through the first few teams. Each announcement was met with varying reactions. Some students cheered when they heard favorable pairings. Others groaned or slumped in their seats.
"Team Six: Yamanaka Daiki, Uzumaki Karin, Sai."
"Huh? Daiki, we are on the same team!" Karin suddenly turned around in her seat. The worry hanging over her heart finally settled. At least she wasn't teamed up with complete strangers.
Daiki nodded, though his gaze drifted toward Sai in the corner. "Being on a team with you is great, but that other guy... he doesn't look easy to get along with."
"I remember him." Karin frowned as well, staring at the expressionless boy. "He transferred in a few years ago out of nowhere. He's either completely blank-faced or making strange expressions. Such an odd guy."
As if sensing their attention, Sai slowly turned his head. His eyes swept over them, and he curled his lips into a stiff, unnatural smile.
Karin shuddered. "He really does look hard to get along with. It would have been better if Sasuke were on our team. Why did it have to be him?"
Her words had barely faded when Iruka's voice rang out again.
"Team Seven: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke."
"I didn't expect Naruto to be teamed up with Sasuke and Sakura!" Daiki said in surprise, looking toward the front row.
"Sakura actually got placed with Sasuke!" Karin clenched her fists, glaring at Sakura. Then she looked at the odd Sai again and felt even more depressed.
Up front, Naruto excitedly slapped his desk. "Sakura, Sasuke, we are in the same team!" His eyes curved into crescents with his grin, the worry from earlier completely forgotten.
Sakura was just as thrilled. She pretended to stay composed, giving a small polite bow like a refined lady. "Please take care of me!" Inside, she was bursting with excitement. She got to be on the same team as Sasuke!
"Hn." Sasuke nodded in response.
He was quite satisfied with the team assignment. Naruto wasn't much weaker than him, and with his enormous chakra reserves, Naruto had been his main rival during practical combat classes. As for Sakura... it didn't matter much. As long as she didn't hold them back, there was no need to pay her much attention.
"How could this happen!" In the back row, Ino saw the provocative look Sakura secretly shot her and ground her teeth in frustration.
"Seriously, what is so great about that guy anyway?" Beside her, Shikamaru propped his head up with one hand, looking bored. Seeing Ino's unwilling expression, he rolled his eyes. "Women are such a hassle."
"You don't even understand this?" Ino stared at him in disbelief, not expecting him to say something like that.
"I am not a woman. How would I know what you are thinking?" Shikamaru shot her a glance and replied flatly.
"That's exactly why you are so unpopular!" Ino turned her head away in disgust, her tone full of exasperation. "I don't want to be on the same team as you!"
"Team Ten: Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji." Iruka's voice rang out evenly, as if on cue.
Shikamaru immediately straightened up slightly and raised an eyebrow at Ino. "Well, it looks like we will be teaming up after all."
Ino shot him a fierce glare, then looked at Choji in the front row who was happily devouring a bag of chips. She slumped onto the desk with a loud thud, feeling utterly drained. What kind of unlucky combination was this?
Iruka finished reading through the rest of the team assignments, then closed the roster.
"The team assignments are complete," he announced. "This afternoon, each squad will be introduced to their jonin instructor. Class dismissed."
The classroom erupted into noise as students immediately turned to their new teammates, some excited, others resigned to their fates.
"Come on, let's go say hello to our new teammate," Daiki said, pulling Karin along as he headed straight for Sai's seat.
"Will he even talk to us?" Karin muttered, her steps slowing slightly as they approached.
"We will know if we try." Daiki stopped in front of Sai and gave him a friendly smile. "Hi, I am Yamanaka Daiki." He gestured to Karin behind him. "This is Uzumaki Karin. We will be teammates from now on."
Sai abruptly stood up, immediately pulling his trademark fake smile across his lips. Daiki could tell he was nervous from the slight tension in his shoulders and the way his hands clenched briefly at his sides before relaxing.
"Hello. I am Sai."
Seeing his reaction, Daiki quickly picked up on the tension and understood. He is just socially awkward and not good with people. Not hostile, just uncomfortable.
"Don't you have a surname?" Karin asked curiously, gaining some courage now that he didn't seem as hard to approach as she had imagined.
"No." Sai kept smiling. "I am an orphan. I used to receive training in Root. Later, the Hokage arranged for me to enter the Ninja Academy. The name Sai was also given to me by the Hokage."
Since Danzō was already dead, the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal that had been placed on him had been removed, and Root had been disbanded. He could speak about it openly now without fear of repercussion.
Sai had been captured along with other Root ninjas a few years ago after Danzō and Root were dealt with. Although he had already begun carrying out missions as a ninja following his Root training, Minato had reviewed his records and saw that Sai was the same age as Naruto but seemed like a troubled child who had difficulty communicating with others. In the end, he had decided to send Sai to the Ninja Academy to study alongside peers his own age.
The results were clear. Though his expressions were still unnatural and his smile looked forced, he was now able to communicate normally.
"Root..." Karin whispered as her eyes widened slightly. She had heard stories about the secretive division, though most of what circulated were rumors.
"It is disbanded now," Sai said simply. "I am just a regular ninja."
Daiki could see Karin processing this information. He decided to change the subject to something lighter.
"Well, we are teammates now. Want to grab lunch together? We can start getting to know each other properly."
Sai's smile flickered, becoming slightly more genuine for just a moment. "I... would like that."
"Great! I know a good ramen place," Karin said, warming up to him now that the initial awkwardness was fading.
The three of them gathered their things and headed out of the classroom together. Around them, other newly formed teams were doing the same, filling the hallways with chatter and excitement.
---
After spending the lunch period together, the members of each squad gradually began to get more comfortable with one another. The conversations flowed more easily, the tension from the morning fading as they shared meals and stories.
In the afternoon, each team sat together in the classroom, waiting for Iruka to assign their respective jonin instructors.
The atmosphere was different now. Less nervous, but still anticipatory. Everyone wanted to know who would be leading them.
Iruka entered carrying another set of documents and took his position at the front of the room.
"Team Six's jonin instructor," he announced, reading from the sheet. "Hoshino Aoi."
"Aoi-nee?!" Daiki suddenly looked up and exclaimed in surprise.
Karin quickly leaned closer. "You know her?"
Behind them, Sai and the members of Team Seven also looked over curiously.
"Of course!" Daiki let out a relieved sigh. "She used to be one of my dad's students, just like we are now. And she's also a really skilled medical-nin."
"Really?" Karin could not help asking, interested now.
"That's right. You will see when you meet her. And she's also a disciple of Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin. She's a powerful kunoichi," Daiki said confidently.
He knew Aoi well enough. She had visited his house many times over the years, always bringing small gifts and checking in on the family. She was kind, patient, and strong. They had lucked out with their assignment.
Hearing Daiki talk about their team's instructor with such confidence, Naruto looked toward Iruka with anticipation. "I wonder who our teacher is? Could it be someone strong too?"
Iruka happened to pick up the next sheet of paper. He glanced at it briefly, then slowly read aloud.
"Team Seven's jonin instructor: Hatake Kakashi."
The air froze instantly.
For a moment, there was absolute silence. Then three shocked voices rang out simultaneously.
"Hatake Kakashi?!"
Naruto's mouth fell open. Sakura's face turned pale, all the color draining from her cheeks. Sasuke clenched his fists tightly.
The thing they had feared most had come true.