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Just as Shikamaru had analyzed, Ryūsei had also given some thought to who his teammates might be.
He had used the process of elimination.
Excluding himself, the most important figures in the class were the "Nine Rookies."
Among these nine, Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chōji were guaranteed to be placed in the same team.
As Shikamaru had said, their fathers were far too famous—the entire shinobi world knew of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio.
Hiruzen would never pass up the opportunity to cultivate a new generation of this legendary team.
This was evident from the fact that he had assigned his own son as the jōnin instructor for the new Ino-Shika-Chō team.
After excluding Ino-Shika-Chō, among the remaining six rookies, Naruto and Sasuke held special statuses, and Hiruzen would likewise never separate them.
That left Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyūga, and Sakura Haruno—all of whom excelled in sensory abilities.
However, among these four, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino were all from major clans. Placing them in the same team and assigning a skilled jōnin to lead them would satisfy their respective families.
Thus, among the nine rookies, Sakura was the most likely candidate to become Ryūsei's teammate.
But if that were the case, Team 7—composed of Naruto and Sasuke—would have an empty slot.
If Hiruzen really did assign Ryūsei and Sakura to the same team, wouldn't that mean Naruto and Sasuke would have to be paired with some ordinary girl as their third teammate?
Of course, Ryūsei had another theory: Sakura might still be placed in Team 7, while he himself would be grouped with two average-performing classmates.
Or… he might be recruited into the Anbu!
Either way, Ryūsei didn't particularly care.
Graduation marked the beginning of the story—the next cycle of the destined battle between Asura and Indra had already commenced.
The fated conflict between the Sage of Six Paths' sons would plunge the shinobi world into chaos.
No matter who his teammates were, Ryūsei was confident he would grow stronger quickly.
As Ryūsei and the others chatted, more and more students filed into the classroom.
Naruto's arrival surprised quite a few people, but no one openly mocked him this time.
Unfortunately, one iconic scene was missing.
Since Naruto no longer had a crush on anyone, he still found Sasuke's aloof attitude irritating, but he didn't jump in front of him like in the original timeline—nor did the infamous "accidental kiss" happen with the help of his classmates.
Ryūsei found this deeply regrettable.
Once all the students had gathered, Iruka soon entered the classroom.
"Congratulations. From this moment on, you are all officially genin."
Looking at the students—most of whom had made it through the six years—Iruka's face was filled with pride. Suppressing his reluctance, he smiled and raised the class roster.
"However, you still have much to learn. Before you can stand on your own, you will be grouped into teams of three and placed under the guidance of a jōnin instructor who will teach you how to become true shinobi."
"Now, let's begin the team assignments. Team 1…"
One by one, names were called out.
The students reacted with either excitement or disappointment.
Before long, it was time for Team 7.
"Team 7—Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke… Haruno Sakura."
The moment Iruka read the last name, Ryūsei and the others' expressions shifted slightly.
Sakura, who had been grinning confidently since the team assignments began, froze in shock.
Shikamaru rubbed his chin, mildly surprised.
"Huh. I was wrong. This makes the rest of the team assignments much more interesting."
Ryūsei was equally stunned.
'Does this mean I'll really be grouped with two average students? Is the prestige of being the top graduate really that low? Or… is Hiruzen planning to recruit me into the Anbu?'
But then, the next name Iruka called out made Ryūsei and the others react even more strongly—except for Hinata, who looked overjoyed.
"Team 8—Hoshina Ryūsei, Aburame Shino… Hyūga Hinata."
"Team 9…"
"Team 10—Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji… Yamanaka Ino."
"To think… my analysis was this far off."
Shikamaru rested his chin on his palm, glancing at Kiba Inuzuka, who was playing with Akamaru and didn't seem to care at all about his teammates.
A trace of pity flashed in his eyes.
'Poor guy… was he abandoned?'
Excluding the now-extinct Uchiha clan, there were six major clan heirs in the class.
Just as he had predicted, the new Ino-Shika-Chō trio remained intact.
However, the team that should have consisted of Kiba, Shino, and Hinata only had Shino and Hinata.
Kiba wasn't even paired with Sasuke.
His only possible teammates were ordinary civilian students.
A team with only one clan heir meant that Kiba's jōnin instructor wouldn't be one of the village's most renowned shinobi—unless a clansman specifically requested to mentor him.
Either way, it meant Kiba had been "discarded."
Even Ryūsei hadn't expected that he would replace Kiba.
This was supposed to be the strongest sensory team of the new generation!
Its importance was evident from the fact that Hiruzen had assigned Yūhi Kurenai as Team 8's instructor.
If Asuma Sarutobi had survived into the Boruto era, he and Kurenai—as a married couple—would have been the teachers of the heirs to six major clans: Ino-Shika-Chō, Aburame, Inuzuka, and Hyūga.
With connections like that, even if Asuma never became Hokage, he could have walked through Konoha with impunity.
In Ryūsei's eyes, Team 8 was just as unbreakable as Ino-Shika-Chō.
Yet, against all expectations, Hiruzen had replaced Kiba with Ryūsei.
This decision, which would undoubtedly offend the Inuzuka clan, left Ryūsei deeply surprised.
'Does the Third Hokage really value my potential this much? Or… has he been spying on my training all these years with his Crystal Ball Technique? Can that jutsu even see inside houses?'
The thought that Hiruzen might have watched him practicing that forbidden jutsu in private made Ryūsei's heart sink.
"Team 12…"
After reading the final name, Iruka set down the roster.
He took one last look at the classroom he wouldn't see again after today, a hint of sorrow in his eyes. But he kept smiling as he gave his final advice.
"Teammates, remember to get along well with each other. From now on, you'll be comrades fighting side by side. Your jōnin instructors will arrive soon to take you to your new assignments. I hope the next time we meet, you'll all have grown into outstanding shinobi."
With that, Iruka quickly left the classroom.
No one paid much attention to his departure, nor did anyone understand the emotions he was feeling at that moment.
All the students were too busy imagining their future as shinobi, speculating about who their instructors would be and how strong they might be.
"Congratulations, Hinata!"
Ino said, unable to hide her envy.
"I never thought you'd end up on the same team as Ryūsei!"
Hinata lowered her head, nervously twiddling her fingers.
But if one looked closely, they'd see the corners of her lips curling up slightly, unable to suppress her joy.
Meanwhile, Sakura looked like a defeated puppy.
She happened to be sitting right behind Shikamaru.
Staring at the back of the "Genius Tactician's" head, she nearly awakened her second personality on the spot—ready to punch him into oblivion.
He had raised her hopes with his analysis, only for reality to crush them.
The sheer disappointment was agonizing!