Sasuke woke early in the morning. He had been doing so for the past few days to train, but today, today was different. He was going to the Academy to be assigned his jōnin-sensei. A week ago, he wouldn't have felt any different, other than seeing it as the first step up the ranks. But now it was another story. Today, he would find out if events would truly unfold as they had in the future vision.
After putting on his attire, his eyes fell on the Konoha forehead protector. For the first time since that day, he picked it up again and tied it firmly to his head. He hesitated when his hand reached the door. Maybe when he came back, he hoped to have answers, but would he really like to know that the visions are correct? That hesitation faded instantly as he slid it open and stepped outside.
The streets of Konoha were already busy despite the early hour. Sasuke walked with slow, steady steps towards the academy.
'Nano.'
[Yes, Host?]
'Summarize all the progress I've made since you arrived.'
[Understood. Progress since my awakening: "Body reconstruction" rebuilt your body to its optimal training state. Awakening of the second stage of the Sharingan. Common texts scanned: A Short History of the Hidden Leaf, Village Relationships, Advancements in Ninja Tools Over the Last Decade, and The Warring States Period. Fire Style jutsu: 543 jutsu scanned and memorized, 13 practiced, 10 offensive, 3 defensive. Lightning Style jutsu: 234 jutsu scanned and memorized, 4 practiced, all defensive. Taijutsu: 2 styles scanned, basics learned. Kenjutsu: 1 style scanned, current simulated spar score (Optimal Muscle). Results: wounds sustained, 19%. Simulated enemy wounds, 100%. With my assistance, overall sensory improvement, enhanced chakra perception, and refined chakra control.]
A small smile tugged at Sasuke's lips. How could he not smile? In just a week, he had gained what would take others months, if not years, to gain. Even if the vision proved to be false, as long as he grew stronger, it didn't matter. He would uncover the truth himself.
Maybe that had been the point of the vision, to snap him out of his blind rage and force him to think rationally. Because even if it was wrong, he had started getting suspicions of his clan's destruction, there was no way Itachi had decided on his own to annihilate the clan to test his limits.
Itachi had been a genius, yes, but even a genius could not wipe out an entire clan filled with elite shinobi, not alone. Many Uchiha had been on missions outside the village that night as well, yet all had died. That meant others had played a role in the destruction. In his visions, the one who had helped was no other than Madara Uchiha, the masked man, or the man pretending to be him. Vision or not, Sasuke vowed that with enough power, nothing would stop him from finding the truth.
"L-Look, it's Sasuke! D-did he get taller?"
"He's wearing different clothes too! I love the new style!"
The chatter snapped him out of his thoughts. Sasuke cast a look at them before looking ahead at the Academy building.
"H-He looked at me! Did he fall for me?"
"How are you even a ninja with those eyes? He was definitely looking at me!"
He ignored them and entered. His steps carried him directly to his classroom, where a man stood at the front. He was wearing a light green vest, hair tied in a high ponytail, and a scar cutting across his face.
The man turned, studying him for a moment before smiling. "Oh, good morning, Sasuke. Almost didn't recognize you. You can go ahead and take a seat."
Sasuke gave a small nod, scanning the room. A few students were already inside. As he walked toward his usual seat, he suddenly flinched.
"Something wrong, Sasuke?"
He paused before replying flatly, "Nothing is wrong, Iruka-sensei." Then he moved to the front row and sat down.
Iruka noticed the change in his usual sitting place but said nothing.
'I… don't want to test it that way.'
In his vision, it was there that he had kissed Naruto. That was why Sasuke had avoided his usual seat. The fear might have been irrational since the vision could be wrong, and even if it weren't, he could dodge it easily, but he wasn't willing to take the risk. Naruto was unpredictable, especially when it involved Sakura. Most of his challenges against Sasuke had been out of jealousy. He had grown out of it later, but that still showed how much he was affected by his crush on Sakura.
Sasuke's thoughts drifted back to the night at the cemetery. He remembered Naruto standing before the gravestone of Kushina Uzumaki. If the vision was true, then she was his mother. The surname matched, after all. That meant another detail was correct. Which also meant… his eyes moved to the Hokage Monument, perfectly visible from the window. The Fourth Hokage was his father.
And the reason why the son of the village's hero was treated as an outcast?
'Danzo.'
That man seemed to have his hand in everything. Even if the vision was false, Sasuke knew where to start.
The classroom slowly filled with students. He noticed every face from the vision, the ones who would play major roles in Naruto's life. Then Naruto himself walked in. At once, the lively chatter died.
"I hope I don't get assigned to the same team as that demon."
"Ugh, did I really have to be in the same class as him? With my luck, I'll end up on his team."
Whispers spread, every word aimed at Naruto. He ignored them, walking calmly to the back of the class and sitting down. The student next to him instantly got up and changed seats.
Sasuke's eyes lingered on him for a bit.
'You and I… aren't that different.'
The words from the vision echoed again.
'You are the only other person I felt close to. Kind of like brothers, so I will bring you back to the village no matter what!'
Surprisingly, Sasuke hadn't disagreed with those words when he saw that moment. Even before Nano had awakened in him and he received those visions, Naruto had treated him differently from everyone else.
He wasn't intimidated by the fact that Sasuke's brother was a wanted criminal. He wasn't wary of the Uchiha name or afraid of him because he was the last heir. And though his reasons for challenging Sasuke were often idiotic, Naruto was still the only person he acknowledged as a rival.
"Enough!" Iruka's voice cut through the room, sharp with irritation. The whispers died instantly. "Since most of you are here, we can start-"
The door slammed open.
"E-Enough, Ino! We were almost late because of you!"
"Shut up! I am not letting you sit next to Sasuke!"
Two girls stormed in. One with long pink hair tied in a braid down her back, with bright green eyes, and a red kunoichi dress. The other, with long blonde hair tied in a high ponytail, with pale blue eyes, and a blue dress.
"Out. Of. My. WAY!" Sakura shouted, shoving Ino aside as she stormed inside, only to freeze when she realized the whole class was staring at them.
"Iruka-sensei…" both girls muttered when they caught sight of his stern expression.
"Sit," he ordered, shaking his head.
They instantly obeyed, though their eyes darted to Sasuke's usual spot; not seeing him there, they searched around before they found him. Seeing that the seats next to him were already occupied, they cursed under their breaths and reluctantly chose other seats.
"Good. Now, let's begin. First, congratulations on graduating from the Academy. This is a joyful moment, but also the start of the real thing. Soon, you will be assigned to your jōnin instructors, and from there, you will become a true shinobi of this village... Everyone, take out what's under your desks."
Each student pulled out a small book with the words 'Bingo Book' written across the cover.
"This is a parting gift from the Academy. Inside, you'll find information on ninja to avoid, or eliminate for a bounty. Get familiar with it as soon as possible." Iruka scanned the room to see if his message got across, then unfurled a scroll. "Now, I'll begin announcing your teams."
Sasuke's heartbeat slowed.
"Team 1… Team 3… Team 5… Team 7. Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha. Your jōnin-sensei will be Kakashi Hatake."
"Damn it!" Ino cursed aloud.
Sakura almost leapt up to cheer, but froze under Iruka's glare. She sat back down, though the grin on her face was increasing by the second.
The others breathed sighs of relief that Naruto wasn't on their team.
Ino stared daggers at her before she sighed.
"Damn, what's with her luck? She got Naruto and Sasuke together?... Can't tell if she's lucky or unlucky."
Naruto sat motionless, his eyes locked on Iruka.
"Quiet down, everyone! We're not done yet."
Sasuke's eyes drifted toward the board as he toned down the surrounding noise.
'So… It's true.'
From what he knew, teams were assigned randomly except for a few exceptions. Yet, just like the vision, Naruto and Sakura had been placed with him, which confirmed it for him. But the vision had flaws. No, it was more than that. The vision wasn't predicting exact details; it was showing him the structure of how things would unfold.
Naruto wasn't the same. Sakura was slightly different, too; her hair tied into a braid, her clothes more fitting for a kunoichi than the vision had shown. Even Ino had been slightly different.
And the event of the team selection had changed as well. They had barged in, yes, but not with a whole swarm of girls like before. He had not...kissed Naruto, because he sat in a different spot, and that would have also not happened because Naruto arrived on time and Sakura arrived late. It was due to their personality, Naruto was different compared to his vision counterpart, so his actions alone had already changed many things over the years.
It was still slightly confusing, but after a few tests, he was sure he would figure out exactly what was correct.
"That's all," Iruka said firmly. "You may now wait for your jōnin instructor to arrive. Once again, congratulations, and good luck as shinobi."