Still, he knew he couldn't let his personal feelings show too much. He coughed, then continued his announcement.
"Second place, Uchiha Sasuke!"
"Third place, Hyuga Hinata!"
"Fourth place, Sakura Haruno!"
"Fifth place, Yamanaka Ino!"
"Sixth place, Aburame Shino!"
...
"Eleventh place, Kiba Inuzuka!"
...
"Thirty-second place, Akimichi Choji!"
...
"Fiftieth place, Nara Shikamaru!"
Finally, with the results announced, only Shikamaru remained as unflappably consistent as ever. Iruka sighed, his eyes growing moist.
"Everyone," he said, his voice thick with emotion, "from today onward, you have officially graduated from the Ninja Academy. Congratulations."
The room erupted in cheers. Students jumped for joy, and books went flying through the air in a noisy, bustling celebration. Iruka smiled through it all.
"However, this is not the end, but just the beginning," he continued, his voice cutting through the noise. "From now on, you will be true ninja, no longer students. The life of a ninja is extremely cruel, and the missions you face will be dangerous. It will no longer be a peaceful harbor like the academy. Each of you will face tests of life and death. I hope that all of you will work even harder so that you can better survive in this unforgiving world. You are all excellent students with bright futures. I wish you all smooth sailing and hope that you realize your dreams."
The students' eyes began to well up with tears.
"Teacher Iruka, that's too emotional!"
"Don't do this, Teacher Iruka! Are you trying to make us cry?!"
Iruka secretly wiped away his own tears, forcing a dry laugh. "Haha, sorry, sorry. It just slipped out."
Naruto was deeply moved. He realized that he was about to leave the Ninja Academy and would probably see Iruka-sensei less and less. A profound sadness and reluctance to part washed over him. "Teacher Iruka..."
Iruka's gaze met Naruto's, and he saw the tears welling in the corners of the boy's eyes. His own heart skipped a beat, but he quickly concealed his emotions. "Haha, okay, okay, let's not talk about these sentimental things anymore! Ahem, now let's get down to business! Let's begin... assigning the Ninja Squads!"
The noisy classroom fell silent in an instant. Everyone knew what this meant. Being assigned to a squad marked the true beginning of their lives as ninja. They would be personally led by a Jonin, carrying out missions while improving their own strength. Which squad they would be in, who their teammates would be, and most importantly, what kind of Jonin would lead them—these were the questions on everyone's minds.
Iruka scanned the class before beginning the final announcement. Naruto's heart started pounding wildly. I wonder who I'll be with. It doesn't matter, as long as it's not Sasuke! As for the Jonin leader, it's a pity it won't be Might Guy-sensei, but I heard Asuma-sensei is leading a team this year. I hope I can be assigned to his squad!
Hinata gently touched her fingertips together, silently praying. I hope I can be on the same team as Naruto-kun... But even if I'm not, that's okay. I just hope Naruto-kun will be alright.
Sakura squeezed her eyes shut. As long as I'm in the same squad as Sasuke-kun, nothing else matters! Please, oh please!
Ino thought, It would be best to be on a team with Sasuke, but if that's not possible, being with Hinata would be nice too!
Sasuke's thoughts were simple. Hmph, as long as it's not that loser, I don't care who it is. Even though Naruto was now number one, in Sasuke's heart, he was still the dead-last.
Everyone held their breath, the silence so thick you could hear their heartbeats.
"Ahem," Iruka began. "Team Seven! The Jonin leader is Kakashi Hatake! The ninja assigned to Team 7 are... Uzumaki Naruto! Uchiha Sasuke! And... Hyuga Hinata!"
Naruto felt a jolt when he heard his name. Me? Team 7, led by... Kakashi Hatake?! Naruto knew the name. He'd heard bits and pieces about him from Might Guy and Asuma. From what he could gather, the man sounded a lot like Sasuke—a young genius with exceptional talent, renowned throughout the ninja world, but with a gloomy and cold personality. Naruto pouted. It's not Asuma-sensei... This Kakashi guy doesn't sound very fun. But as long as it helps me get stronger, that's enough. So, who are my teammates? Please, please don't let it be Sasuke! I hope one is Hinata, and the other one... hmm... maybe Choji or Shikamaru? But they're both so lazy!
Just as he was lost in thought, the next name hit him like a physical blow.
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
Naruto was struck dumb. "Ah! Why did it have to be that jerk Sasuke?!" He held his head in his hands, an expression of pure disgust on his face.
Sasuke looked equally constipated. "Why did it have to be the dead-last?!"
The rest of the class was in an uproar.
"Naruto and Sasuke are on the same team?"
"This... is this to make them compete against each other?"
"Sasuke-kun! I want to join Team 7 too! Even if Naruto is there!" Sakura cried out in despair.
But at that moment, Iruka announced the final spot. "Hyuga Hinata!"
Naruto was stunned for a moment, then his face broke into a wide, excited grin. "That's awesome!"
Hinata froze, her face turning bright red with a mixture of shyness and elation. I'm in the same squad as Naruto-kun? That's... that's wonderful. The thought of fighting side-by-side with Naruto, traveling with him day and night, made her heart flutter.
Ino covered her mouth and chuckled. "Hinata, congratulations! You got what you wanted!"
Hinata blushed and lowered her head, wanting to deny it, but she couldn't even convince herself.
Sakura's face went pale. "It's Hinata? That means I can't be with Sasuke-kun..." For her, it was as if the sky had fallen.
Sasuke didn't care. Since he was already stuck with Naruto, did it really matter who the third person was?
Naruto, however, was already planning. At worst, I'll just go on missions with Hinata. As for Sasuke, he can do whatever he wants!
Though Ino had wanted to be on Sasuke's team, she could accept this outcome. After all, her best friend Hinata had achieved her dream. And she also noticed something important.
"Iruka-sensei," she asked, "is this Kakashi Hatake-sensei very strong? After all, his Team 7 students—Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata—were the top three in the entire graduation exam!"