Chapter 23: Team 7 Assembles
Blissfully unaware of the machinations in the Hokage's office, Kamikawa Hiraoka spent his evening dreaming of an ideal future—a team assignment that placed him squarely between Hyuga Hinata and Yamanaka Ino, a perfect setup for a comfortable and amorous genin career.
He was, therefore, completely unprepared for the reality that awaited him.
The next morning, after a leisurely start, Hiraoka made his way to the academy classroom. The scene that greeted him was one of pure chaos. Uzumaki Naruto was perched on a desk, using a rope and a piece of bait in a comical and utterly failed attempt to lure Uchiha Sasuke into a kiss. Both boys were now green in the face, retching in opposite directions.
Some traditions never change, Hiraoka thought with an internal chuckle.
"Hiraoka-kun!" Hinata's soft voice called to him, and he quickly went to her side, taking her hand reassuringly.
Soon, Iruka entered, beaming with pride. "Congratulations, all of you! From this day forward, you are shinobi of Konoha!" he announced. "You will now be divided into three-person squads, each under the guidance of a jounin sensei. I will now read the team assignments."
Hiraoka leaned forward, a confident smile on his face.
"Team 8: Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji."
Ino sighed in disappointment, while Shikamaru muttered, "Troublesome..."
Hiraoka's smile didn't falter. A minor setback. Hinata is surely next.
"Team 9: Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino."
Hinata's shoulders slumped, and she gave Hiraoka a look of profound apology. His own smile finally cracked. What?
"Team 7," Iruka continued, his gaze lingering meaningfully on the three boys. "Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Kamikawa Hiraoka."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, Naruto shot to his feet. "WHAT?! I have to be on a team with this jerk?!" he yelled, pointing a trembling finger at Sasuke.
"Your grades are the lowest in the class, Naruto!" Iruka retorted, his patience thin. "This is to balance the teams!"
Sasuke, who had been staring out the window, turned his head. A cold, dismissive smirk touched his lips. "Don't drag me down, dead last."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING DEAD LAST?!" Naruto roared, launching himself across the room.
As the two devolved into a shouting match, Hiraoka could only sit in stunned silence. His dream of a cozy, two-girl team evaporated, replaced by a reality containing the village pariah and its most brooding avenger. This is a nightmare. But then, a new, wicked thought emerged. Well, at least it won't be boring. And it's not like my evenings are booked...
He leaned back, a new, scheming grin replacing his disappointment as he imagined "consoling" a heartbroken Hinata and Ino later that evening.
"Your jounin sensei will meet you here this afternoon," Iruka concluded, wisely making a swift exit before the chaos could escalate.
The afternoon dragged on. One by one, the other teams were collected by their new sensei, until only Team 7 remained in the silent, empty classroom.
"This is taking forever! How can our sensei be this late?" Naruto grumbled, pacing back and forth. He stomped over to the door, peering into the empty hallway. "We're the only ones left!"
A mischievous glint appeared in his eye. He snatched a chalkboard eraser from the ledge and, with exaggerated care, balanced it on the top of the slightly ajar door.
Uchiha Sasuke watched the entire display with utter contempt. "A jounin would never fall for such a childish, obvious trap," he stated flatly.
Kamikawa Hiraoka simply smiled, saying nothing. Oh, just you wait.
They didn't have to wait long. The sound of slow, measured footsteps echoed down the hallway. All three boys stiffened, their attention locked on the door.
The handle turned. The door pushed inward.
THWACK.
The eraser fell perfectly, coating a head of spiky silver hair in a cloud of white chalk dust.
For a moment, there was absolute silence.
Then, Naruto exploded into hysterical laughter, pointing and clutching his stomach. "HE FELL FOR IT! HE ACTUALLY FELL FOR IT! HAHAHA!"
Uchiha Sasuke's jaw was practically on the floor. His brain struggled to reconcile the image of a supposedly elite jounin with the man now standing there, dusting chalk off his flak jacket. This... this is our teacher?
Hiraoka couldn't hold back a soft snort of amusement, quickly covering his mouth.
The man, Hatake Kakashi, slowly raised his head, his single visible eye curving into a lazy, unimpressed crescent moon. His gaze swept over the laughing Naruto, the stunned Sasuke, and the amused Hiraoka.
"Well," he said, his voice utterly deadpan. "My first impression of you all... is that you're a bunch of idiots." He paused, letting the words sink in. "Now, meet me on the rooftop. Don't keep me waiting."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Team 7 in a classroom filled with the lingering dust of their first, disastrous meeting.
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