Time Skip - Team Selection
The Academy classroom hummed with restless energy. Students shifted in their seats, whispered guesses, and tried to catch Iruka's attention.
Today was different.
Aren noticed it immediately—not because the room was louder or quieter, but because of the weight of expectation. Even the walls seemed to hold their breath.
Iruka stood at the front, clipboard in hand, eyes scanning the room like a hawk. The usual warm expression was gone, replaced with a serious, measured gaze.
"Today," he announced, "you will be assigned to your genin teams."
A quiet fell over the room.
Then chaos erupted.
"Finally!" shouted someone.
"Yes! Team leader, please!"
"I want the strongest sensei!"
Naruto leapt onto his desk, fist raised. "This is it! This is where I start becoming Hokage!"
Iruka's glare cut through the noise. "Sit down!" he barked. Naruto sank reluctantly, though his grin remained.
Aren didn't move. He didn't cheer. He didn't even blink faster than normal.
Teams decide survival rates, he reminded himself silently.
One bad combination could ruin missions. Failed missions could mean injury—or worse.
The system was silent, but Aren felt its awareness like a weight pressing against his consciousness, waiting.
Iruka began calling names.
"Team Seven: Uzumaki Naruto… Uchiha Sasuke… Haruno Sakura."
Gasps filled the room.
Naruto whooped. "Yes! Sasuke's on my team!"
Sasuke didn't react.
Sakura's mouth opened, then closed. She stared, speechless.
Aren cataloged the moment silently. High conflict. High growth. High risk.
Canon intact—for now.
"Team Eight: Aburame Shino… Inuzuka Kiba… Hyuga Hinata."
A balanced, tracking-focused unit. Stable. Low conflict, moderate threat.
Then came the next one.
"Team Ten: Nara Shikamaru… Akimichi Choji… Yamanaka Ino."
Aren's chest tightened ever so slightly. It was involuntary, subtle. But it was there.
He glanced up at Ino. She blinked in surprise, then smiled as Choji patted her shoulder and Shikamaru sighed.
Ino–Shika–Cho. Legacy formation. Powerful. Strategic. Predictable.
He had expected it. Still, knowing didn't stop the fleeting adjustment in his mental rhythm.
Their eyes met across the room.
A small nod from him.
A slight, confident smile from her.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
"…Team Eleven: Aren… Tenten… Rock Lee."
The room went quiet. Not in awe. Not in fear. Just… curiosity.
Lee's eyes widened. "YES! I shall burn with the fire of youth alongside my teammates!"
Tenten tilted her head, studying Aren. "This will be… interesting."
Aren simply inclined his head.
"Civilian-born," he added.
Lee's jaw dropped. "No clan?! Then you shall prove your worth through effort!"
Aren didn't argue. Effort was only one variable. Survival demanded far more.
Outside the classroom, the teams gathered.
Lee bowed formally, fists clenched. "I vow to train with unmatched effort!"
Tenten twirled a kunai between her fingers. "I hope you can keep up."
Aren studied both without emotion. Their strengths were obvious; their weaknesses subtle but readable. Team balance is a variable.
Meanwhile, Team Ten—Ino's team—stood across the yard. Ino glanced toward him. Their eyes locked for a heartbeat. Another small nod. That was all.
Aren felt the system respond.
[Team Evaluation Complete.]
Team Designation: Team Eleven
Synergy: Moderate
Combat Orientation: High Risk
Growth Potential: High
Recommendation: Strategic coordination required
Aren exhaled slowly.
So, leadership starts now.
Not official yet. Not granted. But in a world like this, initiative often decided who survived.
Later that day, the jonin sensei arrived.
Gai landed like a blur, green flak jacket catching sunlight. His grin was wide.
"You three!" he shouted. "Your sensei has arrived!"
Lee nearly collapsed in awe. "GAI-SENSEI?!"
Tenten blinked. "…Of course."
Aren observed silently.
Gai radiated presence. Not hostile. Not threatening. Just… overwhelming. Dangerous.
"First lesson," Gai said cheerfully, spinning on one foot. "A survival test."
Aren's eyes narrowed.
He felt it immediately.
Pressure. Not killing intent. Pure threat potential.
Gai raised his hands, jingling small bells. "Take these from me before sunset. Fail… and back to the Academy!"
Lee clenched his fists. "I can do it!"
Tenten sighed, resigned.
Aren stayed calm. A survival test, not a fight. Observation first.
Gai smiled wider. "Begin!"
Time slowed in Aren's perception.
This wasn't a game.
This was an early battlefield.
And I intend to last.
End of Chapter 4