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Last year, Might Guy had officially taken on Rock Lee's team.
According to Guy, while Rock Lee's raw talent was far inferior to Naruto's, he possessed a diligence that could only be described as the "genius of effort." Naruto had once overheard a conversation between Iruka and Guy. Iruka had been confused, asking why Guy chose to dedicate himself to Lee when he already had a star pupil in Naruto.
Guy had laughed, that signature sparkle in his eye. "Naruto is like a sponge; he absorbs everything instantly. But Lee... he needs someone to tell him that even without natural talent, he can forge his own path. Naruto is my most prized disciple, but Lee is my mirror. We will both burn our youth brightly in our respective teams!"
Naruto had no objections. Rock Lee needed Guy. Lee was a reflection of Guy's own past—the boy who wasn't even accepted into the Academy until he proved his resolve by running five hundred laps. Besides, Naruto's Taijutsu had already reached a level where he was refining his own style; he didn't need a shadow to follow.
The next day, the atmosphere in the classroom was thick with nervous energy. Naruto sat quietly, listening to the buzz of speculation.
The results were a foregone conclusion to him. The heirs of the Ino–Shika–Chō alliance—Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji—were destined for one another. It was a three-hundred-year tradition. With Asuma Sarutobi as their Jonin, the Sarutobi clan would once again witness the forging of the legendary trio, consolidating the Hokage's core support.
Then there was Team 8: Kiba, Shino, and Hinata. A reconnaissance juggernaut led by the genjutsu mistress Kurenai Yuhi.
Finally, his own assignment: Team 7. Himself, Sasuke, and Sakura, led by Kakashi Hatake.
It was a masterstroke of balance. Kakashi, the copy ninja, could guide Sasuke's Sharingan, keep an eye on the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and honor his late master, Minato, by protecting his son.
"They really went to great lengths..." Naruto murmured.
"Naruto, do you think we'll be assigned to the same team?" Ino leaned closer, her golden ponytail brushing his shoulder, her eyes full of hope.
"Stop dreaming," Shikamaru drawled, picking his ear with a lazy finger. "You're with me and Choji. It's the Ino–Shika–Chō tradition. Don't waste your energy thinking otherwise."
"Can't I even hope for a little bit?" Ino glared at him, though she knew he was right. The thought of not seeing Naruto every day was a bitter pill to swallow.
Naruto gently took her hand, the warm contact making her heart skip a beat. "It's alright, Ino. Even if we aren't on the same team, we're in the same village. The training grounds, Ichiraku, your flower shop... as long as we want to meet, there will always be a reason."
Ino's disappointment melted into a blush. Shikamaru watched the scene, shaking his head. Women are such a drag, he thought, turning back to the window to watch the clouds. Why worry about romance when I could be perfecting the Shadow Imitation Technique?
Hinata, sitting to Naruto's left, looked up shyly. "Naruto-kun... do you think we could be together?"
"I'd like that, Hinata," Naruto said, his gaze gentle. "But you, Kiba, and Shino are the village's best trackers. You're a perfect unit."
Hinata nodded obediently, though a flicker of yearning remained in her pale eyes.
"In that case," Shino adjusted his glasses, "you think you'll be with Sakura and Sasuke?"
"If nothing unexpected happens," Naruto shrugged. "They wouldn't exactly put me with Yūsuke and Jirō, right?"
The group burst into laughter. Yūsuke and Jirō were the class's designated punching bags. Over the years, they had been bitten by Akamaru, trapped by Shikamaru's shadow, and in one memorable instance, had their eyebrows incinerated by Sasuke's fireball.
One by one, the Jonin arrived. The classroom emptied until only Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura remained.
Naruto stood up and moved to the front, taking the empty seat next to Sasuke. Sunlight streamed through the window, highlighting two starkly different profiles: one brilliant like the morning sun, the other cool and sharp like moonlight.
"Sasuke, looks like we're a team," Naruto said.
"That's not bad," Sasuke replied. He didn't look away from the window, but his tone was one of genuine approval. He respected Naruto's strength—even if he'd never admit it out loud.
Sakura, sitting nearby, was having a minor internal crisis. The two strongest, handsomest guys in the class! Naruto is so kind and can cook... but Ino likes him! And then there's Sasuke! She cupped her cheeks, giggling as she imagined herself caught between them.
Naruto and Sasuke glanced at her simultaneously, exchanged a look of pure, masculine confusion, and then tacitly looked away.
Is she daydreaming again? Naruto thought. That's some high-level Genjutsu she's got herself under.
Just as the silence stretched thin, the classroom door was gently pushed open.
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