Everyone else had left.
The classroom was spacious and quiet.
Sakura Haruno finally let out a long sigh of relief. The glares from her classmates earlier had felt intense enough to kill.
Now, looking around the empty room with only her three teammates left, Sakura's nervousness vanished completely.
Her heart was filled with pure, unadulterated joy.
Unlike in the original story, where her happiness was cut in half because of Naruto, in this life, Sakura felt like she had hit the jackpot with triple the happiness.
The cool and handsome Sasuke-kun.
The noble and prestigious Naruto-kun.
The academic genius Menma-kun.
Ah, could life get any better?
Sakura felt like the air around her had suddenly become sweet. This girl truly believed her luck was off the charts.
She felt incredibly blessed.
Beside her, Naruto also thought the team assignment was fantastic—not because of Sakura, but because he could be on a team with Menma and Sasuke. This Naruto was very different from his original counterpart.
Sasuke shared similar thoughts, though he was even less likely to show it on his face.
As for Menma...
Honestly, this team composition exceeded his expectations.
But at the same time, it made sense.
The only point of curiosity was Sakura Haruno.
Judging by the original story, there wasn't really a logical reason for her to be in Team 7. The most plausible guess was that Hiruzen assigned her to appease Naruto, since he had a crush on her.
That was a sufficient reason.
But it was only a guess; the original story never explicitly confirmed it.
In this life, it made even less sense.
Menma had practically zero interaction with Sakura. Naruto's closest female friend was Hinata Hyūga.
Sasuke had zero interest in any girl.
Menma genuinely couldn't think of a reason for Sakura's inclusion.
Is she just here purely as a buffer? To smooth out the friction in the team?
A somewhat nonsensical thought popped into Menma's head.
"Haha! I was hoping we could be on the same team! I actually asked Grandpa Third about it, but he kept his mouth shut. I didn't think it would actually happen! Let's do our best together from now on! Sasuke, Menma... oh, and Sakura-chan!"
His status had changed. His circumstances had changed. His treatment had changed.
But Naruto's cheerful and familiar personality remained exactly the same.
This reinforced Menma's suspicion that while he had inherited everything else from the original "Naruto," there was one thing he likely hadn't:
The Transmigrant Chakra of Asura.
Because no matter how you looked at it, the brother standing in front of him—Naruto Namikaze—fit the profile of Asura perfectly, just like the original.
Of course, there was no way to verify this right now.
The thought flashed through Menma's mind for a second before he dismissed it. Asura or not, it had little to do with him right now.
"Yeah, let's do our best," Menma replied with a faint smile and a nod.
"Hmph!"
Sasuke responded with his usual snort.
"Yes, yes, yes! I'm the one who should be asking you three to take care of me!"
Sakura nodded furiously like a chicken pecking rice, unable to hide her excitement as she looked at Sasuke, Naruto, and Menma with shining eyes.
It really felt like a dream.
No, wait. What if it was a dream? Waking up to reality would be the most terrifying thing ever.
So, the twelve-year-old Sakura pinched her thigh hard. The sharp pain shot straight to her brain, making her suck in a breath of cold air. Only then did she truly believe that this was real.
"Haha! I wonder who our sensei will be? I'm really looking forward to it. I hope it's a really strong ninja!"
Naruto pumped his fist and spoke with eager anticipation.
"Eh? You don't know, Naruto-kun? Lord Third didn't tell you?"
Sakura asked, a bit surprised.
In her mind, Naruto was the Fourth's son. Surely the village would assign a powerful ninja to lead him, and surely he would know in advance?
"Huh? I asked Grandpa Third, but he wouldn't tell me! Just like the team assignments. Hmph! Keeping secrets from me... Next time I see that old... cough... Grandpa Third, I'm gonna pull all his beard out!"
Naruto grumbled, sounding a bit resentful.
The team leader.
This was a topic every graduate cared about deeply, and Sasuke, sitting silently nearby, was no exception.
He wanted a top-tier Jōnin sensei more than anyone. Only someone like that could guide him properly.
After all, the man he wanted to kill was an S-rank missing-nin who had graduated at age 7, joined the ANBU before 11, and single-handedly wiped out the Uchiha Clan.
I hope it's not some mediocre nobody, Sasuke thought silently.
Menma was much more relaxed. Why care when you already know the answer? You say the plot has changed, so the leader might change?
Menma challenged anyone to find a better candidate in the entire Hidden Leaf than Kakashi Hatake.
Don't forget.
Kakashi leading Team 7 wasn't just about his ability or identity. The most important factor was that Hiruzen Sarutobi trusted Kakashi Hatake!
Therefore, Menma was 100% certain that their sensei in this life would still be Kakashi.
And if he remembered correctly, the infamous Mr. Copy Ninja had already arrived. He was likely hiding in some corner right now, secretly observing them.
It was standard ninja procedure for gathering intel.
It'll be at least another hour or two...
Menma closed his eyes slowly, deciding to take a nap.
Time ticked by slowly.
It had been nearly two hours since the last group of students—Shikamaru's Team 10 and Hinata's Team 8—had left.
Their sensei still hadn't shown up.
Forget Sakura and Naruto.
Even Sasuke was starting to show visible impatience.
Of the four, only Menma sat calm and composed, unmoved.
"Why hasn't our sensei come yet? Do you think they forgot about today?"
Inside, Sakura was screaming in rage, but outwardly, she had to maintain her "good girl" image, forcing a strained smile as she spoke.