At 8:00 a.m. the next day, Kagutsuchi Shin stepped into the classroom on time.
The atmosphere was noticeably different from the previous day. The tension of the exam was gone, replaced by a mix of relief and anticipation. Students gathered in small groups, whispering about team assignments, their eyes drifting toward the door from time to time.
Shin's gaze swept calmly across the room. His presence drew attention, but no longer caused a stir. Everyone had grown used to his quiet, solitary demeanor.
Just then, a puzzled voice broke the chatter.
"Huh…?" Shikamaru frowned as he looked toward the corridor. "What are you doing here? Today's only for graduates."
He was speaking to Naruto, who sat proudly with a brand-new Konoha headband tied around his forehead.
Naruto turned sharply, hands on his hips, grinning. "Can't you see? I'm a ninja now!"
Shin watched the scene briefly, then shifted his gaze.
By the window, Uchiha Sasuke sat alone, his chin resting on his hand, seemingly uninterested in the noise around him. Noticing him, Sasuke raised a brow slightly but said nothing.
Shin suddenly recalled the famous incident that would unfold today, and without realizing it, a faint curve formed at the corner of his lips.
He walked over and took a seat at the empty desk nearby.
At that moment, hurried footsteps and loud arguing approached from the doorway.
"I was here first!"
"No, I was!"
Ino and Sakura burst in together, clearly having raced each other.
But the moment Sakura spotted Sasuke, everything changed.
"Sasuke-kun!" She rushed over instantly, abandoning the argument and pushing Naruto aside in the process.
"Good morning! Can I sit here?"
Sasuke didn't respond.
Ino clicked her tongue in annoyance.
Meanwhile, Naruto, now on the floor, sprang back up, face flushed with determination.
"Hey! Sasuke!"
In a burst of energy, he jumped onto the desk between a classmate and Sasuke, leaning forward with a challenging glare.
Sasuke met his gaze coldly, irritation flickering in his eyes.
The two leaned closer, tension rising as they argued at point-blank range.
Then, a slight movement came from behind.
Naruto lost his balance.
In an instant, he lurched forward and accidentally collided with Sasuke. Their faces bumped together in a brief, awkward moment.
Silence fell.
"Aaaaaah!" Sakura's scream shattered the room.
Naruto and Sasuke sprang apart immediately, both panicking in completely different ways. Sasuke's face darkened with fury.
"I'll kill you!" He lunged forward, and chaos erupted as the two began fighting.
"It wasn't me! I got pushed!" Naruto shouted while dodging.
"Naruto!!!" Sakura's furious shout echoed as she charged in and struck him without hesitation. "It's all your fault!!!"
Watching the chaos unfold, Shin smiled faintly, as if he were observing a play from the sidelines.
---
Everything happening in the classroom at that moment was being observed by several figures inside the Hokage's office.
A shimmering crystal ball floated above the desk, clearly reflecting the chaotic scene within the classroom.
The Konoha jonin gathered around it wore a variety of expressions.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, watched the blond figure being chased and fleeing in panic inside the crystal ball. He shook his head helplessly, exhaled a ring of smoke, and spoke in a tone of familiar resignation:
"Naruto… he's always at the center of the chaos."
Beside him, several jonin waiting to receive their new subordinates watched the scene in the crystal ball, including the awkward collision and the chaos that followed, their expressions subtle and complicated.
At that moment, one of the Jonin wearing a face-guard-style headband turned his head with a faint smile, glancing at the lazy companion beside him—silver-haired, masked, and revealing only a single dead-fish eye.
"Kakashi-senpai, it seems your two students… well, they're quite lively."
Kakashi, who had been called out, showed no change in expression in his visible eye, making it impossible to read his thoughts.
Still, there was a clear trace of helplessness in his gaze, as if silently asking why he had ended up with such troublesome students.
He ran a hand through his already messy silver hair, his voice carrying a lazy, almost lifeless tone: "Well… at least I won't be bored anymore, right…?"
---
"Everyone, back to your seats! What kind of behavior is this?!" The chaos in the classroom was finally brought under control by Iruka's angry shout.
Naruto, now bruised and battered, was finally released by the furious group of girls and returned to his seat, his face filled with grievance and embarrassment.
Sakura angrily fixed her hair, not forgetting to glare fiercely at Naruto.
Iruka took a deep breath, suppressing the throbbing veins on his forehead, forcing himself to calm down. He stepped to the front of the room, his gaze sweeping across the young faces before him.
"Alright, enough of that nonsense," he said, his voice returning to its usual composure. "I've gathered you here today to announce something important—your team assignments after graduation."
At his words, the atmosphere in the classroom instantly grew tense. Every graduate held their breath.
After becoming genin, they would be placed into three-person squads under a jonin instructor, a decision that would directly influence their future as ninja.
"From now on, you will be divided into teams of three, with a jonin assigned to guide each group." Iruka picked up the list in his hand. "Now, I'll begin announcing the assignments."
He glanced down and read out the first group: "Team One: Kagutsuchi Shin, Kobayashi Ken, Sato Yumi."
For a moment, the classroom fell silent, followed by a wave of murmured discussion.
Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yumi looked stunned at first, then their faces lit up with excitement.
Being placed in the same team as the top student meant their overall strength and mission safety would be significantly higher.
Near the window, Sasuke frowned slightly, a flicker of dissatisfaction and unwillingness passing through his eyes.
In his view, the fastest way to grow stronger was to be placed alongside someone like Kagutsuchi Shin, to constantly compete and push each other forward.
But now…
Hmph.
On the other side, Ino let out a frustrated cry. "Ahh! Why was Shin's team announced first instead of mine?!"
She slumped onto her desk in disappointment.
Beside her, Shikamaru glanced at her lazily, let out a yawn, and asked in confusion:
"Why are you so eager to be on his team? He seems even harder to deal with than the Uchiha. What a hassle."
Ino immediately lifted her head, placing her hands on her hips as she retorted: "What do you know! Shin is not only the strongest, but also really handsome!"
Her voice lowered slightly, tinged with a mix of admiration and frustration.
"The only problem is… sometimes he feels distant, like nothing can reach him. But unlike Sasuke, who's just cold and arrogant like everyone owes him money… Shin feels more like… he simply doesn't care about anything. Like he can't even be bothered with us."
Hearing this, Shikamaru yawned again and muttered: "Women are such a drag… aren't they all the same anyway?"
Iruka didn't give them much time to talk and continued reading. "Team Seven: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Uchiha Sasuke."
"What?!" Naruto jumped up immediately, pointing at Sasuke with disbelief. "Why do I have to be teamed up with this arrogant guy?!"
Sakura clasped her hands together, her face lighting up with joy. "This is amazing! I'm on the same team as Sasuke-kun!"
She completely ignored Naruto's protests.
Iruka sighed and explained patiently:
"Listen, Naruto. These teams were carefully arranged. You're last in the class, and Sasuke is second. This setup is meant to balance each team's strength and promote teamwork."
Sasuke only snorted, turning his head away. Though he didn't argue, his dissatisfaction remained.
Iruka continued without further explanation: "Team Eight: Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino."
Kiba grinned and ruffled Akamaru's head. "Alright! Hinata, Shino, let's work well together!"
Hinata responded softly, while Shino simply adjusted his glasses and gave a slight nod.
Class 9: …
"Team 10: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, Yamanaka Ino."
"Sigh…" Shikamaru slumped onto the desk with his usual "this is such a drag" expression.
Choji continued eating potato chips as if nothing had changed.
Ino, although a little disappointed that she wasn't placed in Kagutsuchi Shin's team, quickly regained her spirits. After all, she was already familiar with Shikamaru and Choji.
Iruka clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back to the front. The graduates, who had been reacting in various ways, gradually quieted down.
"Alright, the team assignments have been announced. Your Jonin instructor will come to meet your respective teams and take you out. For now, you're dismissed."
As soon as he finished speaking, the classroom became lively again.
The two members of Team One, Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yumi, exchanged glances. As if gathering their courage, they walked together toward Kagutsuchi Shin.
"Um… Shin-kun," Ken said nervously, while Yumi nodded quickly beside him. "We'll be working together from now on."
Shin looked up at his two future teammates. At present, both of them have average talent and unremarkable performance.
"Please take care of me as well."
This simple response caught both Ken and Yumi off guard for a moment. Then, relief and a hint of joy appeared on their faces.
After all, throughout their time at the academy, Kagutsuchi Shin had always given others the impression of overwhelming strength paired with distant indifference.
He rarely participated in after-school activities. As soon as classes ended, he would disappear, sometimes even skipping entirely, appearing and vanishing unpredictably.
They had assumed someone like him would be difficult to approach, perhaps even dismissive of teammates like them.
But contrary to expectations, his response was calm and straightforward.
"We… we'll be here on time this afternoon!" Yumi added quickly.
Shin nodded and stood up. "There's still time before the meeting. I'll head back and prepare. See you this afternoon."
After speaking, he picked up his ninja tool pouch and left the classroom first, leaving his two teammates behind, quietly relieved that their first interaction had gone smoothly.
---
Time passed quickly, and soon it was time for the afternoon meeting.
Shin arrived at the classroom as usual, earlier than anyone else. He chose a seat by the window and closed his eyes to rest.
Around 1:50, Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yumi arrived on time. Seeing Shin already seated, they exchanged a glance and quietly took their places beside him.
Just after 2 PM, the classroom door opened right on schedule.
The first to enter was Asuma Sarutobi, a senbon held loosely between his lips. His gaze swept across the room before quickly locking onto his targets.
"Team 10—Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, Yamanaka Ino. Come with me."
"Sigh…" Shikamaru let out his usual sigh but still stood up along with Choji and Ino.
As Ino passed the front row, she paused. A bright smile spread across her face as she waved toward Kagutsuchi Shin.
"Shin-kun, we're heading out! Good luck!"
This unexpected greeting surprised both Ken and Yuga.
Shin looked up and gave a small wave in return.
That simple gesture startled Ino for a moment, her smile widening before she hurried after Asuma and the others.
Soon after, Kurenai appeared at the doorway, her gaze gentle yet composed. "Team 8—Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino. Please come with me."
"Yes!" Kiba responded enthusiastically. Together with Akamaru, Hinata, and Shino, they left the classroom.
One after another, the instructors from other teams arrived and led their students away.
The classroom gradually emptied until only two groups remained—Kagutsuchi Shin's Team One, and Team Seven, consisting of Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke.
Kobayashi Ken and Sato Yumi glanced around the nearly empty classroom, then toward Team Seven, where the atmosphere was clearly tense.
They couldn't help but feel uneasy, their eyes drifting toward the door. Finally, after a brief silence, the door opened again.
A figure stepped inside.
He wore a jonin vest, his expression somewhat tired, his overall demeanor plain and unremarkable.
However, the moment Shin's gaze landed on his face—
…!
His pupils shrank sharply, his usual composure cracking for the briefest instant.
It was him.
Tenzo… no, Yamato.
The sole survivor implanted with the First Hokage's cells, the one who had successfully inherited the Wood Release bloodline limit.
Why was he their jonin instructor? This coincidence…
Yamato's gaze swept across the classroom before settling on the three of them. His voice was calm and gentle.
"Team One—Kagutsuchi Shin, Kobayashi Ken, and Sato Yumi, correct? I'm your instructor, Jonin Yamato. Follow me to the training grounds."
The three stood and followed him.