"Alright, everyone sit down. It's time for team assignments."
The classroom buzzed with excitement. The "kiss of the century" earlier was just a momentary distraction. Iruka Umino appeared at the classroom door, swiftly putting an end to the chaos.
The girls—still fuming after dishing out quite the beating—reluctantly returned to their seats. Naruto Uzumaki, now sporting a swollen, bruised face, ended up sitting behind Kenjiro.
Next to him, unable to secure the seat beside Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno had settled into a spot behind the others.
As Iruka stepped up to the podium, the classroom fell into silence.
All eyes turned to him, brimming with anticipation.
Scanning the room, Iruka saw all the students he'd taught for six years. Not a single one had failed. A proud, satisfied smile spread across his face.
After taking a breath, he began, still smiling.
"Congratulations on graduating. From this moment forward, you're officially ninja."
He lifted the clipboard in his hand.
"However, you're still just genin—rookies. Until you're ready to operate on your own, you'll be placed in three-man squads. Each team will be assigned an experienced jōnin to lead you."
"Now, let's begin the team assignments. Team One..."
Iruka didn't waste any time and started reading names.
As he went down the list, sighs began echoing through the room—mostly from the girls.
Even though Hinata had already claimed Kenjiro as part of the top three students, many girls still harbored secret crushes on him, hoping to be on the same team.
Now, with no Sasuke and no Kenjiro in their squad, they could only lament their bad luck.
But a few girls remained hopeful.
With each name called, and each girl not paired with either Sasuke or Kenjiro, the chances of the remaining ones landing that coveted team spot increased. Only ten girls total—slim odds, but still a chance.
"Team Six..."
Soon, it was Team Six's turn.
Iruka announced the names.
"Minako, Sawano Genichi... and Inuzuka Kiba."
As soon as that last name was spoken, a sharp glint flashed in Kenjiro's eyes, and the corner of his mouth curled up.
So the decision had been made.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had chosen to drop Kiba from the prime candidate pool in favor of investing in Kenjiro.
Clearly, Kenjiro's performance—consistently topping the class—had shown Hiruzen he was worth the bet. A potential future cornerstone of the village. Maybe even an ace in the making.
The Inuzuka clan had great social connections, sure. But their fighting style, which relied on coordination with ninja dogs, rarely produced high-level jōnin.
Compare that to the Aburame clan, with their eerie, deadly insects, capable of terrifying even the strongest. Their abilities were almost on par with the Uchiha's three-tomoe Sharingan—deadly in one-on-one combat.
So between those two clans, Hiruzen made his choice—dropping the Inuzuka. They were unlikely to protest.
After all, Konoha wasn't lacking in sensory ninja. The Hyūga had their Byakugan, and the Aburame could sense with insects. Not to mention a long-lost insect species called "Micro-Scent Bugs"—rare, but still in Konoha's vaults. If needed, they could be revived.
These bugs had olfactory senses thousands of times sharper than ninja dogs. A whiff of someone's scent and they could track a target across miles—almost unfair.
On top of that, their arsenal included poison bugs at a microscopic level—lethal enough to be feared by even Kage-level ninja.
So while the Inuzuka's reputation was fading, they were still a recognized clan. Kenjiro hadn't expected Hiruzen to be so bold—risking clan tensions just to invest in him.
What he didn't know was that Hyūga Hiashi had a big hand in this.
After Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi, died for the village, Hiruzen had always carried some guilt.
Now, with Hiashi personally requesting that his daughter be placed on the same team as the top student, Hiruzen naturally couldn't refuse.
He was already leaning toward Kenjiro. Hiashi's request merely nudged him to make a final decision.
"Team Seven. Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto..."
"Yes!"
Naruto immediately jumped up in celebration. Sakura, on the other hand, looked like she'd just been handed a life sentence.
But Iruka wasn't done yet.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
"YES!"
Sakura sprang up, fists raised in the air, cheering.
Then, turning like a smug champion, she gave Yamanaka Ino a look of pure triumph.
Ino, along with the other girls, looked like they were about to explode from jealousy.
"Team Eight. Hyūga Hinata, Aburame Shino... and Kenjiro ."
Hearing the name, Hinata did something rare—she grabbed Kenjiro's arm, eyes wide with joy.
"This is great, Kenjiro-kun! We're on the same team!"
"Yeah. Looks like luck's on our side today."
Kenjiro smiled and gave a small nod, already expecting this outcome—but still genuinely happy.
After six years of having Hinata by his side, it had become a habit. He didn't want to be separated from her either.
"Team Ten. Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chōji, and... Nara Shikamaru."
With the last names called, Iruka set down his clipboard. He looked over the class one final time, his expression soft.
"Everyone whose name was called, remember your team and teammates. Your jōnin instructors will be here shortly. Until then, stay in the classroom."
With that, Iruka turned and walked out.
No one called out a goodbye. Everyone was too excited for what came next—the start of their lives as real ninja.
Little did they know, another major trial was just around the corner.
"Team Three, come out."
Only a few minutes had passed since Iruka left when a jōnin appeared in the doorway. Dressed in a standard green vest, his stern face and commanding presence instantly silenced the room.
The members of Team Three rose nervously, reminded of their first day at the academy six years ago. They followed their instructor out.
"Team Five, come out. I'm your jōnin instructor."
"Team One, come out."
"Team Nine, come out."
One by one, jōnin appeared at the door, each taking away a trio of students.
Soon, the classroom had emptied out significantly.
And then—someone new appeared.
Not wearing a green vest, but dressed in casual clothes. A curvy woman with long, wavy black hair stood at the entrance.
Her striking red eyes scanned the remaining students, eventually settling on Kenjiro and Hinata.
She smiled.
"Team Eight, come out. I'm your jōnin instructor."
With that, she turned and left without another word.
"Guess we're up. See ya."
Kenjiro gave a quick wave to Sasuke and Naruto, then stepped out of the classroom with Hinata.
As for Shino, the ever-invisible top student—he'd already vanished without a trace.
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