Time might be a factor. But with too few samples, it's insufficient to determine the outcome.
Naruto stretched lazily before settling down for sleep, reminding himself that tomorrow was the class assignment, the most important event for a Genin.
The next day, in the classroom.
As soon as Naruto stepped through the door, he was met with gazes. His classmates, still buzzing from the discussions of yesterday's events, were taken aback by his transformation. Dressed as usual in a white hoodie and gray capris, the only noticeable change was the Konoha forehead protector tied around his left arm. Despite having seen him just yesterday afternoon, there was an inexplicable sensation among them—as if it had been years since they last met. Naruto had matured significantly, carrying an aura that felt more "adult." Their chatter quieted, nervous about voicing their thoughts within earshot of him.
Sasuke Uchiha turned his head several times, his mouth opening as if to ask something, but he remained silent, overwhelmed by the crowd. Naruto noticed but didn't intend to inquire. His relationship with Sasuke was merely average; he wasn't about to worry over someone who wasn't even part of his team.
Iruka-sensei soon arrived to announce the class assignments. One by one, names were called.
Until finally—
"Class Seven: Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha."
With a loud clap, Sakura jumped up from her desk.
"What's wrong, Sakura?" Iruka looked over.
She instinctively glanced at Naruto. "N-Nothing." Regardless of her reluctance, Sakura, always the good student, found it difficult to act against her teacher's wishes. She didn't want to be on the same team as Naruto. She already disliked him enough as it was. Recently, he had become even more outrageous—first beating up Sasuke and then assaulting a teacher yesterday.
Naruto tilted his head, catching her gaze. Had he liked this girl before? It seemed somewhat amusing now, and he couldn't even remember what had drawn him to her. The look in her eyes was no different from those of others in the village when they looked at him.
Iruka continued announcing the class assignments. As the dust settled, some were satisfied while others felt disappointment. After lunch, the Jonin instructors of each team began leading their subordinates away. Class Seven's instructor was late to reveal themselves.
Sakura fidgeted restlessly, her eyes darting around, fleetingly landing on Naruto before mostly settling on Sasuke. She was anxious, but the two of them remained calm and collected.
"Naruto," Sasuke spoke up, his tone firm. "How did you beat Mizuki-sensei yesterday?" He had made what he thought was an impressive decision—setting aside his "pride" to seek advice from someone he used to view as inferior.
Naruto was momentarily taken aback and instinctively blurted out, "Yesterday? What about it?" To him, "yesterday" seemed like a distant memory from "six years ago." Yet, the events remained vivid in his mind. Absolutely, nothing related to Sasuke had occurred.
"How did you defeat Mizuki-sensei?" Sasuke gritted his teeth, trying to clarify. The blond boy before him hadn't done anything extraordinary, but his casual demeanor had deeply hurt Sasuke's pride. It had only been one night. Yesterday's incident—had he simply forgotten it? Did it mean nothing to him at all? That was a "Chunin."
Naruto replied nonchalantly, "Is it really that hard to beat him? He's not that impressive." Compared to the myriad of Hollows he had encountered in the Soul Society, Mizuki seemed insignificant.
Sasuke clenched his fists tightly. Chunin! That was a Chunin! Naruto's dismissive attitude was so natural, it only heightened Sasuke's confusion about how strong Naruto had become.
"How did you get so strong?" Sasuke asked, not hiding the yearning for power in his voice, which wavered slightly.
Getting stronger? Naruto's thoughts drifted back to the "Soul Society." He shook his head and softly smiled, "What I seek isn't power anymore, but the things I want to protect. To face your inner self. And then, give it your all."
He had no intention of sharing what had happened in the Soul Society; it was his own "secret." Sasuke stared at Naruto, momentarily lost in thought. Did it have to be that way? He felt hollow, with nothing but a thirst for revenge in his heart. He was about to press for more information when the door swung open.
A nonchalant voice drifted in, "Sorry for keeping you waiting. It's been a while since I returned to the Ninja Academy, and I took a wrong turn." A man with silver hair, much of his face concealed by a mask and forehead protector, walked in, revealing only one cold eye. Though he apologized, the dead fish-like gaze showed no hint of regret.
"Are you the last group? Then let me borrow this classroom."
Without hesitation, he sat down at the instructor's desk. "Let's start with self-introductions."
Naruto and Sasuke stared at him, speechless. Sakura chimed in eagerly, "Teacher, you should set an example for us first."
The silver-haired man tilted his head. "Me? My name is Kakashi Hatake. I keep my likes and dislikes secret, and as for my dreams, well… I don't have any particular ones, but I have many interests."
He paused dramatically. Sakura widened her eyes. Was that all?
"Alright," Kakashi clapped his hands, "Now it's your turn. Let's start with—" He pointed at the pink-haired girl with a broad forehead.
Sakura's introduction was ordinary, and half of her words barely veiled her admiration for Sasuke. Next was Sasuke. His introduction was as dark as his demeanor, and during his mention of dreams, he clenched his teeth, vowing to revive the Uchiha clan and kill that man. The intent to kill, though faint, was real.
When it was Naruto's turn, he hesitated during his dream segment, staring blankly out the window. "I haven't really thought about what I want to do. If I must say something, I want to see my parents."
Kakashi fell silent, lowering his head.
Immediately, Naruto turned to observe that emotion. Why did Kakashi look so despondent when he mentioned his parents? That fleeting emotion vanished as Kakashi quietly said, "That concludes the self-introductions. Now, I need to discuss something serious. Starting tomorrow, you'll have your first mission. A wilderness survival exercise."
Sakura gasped disappointedly, "Why a survival exercise? We do that all the time in school."
"This isn't just any exercise," Kakashi stood up. "Your opponent will be me." He raised his left hand, pressing four fingers against his right, forming the number "nine." "Out of twenty-seven graduates, only nine will be recognized as Genin. Tomorrow's survival exercise is the evaluation."
Panic flickered across Sakura's face. Naruto and Sasuke remained unfazed.
"Well then, see you tomorrow." Kakashi formed one-handed seals and vanished in a puff of smoke.
"What's with that? Arrives so late, then leaves so quickly," Sakura couldn't help but murmur.
Naruto stood up, staring at the spot where Kakashi had stood. During the class assignments, he had sensed that for certain "special" students, the allocations were preordained. Like the trio who had been inseparable since childhood: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, and Yamanaka Ino were assigned to the same team. Naruto, as the "Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails," and Sasuke, holding the final bloodline of the Uchiha clan. Sakura didn't seem to possess any special traits, at least not yet.
But even a plain girl like her, paired with Sasuke, was evidently enough for Konoha to make special arrangements. Plus, there was that strange emotional shift earlier. This Kakashi Hatake surely had something to do with his parents.
"Naruto, you still haven't told—" Sasuke was dissatisfied, wanting to return to the topic before Kakashi arrived.
Naruto shook his head. "Let's prepare for tomorrow's evaluation first. In three hours, we meet at the school gates."
Sakura was caught off guard. "Meet? For what?"
"Of course, to exchange intelligence on Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said matter-of-factly. He paused before asking, "Aren't you planning to gather intel on him? After all, Kakashi-sensei said he'd be our opponent tomorrow. Intelligence is the first battle for a ninja."
Sasuke's lips pressed into a thin line, reflecting on the stark difference between himself and Naruto. He hadn't thought of that at all. Sakura looked at Naruto, astonished. This guy… really has changed.
"See you in three hours." With a graceful leap, Naruto sprang out the window, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
(End of Chapter)