"All right, everyone back to your seats. We're about to start the team assignments."
The "legendary kiss" was only a brief side show. Not long after, Iruka appeared at the classroom door and put an end to the commotion. The girls, who still hadn't quite let go of their anger, reluctantly returned to their seats. Naruto, sporting a swollen face from the beatdown, plopped down in the row behind Izayoi. Beside him was Sakura Haruno, who'd snatched that seat hoping to be near Sasuke but ended up with Naruto for a neighbor.
Once Iruka strode up to the podium, the noisy classroom fell silent. Everyone watched him with anticipation.
Glancing around, Iruka couldn't help but smile, relieved that not a single student from the six years he'd taught had flunked out. Then he collected himself and began, "Congratulations on graduating. As of today, you're full-fledged ninja. But you're only just starting out—like brand-new recruits. Until you're capable of holding your own, you'll be placed in teams of three under an experienced Jonin sensei."
He raised the clipboard in his hands. "Now we'll begin the team assignments. Team 1…"
One by one, he read out names. With each announcement, sighs rippled through the classroom—mostly from girls. Although Hinata had clearly "claimed" Izayoi, many still harbored secret crushes on him, hoping they'd at least be on his team. Now not only could they not be with Sasuke, but they also hadn't landed with Izayoi. Talk about double bad luck.
Meanwhile, other girls' hopes soared. Every time a girl's name was assigned elsewhere, the remaining few felt their odds of teaming with Sasuke or Izayoi inch higher.
"Team 6…"
When Iruka reached the Team 6, he read the names: "Minako, Sawano Gen'ichi, and…Kiba Inuzuka."
Hearing that last name, Izayoi's eyes sharpened, and a small grin tugged at his lips. So that was it. Hiruzen Sarutobi had indeed chosen to pass over Kiba, effectively investing in Izayoi. Clearly, Izayoi's consistent track record of beating out clan heirs for the top spot had shown Sarutobi he had the potential to become a major asset for the village.
While the Inuzuka Clan had impressive connections, their battle style relies heavily on ninja hounds, and producing true elite-Jonin warriors is rare. The Aburame Clan, with their bizarre and lethal insects, is far more threatening in one-on-one combat—nearly unbeatable, much like the Uchiha's three-tomoe Sharingan. Between those two, Sarutobi picked the Aburame, leaving Kiba aside. It was gutsy, but apparently he felt Izayoi was worth the risk.
Little did Izayoi know how much of Hiashi's pressure was behind that. Sarutobi already felt he owed the Hyuga after Neji's father sacrificed himself. Now Hiashi had personally asked for his daughter to be placed with Izayoi, and Sarutobi had been leaning toward giving Izayoi a good team anyway, so it was easy to finalize that choice.
"Team 7: Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki…"
"Woo-hoo!" Naruto cheered, hearing he'd be teamed with Sakura. She, on the other hand, slumped in despair—until Iruka read the next name:
"…Sasuke Uchiha."
"Yes!" Sakura bolted upright with both arms raised, her mood doing a 180 in an instant. She threw a victorious smirk at Ino Yamanaka, whose expression soured.
"Team 8: Hinata Hyuga, Shino Aburame, and…Izayoi."
On hearing she'd be in the same team as Izayoi, Hinata actually clung to his arm, her voice trembling with excitement. "This is great, Izayoi-kun! We're on the same team!"
"Yeah. Looks like luck's on our side today," Izayoi replied cheerfully, though he'd already seen it coming. After six years, he couldn't imagine life without Hinata around, and being assigned with her suited him perfectly.
"Team 10: Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, and…Shikamaru Nara."
Finishing the last name, Iruka set the clipboard aside and let his gaze wander across the students he'd taught for six years. "If I just read your name, remember your team members. In a bit, your Jonin sensei will come find you—until then, please stay here in the classroom."
He left, and nobody followed, all too excited about their new ninja careers to think of farewells. None of them realized there was one more hurdle before the real missions.
"Team 3, come with me."
Barely a few minutes after Iruka departed, a Chunin in a green flak jacket stepped in, his stern demeanor shutting the class up at once. The three students from Team 3, looking almost as nervous as they had their first day of school, hurried after him.
"Team 5, you're with me."
"Team 1, over here."
"Team 9."
One by one, the teams were called, each whisked away by a different Jonin. Pretty soon, half the seats were empty.
That's when a curvaceous woman with black wavy hair—dressed in normal clothes instead of a flak jacket—appeared at the door, her crimson eyes scanning the room. Her gaze lingered on Izayoi and Hinata, and she smiled. "Team 8, you're up. I'm your Jonin sensei."
She turned on her heel and left.
"Guess that's our cue—see you around," Izayoi said, waving to Sasuke and Naruto as he and Hinata walked out. As for Shino, the perpetually low-profile top student, he was already gone before they knew it.
~~~
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