51 Team Assignment (2)

"Team Seven…" Iruka began.

I straightened up in my seat. This was it, the start of everything.

"…Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Nara Shikamaru. Your squad leader is Hatake Kakashi."

Wait, what did he say? He made a mistake, right? He had to. This wasn't how this was supposed to go! Sasuke and Naruto on the same team? That's just terrible! In the anime, they were nearly on the same level with Naruto's Kage Bunshin technique massively making up for his lack of training and even up the odds. And thus they were able to build a shaky friendship, fierce rivalry and even an understanding between kindred spirits.

But this time round, Sasuke was just way too far ahead of the jinchuuriki. There was no way their clashing personalities would be able to coexist peacefully. If Naruto wanted to compete with the Uchiha, I had to be the one to train the kid, imparting to him the Kage Bunshin training method and let him catch up! But instead… AHHH THIS IS TERRIBLE! I MADE A MISTAKE! My future knowledge, how could you have failed me?

While I was experiencing an inner turmoil, Naruto had jumped up and pointed towards Sasuke, "Iruka-sensei! Why does a great ninja like me have to be in the same team as someone like Sasuke-teme!"

Iruka shook his head, "Sasuke had the second best scores of all the graduating students. Naruto, you had the worst scores. We put you two together to create a balanced group."

Sasuke lazily glanced at the blonde, "Just don't get in my way, dobe."

In response, Naruto clenched his fist and glared back, "Kgh, what did you say!? That's my line, teme!"

Sakura piped in from the other side of class, "Knock it off Naruto-baka! Sasuke-kun is ten times, no a hundred times better than you! Neh, Iruka-sensei, if Naruto doesn't want to be in the same team as Sasuke-kun, can I take his place?"

Iruka cleared his throat, "Didn't I say before? The team assignments are final. Keep quiet and sit down, Naruto!"

Shikamaru buried his head in to the desk, already anticipating the future troubles his team was going to have, "Hahhh, I should have just failed the graduation exam."

"Now, Team 8. Inuzuka Kiba, Yamanaka Ino and Akimichi Choji. Your squad leader will be Yuhi Kurenai."

I perked up from my inner turmoil, confused. It's different. It's all different! How? Why?

"HUH? Dog boy and fat boy? How is this even possible!" Ino shrieked.

"Oi, you think I'm happy with that, you harpy! Choji's cool though." Kiba shouted back before nodding at the Akimichi who was just happily munching away at some potato chips.

"Hey stop interrupting, damn brats! Ahem, Team 10. Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino and Shinji Ikari. Your squad leader will be Sarutobi Asuma." Iruka continued.

I glanced at who were supposed to be my teammates, Shino who looked back impassively before nodding, and Hinata who was blushing madly as usual. Well, I could definitely have worst teammates, but I was still too flabbergasted at the complete chaos that was the team formations. Was my existence that much of a disturbance that what I knew completely fell apart?

I tuned out as Iruka continued rattling off the teams, falling back into depression while maintaining my cool and collected expression outwardly.

Some time after Iruka finished listing the team allocations, the door slid open and a few grizzled looking shinobi entered the classroom before beginning to call out their respective squads.

I spotted Asuma, wearing the traditional jounin vest as well as the prominent white sash with a black and red kanji for fire emblazoned on it, symbolizing his tenure as one of the Shugonin Junishi, the Twelve Guardian Shinobi that acted as bodyguards for the Land of Fire's royal family.

He nonchalantly looked over the crowd of genins who were starting to slowly stream out after their respective jounin sensei, before calling out, "Team 10, follow me."

I broke out of my unrest and stood up along with Hinata and Shino, following after who was to be our jounin instructor.

As we walked along the hallway of the Academy, he turned back and smiled, "You guys haven't had lunch yet right?" Upon seeing us shake our heads, he nodded, "Alright, let's go get some food then. We can talk more later."

Soon enough, we found ourselves in a Yakiniku restaurant, the three of us genins sat facing our jounin instructor. I sat sandwiched between Shino and Hinata who was oddly twitching and blushing faintly. She must have been devastated to not be in the same team as Naruto. Understandable; so was I.

As the meat sizzled deliciously on the grill, the mouth watering scent of grilled beef wafting throughout the restaurant, Asuma started speaking.

"Hmm, this is kind of awkward, y'all don't have to be so serious. Let's lighten up the mood a little. How about we go around introducing ourselves. I read your profiles, but since I am to be your jounin squad leader, I'd like to get to know you better. So things like what you like, dislike, hobbies and maybe your dreams for the future. Things like that."

Seeing no objection, he continued. "I'll start. My name is Sarutobi Asuma, but you can just call me Asuma-sensei. I only recently returned to Konoha after serving eight years as one of the Twelve Guardian Shinobi – basically bodyguards for the Land of Fire's daimyo. I chose to become a jounin sensei cause I thought it was time to impart my skills to a new generation, and also cause I wanted a slower-paced lifestyle haha. As you can tell, I'm a pretty laid back guy, so you guys can relax a little."

"I like relaxing in a hot spring bath and going for a cold refreshing beer at the end of a long day. I dislike crowded places and people who get all pompous and arrogant just cause they got money or something. I met tons of people like that back at the capital city and they annoyed the crap out of me. If I weren't one of the Guardian Shinobi I would have punched them in their stupid faces!"

"My hobby is… hmm, I never really had much time for hobbies the past few years so I can't think of one right now. My dream for the future is to retire in a few years' time and to have raised a new generation of excellent disciples for Konoha. That means you three, haha, but no pressure."

As he finished introducing himself, I took the initiative to go next upon sensing a lull in the conversation. Shino was a quiet person by nature, and only spoke when spoken to. And do I even need to go on about Hinata. It seemed it would fall on me to be the de facto mouth piece for this team's genins.

"I'll go next then. My name is Shinji Ikari. I like training and cooking. My dislikes are, hmm I don't have all that many things I don't like, but if I had to choose then maybe eating badly made food? My hobbies are, again, training and cooking. And my dream for the future is to become as strong as I possibly can, something like that?"

Asuma nodded satisfactorily at my introduction, "Oh a chef? You must have a picky palette huh. Next?"

Hinata seemingly found her confidence after hearing me speak and volunteered to go next, "My name is Hyuuga Hinata. I like training and cooking too. Ah, but I'm sure I'm not as good a cook as you, Shinji-kun. I dislike bullies and people who look down on others based on how they look or their backgrounds. My hobby is flower arrangement and tea ceremonies, oh and training and cooking too! My dream for the future is to… become a worthy heiress and inherit the mantle of the Hyuuga clan head." She decisively declared at the end.

I nodded my head along as she spoke, realizing that much of what she said was somewhat related to Naruto. "You must know how to make great ramen, eh?" I teased.

Hinata titled her head with what seemed like some excitement, "Do you like ramen, Shinji-kun?"

I looked back quizzically, "Huh? Uh, not particularly?"

She looked even more confused at that, but before I could clarify, Shino spoke up next.

"I guess I have to go next. My name is Aburame Shino, I'm a member of the Aburame clan. As you all should know, my clan utilizes a variety of insects as part of our clan techniques for different purposes. Consider this a heads up so you won't be surprised when you see them, although Hinata-san and Shinji-san should be familiar with them by now. I have no particular likes nor hobbies, but I strongly abhor people who kill or injure insects wantonly. My dream for the future… for now I hope our team will be able to get along well. That is all."

Asuma smiled at that, "A good dream. Now that we're all more familiar with each other, let me talk business for a minute." Upon saying that, his previously laid back and jovial attitude was now replaced with a stern demeanour.

"Are you aware of the unofficial genin corp?" He asked seriously.

All three of us shared looks before nodding. These were matters that those in a shinobi clan or who had shinobi upbringing were well aware of since the 'real' graduation exam was one that would basically dictate the trajectory of your shinobi career. Whether you would soar into the sky under the tutelage of an experienced, elite jounin, or fall by the wayside as a mediocre shinobi. It was objectively more important than the basic Academy exam we had to pass in order to be qualified to undertake the 'real' test.

"Good. Then I don't have to explain much. You should also be aware that only three or four teams every year who pass the 'real' graduation exam are selected to be actively groomed. The village's resources and manpower are not limitless, so we are forced to cherry pick those we think have the most potential to become excellent shinobi and give more attention to them. I consider myself quite lucky to have gotten the Rookie of the Year, the top Kunoichi who is also the Hyuuga heiress as well as an Aburame who received the third highest score overall. It is a great team. You can basically consider yourself to be one of those three teams that have the highest potential already."

"However, I'm not so easy going as to pass the three of you without a test. I might be pretty laid back, but I still have a job to do, and that is to decide whether the three of you deserve to be groomed with my own eyes. So, we're going to have a test to see if what they said about you in those Academy reports are true."

The three of us exchanged glances before resolutely staring back at Asuma.

He smiled, "Hoh, there's some fire in you. Good, good. But we can leave that for later, for now eat your fill. This might be our last meal together after all, haha. Ah crap, I talked too long, the meat is burning!"