TSoL Chapter 25 - Team Distribution

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It was the day to return to the academy, and even though Naruto realized that practice would begin today, his mind was still reeling from his conversation with Ten-Ten. More specifically, her almost demanding "request" to go out with her.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't happy about that. Still, Naruto realized that relationships like the one he had with his friends were far too fantastical for teenagers his age. If someone had told his past self that not only would he get a girlfriend in the future, and it is not Sakura, but that he would start a relationship with someone else, he would have kicked that person's ass on the spot for saying such nonsense and for doubting his feelings for Sakura.

Now, even though he still had feelings for the pink-haired classmate, even though he had decided to hold off on his advances for a bit, at the same time Naruto had gained a fondness for Hinata and Tenten. It made him wonder what his future would be like, and who he would meet it with. Personally, he hoped that the bonds he was building now wouldn't break for the rest of his life, and he would do his best to make sure that happened.

As Naruto thought about this, he finally met up with Hinata and headed to the academy with her. On the way, Naruto decided to ask:

"Hey, Hinata-chan. What do you think we'll have to look forward to at this practice?"

Frowning her thin eyebrows slightly in thoughtfulness, Hinata replied:

"I'm not quite sure, Naruto-kun. I was interested in this practice too, so I went to ask my father. Surprisingly, even my father didn't know what it was. Moreover, when I told him about it, he looked surprised, and even more tense."

Nodding understandingly, Naruto said:

"Not surprising, after all, it's a lot like accelerated training, which only happens in wartime. I think someone like your father would definitely go to the Hokage for a talk. However, I don't think that's the case. Although, I'm still curious as to what's in store for us."

"Um" Hinata nodded, "in the event of a war coming, my father would be one of the first to know about it, not through an academy student like me. Too bad he doesn't know what it's going to be."

By this point, they had finally reached the classroom, and stepping inside, were immediately greeted by the standard buzz. This time, though, there were far fewer girls hanging around Sasuke. In Naruto's opinion, they had gotten desperate after Ino had been rejected. If the most popular girl in the class was rejected, what was in store for them? Backing down was more than reasonable. Not everyone gives up so easily though, so Sasuke was still under siege from the girls.

Just then, to Naruto and Hinata's surprise, Sakura walked up to them, having noticed their arrival not too long ago.

"Good morning, Hinata," Sakura turned to the white-eyed girl with a smile before turning to Naruto with a simpler expression, "and you too, Naruto."

Surprised, Naruto and Hinata looked at each other, but still both answered:

"Good morning, Sakura-san."

That "san" suffix in the performance from both of them still made the pink-haired girl a little tense, but she still had already decided that she was going to be friends with Hinata, so she continued the conversation:

"Listen Hinata, as a clan princess you should know a lot more than the clanless kids. Do you know anything about the upcoming practice? Cause my parents were confused when I told them about it."

Shaking her head from side to side, Hinata replied:

"Unfortunately, my father also didn't know what it was. I guess it's something new."

"Given that, we just have to find out on our own. After all, the "unknown" is something that shinobi encounter quite often." Said Naruto, with a serene expression on his face.

Hinata nodded with a smile, and Sakura raised an eyebrow in surprise at the blond's remark, and replied a little uncertainly:

"I'm surprised to hear such a thought from you, but... I guess you're right."

Naruto grinned crookedly at her words, but was still a little relieved that for once Sakura was at least dialoguing with him, and moreover agreed with his words.

At that moment, Shikamaru and Chouji approached them, where the former spoke up:

"Yo, Naruto. I don't suppose you're aware of what this practice is either?"

Kiba and Ino came up to them, interested in the conversation.

"I have no idea," Naruto held his hands out demonstratively, then continued in a calm tone, "but at least I have a hunch."

These words interested not only their group, but also some of the students in the distance, including Sasuke, who warily listened to the blond's words, who noticing everyone's interest, continued:

"Well, it's possible that this is an additional measure to weed out students. A more in-depth test of skills before the exams, since they don't show the full range of abilities of some Shinobi candidates."

While everyone pondered his words, it was Shikamaru who withdrew first:

"So, it turns out they want to give us a sort of trial run on Shinobi work to see how we would perform in 'real' situations?" 

"Really? We're going to be under surveillance for a whole week?" Kiba was unpleasantly surprised, not at all pleased with such a prospect.

"It's only a guess, but the possibility is high," Naruto confirmed with a nod.

Such a reduction in the fog of mystery on Naruto's part couldn't help but surprise many of his classmates, including the ever-skeptical Sakura.

It was especially shocking to Sasuke, who was used to thinking of himself as one of the best and smartest in the class. Still, the realization that Naruto had been able to come up with this couldn't help but irritate the Uchiha. Lately, he had been noticing more and more how the underdog was getting better and better at both tests and practicing taijutsu and shurikenjutsu.

In one sparring session, he had experienced his progress firsthand, as he nearly lost to the blond in taijutsu, and was only able to gain the upper hand due to his reflexes. So Sasuke began to put more effort into his training, not wanting to let himself be overtaken by anyone else in the class, especially that dorky Naruto. He had a goal in mind, and he needed to become stronger than anyone else, or he wouldn't be able to do it.

Snorting unhappily the frowning Uchiha continued to stare off into nothing, waiting for the lesson to begin, to see if the blond's assumption would prove to be correct.

At this time, Shikamaru sighed excessively and said:

"Eh, I was thinking something like that too. Guess I won't be able to take a nap this week. How troublesome," a frowning Nara scratched his head with a face full of displeasure.

"Um, Um!" Chouji nodded in agreement with his buddy, not interrupting his devouring of another packet of chips.

Turning to Ino, Naruto smiled and greeted the girl:

"Good morning Ino, how are you?"

Everyone remembered what happened last time, so they stared at the blonde with interest, who shrank a little under the stares. But she regained her confidence rather quickly, and replied with a smile:

"Good morning, Naruto-kun," here the girl looked around at the rest of the group, "and what are those looks you all have? Who do you think you're talking to? Of course I'm fine. One rejection from a blind guy isn't enough to knock me out!"

"Glad to hear it, you really are a fighter," Naruto smiled warmly at the girl.

With a satisfied sniffle, Ino suddenly remembered one unexpected member of their group. Namely Sakura. Turning in her direction, Ino asked:

"By the way, Sakura, it's surprising to see you away from Sasuke, have you really decided to give up?"

"Oh, if she's right, I suggest you consider my candidacy!" seeing the opportunity, Kiba immediately announced his existence with a cheeky smirk.

Tensing at her friend's question, and shooting a menacing glance in Inuzuki's direction, Sakura flared up, and replied:

"Who gave up, me? It's just that I was interested in information on the upcoming practice week, and I approached Hinata as the princess of the clan who might know something."

Listening to her excuse, Ino smiled slyly, and asked:

"Is that so? Hmm..." Yamanaka brought a finger to her lips, looking thoughtful, "And yet I'm also a clan princess, but why didn't you come up to me to ask about it before Hinata came?"

"Well, uh..." Sakura was a bit taken aback, then quickly found an excuse, "well, I... I'm just sure that if you knew something, you would have told me by now," Sakura grinned slightly and added, "because I know you're su-u-uch a good friend, and you're always willing to help."

Realizing that Sakura had decided to latch onto her pride, Ino decides to let go of this curious moment in her opinion, and agree:

"That's right, if I learned something, I would definitely share it with my friends," here the blonde decided to change the subject, and turned to Shikamaru, "by the way, Shikamaru, Chouji. Do you think those words of Iruka-sensei's about splitting into teams... Do you think they'll put us on the same team as our fathers?"

Suddenly, Shikamaru's eyes widened as he had completely overlooked such a point. Glancing over to Chouji, it was as if they were having a mental dialog before turning dejectedly to the girl, where Shikamaru replied:

"Yeah, I guess you're right. That sucks."

"Huh? Do you have some kind of problem with my presence?" Ino flared up with righteous anger at the pineapple-haired boy's disdainful look.

Realizing that he had accidentally stepped on a landmine, Shikamaru raised his hands in a protective gesture, and replied:

"No-no, calm down. It's just that I'm not sure of... uh... my usefulness, yeah. So I'm feeling the tension."

Glaring at the guy for a bit, Ino sighed, and let him off the hook... this time.

Watching this scene, Naruto, Kiba, and even Hinata couldn't hold back a light laugh. It was at that moment that Iruka walked into the classroom with a clipboard in hand and announced:

"Okay, class! Everyone take your places. I will now make the announcement of the teams, after which I will announce which teacher you will be assigned to during this week."

Hearing him, Naruto and the others looked at each other before nodding and going to take their seats. Everyone looked more interested, and even more tense. Still, this was something that really stood out from their normal studies. Even Uchiha Sasuke, who showed little interest in the material, was paying full attention to Iruka this time.

Looking around the class, and realizing that everyone was in their seats, Iruka said:

"Okay, now that you're ready, I'll start calling out the team rosters."

Glancing at the sheet in his clipboard, Iruka explained:

"Since you have not yet had time to learn all the basics of shinobi, the teams will be made up in such a way as to complement your shortcomings. Although I shouldn't have to tell you this, since you are my students, I'll hint to you that the teams will also be made up according to another secret criterion that will help us evaluate you better. I hope no one will complain if you end up with someone you don't like on your team. Is that clear?"

Some students didn't look too pleased, but still the whole class answered:

"Hai, Iruka-sensei."

"Great, since everyone is clear, then the first team is Satoru Mirumashi, Shindo Umino, and Lin Lin."

The named trio of clanless children looked at each other strangely, and it was obvious that they were clearly not on good terms. Noticing this, Shikamaru's eyes narrowed as he began to develop an understanding of how teams were made up, but before he was finally convinced, he decided to observe the rest of the teams.

"Second team: Souma Haruma, Kobayashi Takeru, Shizuka Kurui."

Again, as soon as Iruka called out the names, the named students started throwing disgruntled looks at each other. After that, Shikamaru was pretty sure that aside from the balance of power, the teams were picked from members who disliked each other. From such a realization, Shikamaru couldn't help but tense up while thinking:

«Looks like I'm definitely going to end up on a problematic team, ah what a drag...» Shikamaru scratched the back of his head contritely, praying to the god of laziness that he wouldn't have to exert himself more than necessary.

Thus, Iruka continued to call out the names of students for the teams, tension immediately building between them.

Finally, Iruka got to the names of the clan kids:

"Team Seven: Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto."

From such an announcement, many in the class were surprised. Especially those who have already managed to establish friendly relations with Naruto. Everyone knows that he never had a warm relationship with Sasuke or Sakura, so they immediately knew that this would be one of the most intense teams. Shikamaru even threw an encouragement look at the blonde, realizing that the guy got the most problematic and stubborn people from the whole class.

Ino's opinion, on the other hand, was a little different. Yamanaka had mixed feelings about the fact that Sakura was not only teamed up with Sasuke, who had rejected her not so long ago, but the pink-haired girl was also teamed up with Naruto, who had already made a significant mark on her world as a smart, kind, and really attractive guy. She hated to admit it, but after she'd completely given up her pursuit of the Uchiha, she'd begun to see Naruto as a worthy candidate for her. Perhaps even more worthy than one scowling individual. Even if she hadn't quite made up her mind yet, and was still pondering her future, she felt a little envious that Sakura was so very lucky.

Hinata was also feeling a little jealous. She absolutely hated the prospect of Naruto being on a team with someone he had been pursuing romantically for a long time. Even though he has stopped doing it, Hinata knows that he still has feelings for this girl. You can tell by the rare glances he occasionally casts at the girl. She watches the blond too often to not notice something like that.

As for Sakura herself, she was extremely happy to be on the team with Sasuke, as it would definitely be a chance for her to get closer to the guy during this week. The fact that Naruto was on the team with her was a bit of a letdown, but with the blond's recent changes, she was sure he wouldn't be a hindrance to her showing off in front of the dark-haired guy.

Naruto, on the other hand, was not only surprised, but excited. Although he realized that he would have a lot of problems with this team, he also realized that he was on a team with some of the best students in the academy. And that meant that there was an opportunity to learn something, and become better. And that was exactly the goal he had set for himself to realize his dream. That's why, to the surprise of the others, Naruto looked extremely calm and focused.

While everyone was thinking about their own, Iruka continued to name the teams:

"Team number eight: Yamanaka Ino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Nara Shikamaru."

Ino's eyes widened in shock, and Kiba grinned at her with a satisfied smirk. Shikamaru just slammed his face into the desk, realizing that he had received the second most problematic of all possible combinations of commands. This time Naruto threw a look of encouragement in the direction of the friends.

Trailing off, Iruka called out the last team:

"Team number nine: Aburame Shino, Hyuga Hinata, and Akimichi Chouji."

To many in the class, this seemed like the strangest and most normal team, and only Shikamaru knew that they would also have problems, for each member had some sort of communication problem, and as Shikamaru knew, Chouji was a bit afraid of bugs, which could also be a problem of sorts. 

Overall it happened exactly as Shikamaru had envisioned. Teams were made up of people who would have the hardest time interacting with each other.

«Looks like the teachers want to test how well we work as a team. I hope I'm not the only one who realizes that,» Shikamaru sighed as he looked around at how almost everyone was looking at each other with some misunderstanding or dislike, «I guess I expect too much from them. Unless Naruto and Sasuke look like they've realized something,» Shikamaru glared at the two of them again, «Ah, never mind. Even if Naruto didn't understand, it won't be for long. Still, he's proven he's a lot smarter than he seemed before.»

By this point, Iruka had finally finished assigning commands, and said:

"Okay, you've heard your commands, so you can sit next to each other while your assigned sensei for this week will gradually come to take you through the artificially created missions. And yes, your missions will be different, as they will be designed by your sensei personally. So don't even bother asking your friends for help. That's all."

There was quite a bit of excitement after his words, while all the students shifted according to their teams, chattering away about what they had heard. As time went on, various chunin teachers began to arrive, taking their assigned teams. At some point, the only teams left were the ones made up of clan children. It was at this point that the jonin began to arrive. 

The first jonin to arrive was Gekko Hayate. Noticing him, Iruka said:

"Ah, there you are, Hayate-san. Your team is number eight. Ino, Kiba and Shikamaru. Guys, this is Gekko Hayate, he's the jonin that will be your sensei," saying that, he glanced at team eight.

Nodding at Iruka's words, Hayate turned to the class, and said:

"Students from team eight, raise your hands."

Looking up at their temporary sensei, the group of Kiba, Shikamaru and Ino raised their hands before receiving a sharp and serious look from the shinobi jonin. For a second, the group felt as if something was pressing down on them, until the feeling stopped and they felt relieved. Nodding his head, Hayate said:

"Alright, for this whole week, I will be your sensei. Follow me."

After saying that, he headed for the exit of the classroom without further ado, forcing the group to abruptly get up from their seats, and follow him. In their thoughts, they only wondered why their sensei was so different from the previous ones.

After Team Eight left, Naruto glanced around to look at the remaining people. In particular he looked at Hinata, who looked a little uncomfortable as she sat with two guys, each silently minding their own business. Chouji was chewing on another snack, and Shino was looking at a bug on his finger. Luckily, Hinata was sitting between the guys, so Chouji didn't have to sit next to the Aburame clan member.

As soon as the girl met the blond's gaze, she smiled sweetly at him. Throwing her a supportive smile, Naruto suddenly shifted his gaze to the door, where he heard the approach of rather confident footsteps. Not a few seconds later, a wild looking woman entered the classroom, and with a smug smirk she looked around the entire class before asking:

"So which one of you little brats will be my team?"

Confused by her words, the students glanced around until Iruka answered:

"Guys, this is Inuzuka Tsume, a jonin and member of the Konoha council. She'll be in charge of team number nine. Chouji, Shino, Hinata. Raise your hands."

Doing as they were asked, team nine raised their hands, letting the wild woman take a good look at them, after which she smirked and said:

"Huh, are these future ninjas? They look more like fodder for real shinobi. But that's okay, I'll give them some real practice. Follow me, brats."

Just like the previous jonin, after saying her words, she silently headed out of the classroom. Glancing at each other, Chouji and Hinata seemed a bit nervous, but still quickly headed after their new sensei. Shino, being the calmest one, also headed after them.

And now only Iruka and team number seven, consisting of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, remained in the room. Deciding to practice the technique of calming the mind, Naruto took a breath in and out, then leaning back in his chair, he put his hands in his lap and closed his eyes. His face became extremely relaxed, and overall an extremely peaceful atmosphere was created around the guy. 

Sakura, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but stare at the blond, as it was one of those rare moments when Naruto looked surprisingly attractive. It was especially noticeable when his hair was a little longer than usual, giving his image a special charm.

Realizing that she was staring, Sakura immediately frowned, and shaking her head, she turned away from him towards Sasuke, who continued to stare at nothing as usual. Convinced that Sasuke was still as handsome as ever, Sakura nodded her head, and relaxed in her chair.

A few minutes later, the sound of running footsteps was suddenly heard outside the classroom. Sakura and Sasuke interrupted their relaxed state to shift their gaze to the entrance, while Naruto continued to remain in a sort of state of calm.

And then, a few seconds later, a slender and attractive woman burst into the classroom and immediately struck a rather provocative pose, and said:

"The most dangerous and sexiest kunoichi of the leaf village, Mitarashi Anko, has arrived!"

Realizing that there were only three students left in the class, and their teacher Iruka, Anko pouted a bit frustrated and turned to Iruka and said:

"Hey, did I really come last?"

Iruka, being the one who knew about this woman's oddities, sighed, and said:

"That's right," answering her, Iruka turned to the students, "children, this woman is the tokubetsu-jonin of the Inquisition Department. She'll be your sensei for the week."

As Sakura and Sasuke looked at the woman, she in turn put a strange smile on her face, and releasing a small battle intent, began to study the children with playful interest.

Feeling a strange pressure, Sakura and Sasuke tensed up, and looked at their sensei with some apprehension and frown. Seeing their reactions, Anko only grinned even harder and said:

"Oh, what green chicks I've gotten here, I think I'll really enjoy playing with you, he-he-he..."

Chuckling, her gaze traveled first to Sasuke, who tried to remain unfazed by her gaze. Though he was doing so poorly, when the woman's gaze shifted to Sakura, it was clear that the pink-haired girl was doing even worse, as she was so eager to get her gaze away from the woman. Finally, Anko got to Naruto, who had been sitting quietly with his eyes closed the entire time.

The woman saw the blond boy in the white clothes, and she immediately froze in surprise, unable to believe her eyes. Naruto slowly opened his eyes as he felt someone looking at him, and met the eyes of the newly arrived sensei with a calm gaze.

Anko and Naruto stared at each other for a few seconds before Naruto gave the woman a calm and carefree smile, making her slightly taken aback by the look. There was only one thought in the woman's mind:

«This guy... He looks so much like him!» from this sudden realization, a new smile appeared on Anko's lips.

Naruto only smiled at the woman because he found her very unique and attractive, and was a little embarrassed by her gaze. Anko herself, looking at the boy who appeared so much like his father, said:

"Wow... Looks like this really promises to be interesting."

Slowly stretching her body to leave an impression on the unformed minds, Anko said:

"Alright, chickens. Follow me. I've prepared plenty of games for you in one beautiful and lovely forest."

Laughing, the woman headed out of the classroom. Sasuke immediately stood up, and was the first to follow her. Looking at each other, Naruto and Sakura followed them.

As he followed the group with his eyes, Iruka couldn't help but think to himself:

"Good luck, Naruto. You're going to need it with that woman."

Finishing all the notes on the form, Iruka left the classroom as well, ready to inform the Hokage that the distribution was complete.

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Author's Note:

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