Naruto was sitting in his usual seat, with Ino leaning against one side of him and Hinata on the other, while Sakura sat in front of them, turned halfway around in her chair. The four of them were talking quietly but animatedly—the kind of conversation that made the rest of the class pretend they weren't listening while clearly listening anyway.
Sakura rested her elbow on her desk and twisted a little more, letting her hair fall over her shoulder. Her eyes swept across the room as if she were searching for some hidden clue in everyone else's expressions.
"Who do you think the teams will be?" she asked, curiosity sharp enough to suggest she'd already decided she wouldn't accept a bad result.
Ino answered without thinking much, playing with her hair and lifting her chin, satisfied to say out loud what half the class had been thinking since the night before.
"I don't know, but I hope I end up on the same team as Naruto."
Hinata nodded quickly—small enough not to draw attention, but not subtle enough to go unnoticed by the people next to her. Her hand tightened briefly around the strap of her bag, as if the motion helped hold something in place.
Sakura gave a short smile.
"I hope I'm with at least one of you."
Ino tilted her head, her smile carrying that familiar teasing tone that always started like a joke and ended like a test.
"Wouldn't you rather be on the same team as Sasuke?"
Sakura glanced toward Sasuke for a brief moment. He was seated a few rows ahead, posture straight, as if the entire room were irrelevant. She looked quickly—like touching fire and pulling back before getting burned—then turned back to the group.
"No," Sakura replied, dry enough to cut off the topic. "I'd rather be with you."
Ino and Hinata smiled at the same time, and for a second their desk felt like a small refuge in the middle of the classroom's usual tension.
Ino turned toward Naruto, eyes shining with her usual boldness—but with something genuine behind it.
"And you? Who would you rather be with?"
All three girls looked at him as if they'd rehearsed it—a silent pressure pushing the answer out of him.
Naruto let out a sigh, like he was tired before even starting, and rested his chin in his palm. The gesture was casual, but the corner of his mouth twitched, holding back a smile.
"It's obvious I'd like to be with the three of you."
They reacted immediately. Ino lifted her chin, satisfied. Sakura relaxed her shoulders as if that settled part of her day. Hinata gave a small smile—but it didn't last. She lightly bit her lip and looked away, as if she'd remembered a rule that wasn't hers to control.
"But it's impossible for the four of us to be on the same team."
The light mood at the desk dipped slightly. Ino let out a low "tch," and Sakura exhaled through her nose, annoyed without anyone to complain to. Naruto watched the three of them for a moment, unhurried, as if deciding whether to fuel it or cut it off before it turned into a storm.
"There's no such thing as impossible," he said in the tone of someone quoting a pretty line just because he knows it's irritating. "If you truly believe in something, it can become reality."
The three of them stared at him.
Not angry.
Just that unified look that clearly said: *Do you think we're children?*
Naruto raised a hand like he was swearing innocence.
"I just said it's not impossible."
Hinata fiddled with her fingers, glancing at the group from the corner of her eye, like she wanted to say something but decided not to send her voice across the space.
Before the conversation could turn into a debate, the scrape of a chair and a familiar clearing of a throat pulled the class's attention forward. Iruka was already at the front, wearing the expression of someone who'd heard too many complaints that morning and wasn't willing to hear more.
The murmuring quieted in waves—not out of respect for silence, but because everyone wanted to hear the first name.
Iruka didn't drag it out. He raised the list like a sentence being passed and began.
After announcing a few teams, he continued.
"Team 7: Sasuke, Kiba, and Shino."
The classroom reacted as if someone had thrown a stone into a lake. A few girls made frustrated noises too quickly to hide. Others exchanged disappointed glances for not ending up with Sasuke. Kiba opened his mouth, clearly unhappy, like he was ready to complain about something he hadn't even figured out yet. Sasuke showed no reaction. Shino remained with that strange calm that always made people uncomfortable.
"Team 8: Shikamaru, Choji, and Hiroto."
This time, almost no one reacted. Shikamaru raised an eyebrow as if it were inevitable and just another thing that would be troublesome. Choji seemed more concerned about what he'd eat later than about the team name. Hiroto received a few curious looks and two quick whispers from people still trying to remember whether he was skilled—or just too quiet to notice.
Iruka inhaled once, as if letting the final team settle before speaking.
"Team 10: Naruto, Ino, Hinata, and Sakura."
For half a second, there was pure silence. The kind that happens when an entire classroom's brain needs to confirm it heard correctly.
Then it exploded.
Some girls protested loudly for not being with Naruto. Some boys complained because suddenly the most beautiful girls in the class were on the same team. Others started arguing about the number of members, like it was some sacred ninja law being broken instead of just an order.
"That's unfair!"
"Why are there four?!"
"What do you mean all three with him?!"
Ino raised her hands in the air, already smiling like she'd won a prize. Sakura smiled briefly but quickly restrained it, aware of the weight of everyone's stares. Hinata stiffened, as if the volume of the noise was trying to push her under her chair.
Naruto simply tilted his head, observing the scene without a trace of surprise. He adjusted his collar slightly, as if the outrage were nothing more than wind brushing his face.
Iruka raised his hand and dropped the answer like a stone.
"Orders from the Hokage."
It was like locking a door. The noise died instantly. Plenty of people still had complaints sitting on their tongues—but no one wanted to be the idiot who openly complained about the Hokage.
Iruka tucked the list away with a short gesture and left, as if the matter were closed, leaving the students in that classic limbo of having received their fate but not yet their instructor.
The atmosphere reorganized itself. Whispers returned, now focused elsewhere.
The large team. The reason. The Hokage's choice. What it meant for Naruto.
Ino leaned into Naruto and pressed her shoulder against his, marking territory without saying it aloud.
Sakura crossed her arms, trying to look calmer than someone clearly satisfied.
"Okay," she said. "Now the question is: who's going to be our jounin?"
Hinata glanced at the door more than once, then lowered her gaze when she realized she'd done it.
"I don't know, but it shouldn't take long to find out," Ino replied.
Naruto scanned the room, noticing movement. There were unfamiliar figures—faces he didn't recognize as regular classmates. Some had already formed quiet groups, as if they already knew where they belonged.
The first door opened soon enough.
A woman entered with light steps and sharp eyes, calling a team Naruto didn't recognize. Kurenai. She wasted no time—just called them, and the three followed her naturally.
The room felt noticeably emptier.
Minutes later, Asuma appeared, relaxed as ever—an air that never quite matched the sense of danger he carried. He called Team 8 and left with them like he was casually removing pieces from a board.
Ino followed him with her eyes and sighed.
"He looks lazy," she commented.
"You think that's bad?" Sakura asked.
"I don't know," Ino replied. "Depends on the kind of lazy."
Naruto didn't answer. He was staring at the door like it owed him something.
More time passed. The room grew quieter as numbers dwindled, but the restlessness increased. Some girls began speaking louder just to fill the space. A boy or two tapped their feet impatiently.
Kakashi appeared, casual as always, and took Team 7. Kiba complained about something on the way out. Kakashi didn't seem to hear. Sasuke left without looking back. Shino followed like a shadow.
When the door shut, a vein pulsed on Naruto's forehead.
*Why is she taking so long?*
Ino didn't notice—or pretended not to. She was too busy with her theory.
"I bet it's someone important," she said, resting her chin on her hand. "The Hokage wouldn't make an exception and assign just anyone."
Sakura tilted her head.
"Important or… problematic."
Hinata touched her hair lightly.
"Maybe… someone the Hokage trusts a lot," she said softly.
Ino smiled.
"Then it has to be someone who can handle Naruto."
Sakura let out a short laugh.
Naruto tapped his fingers against the desk—slow, controlled, each tap like a count. His silence was more unsettling than if he'd complained. The three of them kept talking over it, trying to fill the gap before it became an explosion.
Then the door made a different sound, and a voice came from outside—far too casual for someone late.
"Sorry for the delay."
Izumi stepped in with a smile, like she'd just arrived at a meeting she scheduled herself.
The reaction was immediate. The three girls stood almost at the same time, pushing their chairs back and rushing toward her like her presence answered every question at once.
Hinata reached her first, stopping at a respectful distance, eyes shining with curiosity.
"Are you our instructor?"
Ino came right after, leaning forward as if her question mattered more than anyone else's.
"Aren't you still a chuunin?"
Sakura arrived last—but with the most direct question.
"Why are there five people on the team instead of four?"
Izumi raised her hands, laughing, trying to answer everything at once while the three spoke over each other. She handled it smoothly—alternating her gaze, giving short replies, promising explanations, dodging details lightly.
Naruto stood slowly and walked toward them without hurry, the sound of his sandals against the floor acting as a quiet warning. Izumi's smile didn't shrink when she saw him approaching. If anything, it widened slightly—that specific expression of someone who enjoys provoking.
She shot him a teasing glance over the girls' heads, as if saying without words: *You noticed, didn't you?*
Naruto narrowed his eyes.
*She did that on purpose. Looks like someone deserves a punishment.*
Ino was still talking. Sakura was still pressing for answers. But Naruto was close enough now to interrupt just by being there. He stopped beside them, looking up at Izumi—the height difference only making him more irritated.
Hinata glanced at Naruto briefly, as if expecting him to say something.
He didn't.
He just kept his gaze locked on Izumi, as if the side conversation didn't exist.
Izumi noticed. Before the girls could bombard her again, she raised a hand for calm.
"Yes," she said. "I'm your instructor."
Hinata straightened her posture, reacting with pure respect.
Izumi pointed at Ino without looking.
"And yes," she continued, "I'm still a chuunin."
Ino frowned.
"Then why—"
"Orders," Izumi cut in simply.
Sakura didn't let go.
"And the team?"
Izumi took a breath, deciding how much to explain.
"The team is supposed to have four," she said. "You just… received an adjustment."
Ino narrowed her eyes.
"What kind of adjustment?"
Izumi didn't answer immediately. She let the silence do the work, then looked directly at Naruto with that secret-holding smile.
"The kind only… special people receive," she said carefully. "The Hokage decided you need extra attention."
Naruto stepped slightly forward.
"We're not wasting any more time here," he said shortly.
The girls agreed, and the four of them left the classroom toward one of the training fields.
(Early access chapters: see the bio.)