Team 7 Arrives

"Hey, you two." Iruka suddenly shouted. Naruto immediately tensed up on reflex, while Sasuke remained as calm as ever. "You two are both my finest students. And Naruto, congratulations on graduating." As he spoke, he removed his own Forehead Protector and replaced Naruto's goggles with it.

"Iruka-sensei..." Naruto looked at Iruka with tears in his eyes. After hesitating awkwardly for a long while, Iruka said, "I'll treat you two to Ramen." By then, the sky had actually brightened. Talk-no-Jutsu really was the strongest—even dawn had arrived. Sasuke looked up at the sky, then smiled faintly.

The three of them headed straight for the village. No one mentioned the battered Mizuki or the Scroll of Seals Naruto had thrown onto the ground. Naruto had definitely forgotten about it, while the other two knew there were plenty of Anbu around them. After all, Iruka had understood what Sasuke had said earlier.

"What a mess. Are they just going to leave it like that?" one Anbu said.

"Obviously, they know we're here. That Uchiha brat noticed us a long time ago. Mizuki had always been under suspicion, but he only revealed himself now. And did Naruto's test count as a success?" another person said.

"Of course it did. He isn't alone anymore, is he? At the very least, he has a good teacher and a good friend now. That's enough." At some point, the Third Hokage had appeared there.

The three happy teacher and students went for Ramen. "Old man, three bowls of Pork Ramen!" Naruto shouted as soon as he entered Ichiraku Ramen.

"Hehe, Naruto's here. Oh, you're wearing a Forehead Protector now?" Teuchi carefully noticed Naruto's Forehead Protector.

"Yep, yep! I'm a Genin now," Naruto said happily.

"Become a Genin? I think it's too early for you to say that." Sasuke heard Naruto as he entered and immediately shot him down.

"How could it be? I've got a Forehead Protector already." Naruto did not understand, but Iruka did. He had not expected Sasuke to know as well.

"The Graduation Exam was far too simple. It was practically no exam at all—except for you, of course." Sasuke said with a grin.

"Hmph, I'm someone who mastered an advanced jutsu," Naruto said proudly.

"Hehe, all right. Every other student graduated, which means the Genin graduation rate is too high. One hundred percent becoming Genin is impossible, considering Konoha's number of ninja. I think there'll be another test afterward. It should be up to the Jonin after we're assigned to teams." Sasuke analyzed.

"Iruka-sensei, is that true?" Naruto went to ask Iruka.

"That's right. I didn't expect Sasuke to figure it out on his own." Iruka marveled at how impressive his student was. Sasuke had clearly not gone all out in last night's battle; he had been giving Naruto an opportunity.

"It's simple. Although Konoha has the largest number of ninja, there's no way every student can become one. The academy classes practically put me to sleep. I think we learn the basics first, then Jonin lead us and teach us. The academy mainly assesses the students' potential and specialties, then assigns us to teams after graduation, grouping people with different strengths together. Jonin lead us on missions, and we learn through those missions."

"That's right, Sasuke. You're smart and diligent. You're one of the students I think most highly of." Iruka smiled. As a teacher, he was extremely happy to be able to teach such an intelligent and hardworking student.

"Iruka-sensei, you think highly of me too, right?" Naruto leaned closer and asked.

"Yes, Naruto. I think highly of you too. Your Multiple Shadow Clone Technique is very impressive."

"Haha, of course! I'm going to become Hokage!" The three happily ate their Ramen. The next day, they needed to take photos and submit forms. Sasuke did not want to go with Naruto—it was too embarrassing. Besides, the scene of him and Konohamaru overflowing with passion was far too beautiful; he had better not watch it. So he went early to get his photo taken, submitted his form, and disappeared. Naruto was too busy with his makeup to look for Sasuke.

Another morning arrived. Today was the day teams would be assigned. Sasuke changed into a new outfit. From now on, this would be his signature look. Back when he attended the academy, he had worn long sleeves because he needed to carry weights. He had been young then and had not cared about clothing, but now he was a ninja, and there was no way he would wear a green flak jacket.

He wore a black, high-collared long-sleeved undershirt beneath a loose white outer robe that completely concealed the weights around his wrists. He also wore white trousers that likewise concealed his weights, with the cuffs bound by bandages. A black belt was tied around his waist. A Kunai Holster was strapped to his right thigh, and a Ninja Tool Pouch rested at his lower back. What he still lacked was a Chakra Longsword. He would need one for Lightning Style Jutsu in the future. Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword was out of the question, so he could only forge one himself. He had plenty of materials, but good smiths were hard to find.

Instead of wearing his Forehead Protector on his head, he wore it around his neck, outside the high collar of his black undershirt. He looked at himself in the mirror. Sigh, I'm so handsome. After satisfying himself, he headed out for the academy.

"Wow, Sasuke is so handsome!" A wave of exclamations greeted him the moment he entered the classroom. The boys could only be jealous, but Sasuke prayed for the team assignments to happen quickly. I can't take this army of girls anymore. They're scarier than Orochimaru. After sitting down, Sasuke suddenly thought of a breathtakingly beautiful scene. He placed his left hand on the desk and covered his mouth with it.

Although Naruto no longer regarded him as an enemy, his skill as the number-one accident-prone ninja was far too great. Sasuke did not dare test it, or he would have nightmares.

In the end, that picturesque event did not happen. After Iruka came in, he began assigning teams. The extras were grouped together, while the main characters were likewise put together. Both Sakura and Naruto were thrilled, though they were happy for different reasons.

"What do you think of Sasuke?" The Third Hokage's office was filled with Elite Jonin, Jonin, and Special Jonin.

"I heard from Iruka that he figured out there would be one final test?" Kakashi asked, since Sasuke would become his student.

"That's right. He did figure it out. The Graduation Exam was too simple, and so were the academy classes. He thought they were all too easy and not at all like training Genin, so he concluded that they were only assessments," the Third Hokage said.

"Interesting. Then let me see whether he notices the final test." Kakashi said. Soon afterward, all the Jonin dispersed to collect their students from each classroom. One by one, every class was taken away by its assigned teacher, leaving only Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura behind.