Team Seven's First Intelligence Sharing

Iruka walked into the classroom and announced the team assignments. As expected, they were being divided into groups of three.

"Team Seven!"

Naruto blinked at the announcement. Team Seven was listed first? He figured the Third Hokage must have considered many things before making this decision.

But will this be different from the original plot's team assignments?

Naruto was first in the graduation exam, Sasuke second, and Sakura third. If you only looked at grades, wouldn't putting them all on one team be a bit unbalanced?

"Sakura Haruno!"

Sakura, who was called, froze for a moment, then became nervous again.

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

Just as he'd guessed.

Sakura, standing nearby, seemed rather happy. After all, who wouldn't want a strong teammate?

After his soul transfer, Naruto didn't try to get close to her. Sakura didn't dislike Naruto; they had a normal classmate relationship.

Even though he was aiming to slack off, his strength among his classmates was unparalleled. This piqued Sakura's curiosity; she felt as if Naruto had suddenly matured overnight.

Curious, yes, but not to the point of developing feelings.

"Sasuke Uchiha!"

As his name was called, Sakura instantly stood up, unable to hide her joy.

"Hooray!"

"Troublesome," Sasuke muttered unhappily, snorting.

"Next up, Team Eight," Iruka's voice rang out again.

Naruto listened quietly, finding no difference from the original plot. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and turned his head sharply towards the back corner on his right. His gaze met another.

Hinata hastily averted her eyes, her face flushing instantly, like a clumsy thief.

After the team assignments were finished, Sasuke didn't leave immediately.

"Let's go out for a meal together," Naruto suggested.

"Sure!" Sakura seemed delighted. She glanced at Sasuke beside her and agreed to the suggestion without thinking, silently giving Naruto a big thumbs-up in her heart!

"Not going," Sasuke coldly refused.

Naruto wasn't too surprised by this. He stopped walking. Turning to face Sasuke, he asked, "Are you unhappy and want to go home to train?"

"What's it to you?" Sasuke's eyes held distance and indifference.

Anyone else would have been angry at such treatment, but Naruto completely ignored the proud tsundere nature of "Second Uchiha."

"To put it bluntly, this attitude of yours will just waste time," Naruto said. "We're already teammates, and that can't be changed."

"So what?"

"So what? You don't even know that?" Naruto looked at "Second Uchiha" calmly. "Do you know the power of cooperation?"

"I don't need teammates," Sasuke said indifferently, giving Naruto a look before turning to leave.

"Sasuke..." Sakura, caught between them, reached out to grab Sasuke.

"Don't mind him," Naruto said. "He's just an arrogant brat. If you don't want to get stronger and just want to waste time, then go ahead and leave."

"Remain a loser forever."

"Say that again?" Sasuke suddenly turned, grabbing Naruto by the collar.

"I'll say it a thousand times," Naruto stared back at him. "I thought you were smart, but it turns out you're just an idiot."

"You!" Sasuke's face turned icy.

"Naruto, Sasuke, stop it." Sakura stepped forward, grabbing both their arms, trying hard to pull them apart.

"Aren't we teammates?"

"He doesn't see you as a teammate at all; his eyes are only on himself," Naruto said. "How can someone like that have teammates!"

"I told you, I don't need teammates!" Sasuke retorted. "I'm fine on my own. Teammates would just be a burden."

"Sasuke." Sakura, stuck in the middle, managed a strained smile and gently persuaded, "Naruto just suggested we eat together. Maybe he has something he wants to share with us."

"Naruto has gotten so much stronger recently; he must have found a good training method. It wouldn't hurt to listen."

As she spoke, a flicker of hesitation crossed Sasuke's face. After a moment of struggle, he finally let go of Naruto.

Naruto didn't hold a grudge. He had intended to provoke Sasuke so he would come along to the meal and discuss things.

As Sakura had said, he had information to share with both of them.

For a long time to come, the three of them would face danger together on missions.

It was best to avoid pitfalls if they could be foreseen.

Hardship isn't a treasure, and suffering isn't a blessing; it's just something people can't avoid. The end of all suffering is despair.

The three of them arrived at a barbecue restaurant and ordered several plates of grilled meat and juice.

Sakura seemed a bit reserved, grilling the meat herself for the first time in front of Sasuke. Sasuke sat with his arms crossed, his face a mask of indifference, as if he were merely there to listen to information.

Naruto, drawing on his experience from gatherings before his transmigration, skillfully brushed oil onto the grill, followed by a layer of cheese.

The grilled meat, coated in cheese, emitted a milky aroma that stimulated the appetite.

"Naruto, do you eat barbecue often?" Sakura asked, a little surprised.

"Well, I don't have the money for that. I just hunt a lot, so I have some experience with grilling," Naruto replied humbly.

He then divided the grilled meat onto plates for Sakura and Sasuke before placing the next batch on the grill in the same manner.

"Thank you," Sakura said, blushing slightly.

"Thanks a lot," Sasuke said, sounding a little awkward.

After a plate of grilled meat, the atmosphere between the three of them instantly eased considerably. Sasuke ate his barbecue quietly. Although his face remained icy, the frown on his brow had relaxed.

"This is delicious," Sakura exclaimed with satisfaction, taking a sip of her juice.

Seeing that the time was right, Naruto stopped beating around the bush. He wiped his mouth, stared at the two of them for a good while, and then spoke.

"Do you know any inside information about this team assignment?"

Sakura shook her head and said, "This is something decided by the Hokage, isn't it? It's probably related to our grades."

Sasuke asked dismissively, "What does that have to do with us?"

"It has everything to do with us," Naruto said. "The most crucial part of a ninja's mission is intelligence gathering. Knowing yourself and your enemy leads to victory in a hundred battles."

"We might have to cooperate or clash with other teams in the future, after all, there's the Chunin Exams, right?"

"That does make some sense," Sakura nodded, looking somewhat dazed. "Naruto, do you know the inside scoop on the team assignments?"

"Of course," Naruto nodded.

"Team Eight's members are Konoha's reconnaissance clans, belonging to the second generation's direct lineage of the intelligence division. The Hyuga Clan for visual reconnaissance, the Inuzuka Clan for scent tracking, and the Aburame Clan for insect tracking. This grouping should be the result of discussions among Konoha's higher-ups, assigning teams based on each person's characteristics and personalities."