Iruka walked into the classroom and announced the team assignments. As expected, the classes were still divided into groups of three.
"Team Seven!"
Naruto was taken aback when he heard that. Team Seven was the first on the list? The Third Hokage must have weighed many factors before making this decision.
Still, would the teams be different from the original storyline?
Naruto had ranked first in this graduation exam, Sasuke second, and Sakura third. If they were assigned to the same team based solely on grades, wouldn't that be a little too unbalanced?
"Sakura Haruno!"
Sakura froze for a moment when her name was called, then grew nervous.
"Naruto Uzumaki!"
As expected, he had already guessed the result.
Sakura, standing nearby, looked rather pleased. After all, who wouldn't want a powerful teammate?
After gaining a different soul, Naruto had not latched onto her. Sakura did not dislike Naruto, and the two still had a normal classmate relationship.
Even though he had been determined to take it easy, his strength far surpassed that of his classmates. This piqued Sakura's curiosity. She only felt as though Naruto had grown up overnight.
Curiosity was curiosity, though. It was nowhere near the point of liking him.
"Sasuke Uchiha!"
The moment the words fell, Sakura shot to her feet, unable to suppress the joy on her face.
"Yes!"
"What a pain." Sasuke snorted coldly in displeasure.
"Next is Team Eight." Iruka's voice rang out again.
Naruto listened quietly and found that there was no difference from the original storyline. Suddenly, as if sensing something, he sharply turned his head toward the corner of the back row on the right, only to meet someone's gaze.
Hinata hurriedly looked away. Her face instantly burned, like a clumsy thief caught in the act.
After the teams were assigned, Sasuke did not leave immediately.
"Let's go out and have a meal together," Naruto suggested.
"Sure!" Sakura looked delighted. She glanced at Sasuke beside her and agreed without a second thought, silently giving Naruto a huge thumbs-up.
"No." Sasuke refused coldly.
Naruto was not particularly surprised. He stopped walking, turned to look at Sasuke, and asked,
"Are you dissatisfied? Do you want to go home and train?"
"What does that have to do with you?" Sasuke's eyes were filled with distance and coldness.
Anyone else might have gotten angry after being treated like that, but Naruto completely ignored young master Uchiha Sasuke's little arrogant streak.
"To put it bluntly, an attitude like yours will only waste time," Naruto said. "We're already teammates. That can't be changed."
"So what?"
"So what? Don't tell me you don't even understand this?" Naruto looked calmly at Uchiha Sasuke. "Do you know the power of teamwork?"
"I don't need companions." Sasuke gave Naruto an indifferent look and turned to leave.
"Sasuke." Caught in the middle, Sakura reached out to grab him.
"Don't bother with him," Naruto said. "He's just a self-righteous brat. If you don't want to become stronger and only want to waste time, then go ahead and leave."
"Stay a loser forever."
"What did you say?" Sasuke spun around and grabbed Naruto by the collar.
"I'd say the same thing ten thousand times." Naruto stared back at him. "I thought you were smart. Turns out you're just an idiot."
"You!" Sasuke's face turned icy.
"Naruto, Sasuke, stop it." Sakura stepped forward, grabbed their hands, and tried with all her strength to pull them apart.
"Aren't we teammates?"
"He doesn't see you as a teammate at all. All he sees is himself," Naruto said. "How could someone like that have companions?"
"I said I don't need companions!" Sasuke said. "I'm enough on my own. Companions will only become a burden."
"Sasuke." Sakura, still wedged between them, forced out a smile and gently persuaded him, "Naruto suggested having a meal together. Maybe he has something he wants to share with us."
"Naruto suddenly became stronger recently. He must have some good training methods. It wouldn't hurt to go and listen."
At those words, hesitation flashed across Sasuke's face. After struggling for a moment, he finally released Naruto.
Naruto did not hold it against him. He had wanted to provoke Sasuke in the first place, so that Sasuke would join them for the meal and hear what he had to say.
Just as Sakura had said, he had intelligence he wanted to share with the two of them.
For a long time to come, the three of them would be risking their lives together on dangerous missions.
Any traps they could avoid beforehand should simply be avoided.
Suffering was not treasure, and taking losses was not a blessing. They were merely things people could not avoid. At the end of all suffering lay despair.
The three arrived at a barbecue restaurant and ordered several plates of meat and juice.
It seemed to be Sakura's first time grilling meat herself, and she appeared somewhat restrained in front of Sasuke. Sasuke sat with his arms crossed and a cold face, seemingly having come only to listen.
Drawing on his experience from group meals before his transmigration, Naruto skillfully brushed a layer of oil onto the grill, then added another layer of cheese.
The cheese-covered meat gave off a rich milky aroma that whetted everyone's appetite.
"Naruto, do you eat barbecue often?" Sakura was slightly surprised.
"Well, how could I have that kind of money? I just hunt often, so I've picked up a few barbecue tricks," Naruto said modestly.
He then divided the grilled meat onto Sakura's and Sasuke's plates before preparing another batch on the grill the same way.
"Thank you." Sakura blushed briefly.
"Th-thanks." Sasuke said awkwardly.
After finishing a plate of meat, the atmosphere between the three immediately eased considerably. Sasuke quietly ate his barbecue. Although his face was still as cold as ice, his furrowed brow had relaxed.
"It's delicious." Sakura took a sip of juice and praised it contentedly.
Seeing that the timing was about right, Naruto stopped beating around the bush. He wiped his mouth, stared at the two for a while, and then said,
"Do you know the inside information behind these team assignments?"
Sakura shook her head and said,
"This was decided by Lord Hokage and the others, right? Maybe it has something to do with grades."
Sasuke asked dismissively,
"What does this have to do with us?"
"Of course it has something to do with us," Naruto said. "The most important part of a ninja mission is gathering intelligence. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can win every battle."
"Maybe we'll cooperate with or face off against other teams in the future. After all, there are the Chunin Exams, aren't there?"
"That seems to make sense." Sakura nodded vaguely. "Naruto, do you know the inside information about the team assignments?"
"Of course." Naruto nodded.
"The members of Team Eight come from Konohagakure's reconnaissance clans. They are the direct second-generation line of Reconnaissance Division One. The Hyuga Clan handles visual reconnaissance, the Inuzuka Clan tracks by scent, and the Aburame Clan tracks with insects.
"These teams were probably arranged after discussion by the Konoha High Command, with everyone assigned according to their traits and personalities."
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