The Chunin Exam I Participated In Was Broadcast Live!

The next morning at 8:20, Hinata Hyuga appeared at the door of his apartment.

"If you're coming to my place, you could just ring the bell."

Kitahara Kaede said.

He'd woken up that morning, sensed someone outside the door, and come to open it.

And Hinata had just been sitting quietly at the stairwell, staying there for a full half hour—that was a bit creepy.

"I'm a little nervous," Hinata said. "I was thinking, if, if I could be in the same class as Kaede-kun, that would be so nice."

"Yeah," Kitahara Kaede said. "But I'd rather not."

"Huh?"

"Wh-why?" Hinata felt like Kaede-kun probably didn't dislike her.

"I'm definitely going to be grouped with Naruto," Kitahara Kaede said.

"Eh?!" Hinata was baffled.

Wasn't Iruka-sensei saying the team assignments wouldn't be known until today?

So why was Kaede-kun always so close with Uzumaki-kun?

Just as Hinata was thinking that.

"Yo!"

She heard a greeting like the sun itself from downstairs at Kitahara Kaede's place.

"Kitahara-kun!"

"Morning!"

"Let's go to school together!"

It was Naruto Uzumaki.

"..." Hinata.

???

Uzumaki-kun... now he even came specially to Kaede-kun's doorstep.

And Kitahara-kun was really attentive to Uzumaki-kun...

So, was she actually the third wheel?

!!!

Shocked, Hinata fainted on the spot. Kitahara Kaede caught her with both hands.

Naruto climbed up the stairs and saw this.

"Huh?" Naruto was a bit bewildered.

"What's wrong with Hinata?"

"..." Kitahara Kaede. "She probably imagined something weird. She's fine."

Kitahara Kaede carried her on his back, and together with Naruto, they headed to the Ninja Academy.

··········

"Team 1..."

"Team 7--"

At the Ninja Academy, only two of Iruka's students had fallen behind. Most of the students were still in the classroom, but everyone was wearing forehead protectors, which meant they'd all passed the exam.

Naturally, before Iruka-sensei announced the team assignments, everyone noticed that the Dead Last, Naruto, had also gotten his forehead protector.

That was a sign he'd passed.

"Tch!" Naruto's showy attitude annoyed the top student, Sasuke.

Because...

The moment Sasuke walked into the classroom, he saw Naruto showing off his 23 Clone Techniques.

So what if he could make more clones?

And... if it were someone else with more clones, Sasuke wouldn't have felt anything, but Naruto was the Dead Last—yet the Clone Technique he was showing off now was the strongest in the class.

As the class's top student, Sasuke was disdainful.

"Now then, Team 7."

Iruka read out the team assignments he'd gotten from the Third Hokage, "Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Kitahara Kaede."

"You three are a team."

"..." Sasuke.

"..." Naruto.

"..." Kitahara Kaede.

"Tch!" Sasuke clicked his tongue.

Naruto, on the other hand, cheered up. He was grateful to Kitahara Kaede, so being in the same team now was a huge relief.

Kitahara Kaede remained calm, since he'd known this was coming all along.

The normal arrangement would be Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.

But... he had Wood Release, which was specifically a counter to Naruto, so he was bound to be grouped with him.

As for Sasuke, he was still a revenge-driven, immature kid who needed a harsh lesson from the world.

That was how it was.

Which meant Sakura was the odd one out.

The only thing worth noting was that Hinata, whom Kitahara Kaede had carried to the classroom, had just regained consciousness but now seemed to be crushed again, slumped limply over her desk.

She looked genuinely pitiful.

Chapter 009: Minato, Your Son Has a Talent for Cross-Dressing! (Please Support!)

"Team 8: Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame—"

"Team 9..."

"Team 10: Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi—"

Iruka-sensei quickly read off the remaining team assignments.

As Iruka called out names from the podium, Kitahara Kaede kept an eye on things. He noticed it was mostly the same as the original story, but the Hyuga heiress he'd carried in was in a terrible mental state.

"You okay?"

Kitahara Kaede gently touched the back of her hand.

"Uu..."

Hinata seemed really down.

It couldn't be helped.

She already felt like Uzumaki-kun was getting close to Kaede-kun.

And now... not only had he come looking for Kaede-kun this morning, but they were even in the same team... Didn't that just make her the one left out?

Hinata knew there were cute girls in the class too—like Ino Yamanaka—and Sakura was showing signs of developing feelings too.

If she lost to them... then even though it hurt, she could accept it.

But...

Why was she losing to a boy now?

"..."

Hinata slowly lifted her head from where it rested on her arms.

········

"..."

Iruka kept assigning teams.

There were over fifty students in their class, so the process wasn't over yet.

Kitahara Kaede pressed down on one of Hinata's hands and pulled it under the desk.

"?"

Hinata's long lashes fluttered.

She didn't understand what Kaede-kun was trying to do.

But she soon realized he was guiding her hand under the desk, making her open her palm, and then writing on it.

Writing?

[The relationship between Naruto and me is different from the one I have with you.]

Different... it's different!

Whoosh—

Hinata's mood suddenly felt soothed, as if comforted.

The team assignments continued.

Iruka glanced over at Kitahara Kaede and Hinata.

From the teacher's podium, he could see every little move the students made.

So he noticed Kitahara Kaede holding Hinata's hand.

But he didn't call them out—instead, he felt a little envious.

As a still-single man, he was thinking that if he'd been smarter back in his school days, maybe he wouldn't be going home alone now.

···········

The team assignments ended quickly, and Iruka told each of them where to go, where their Jonin Instructor would be waiting.

As for Kitahara Kaede, Naruto, and Sasuke, they all stayed behind in the classroom.

Meanwhile, Kitahara Kaede's observation (^_-) group chat had also started.

Hashirama Senju: Looks like the teams are set. Kitahara Kaede and Naruto are together. That Sasuke's appearance really left an impression on me—is he really not Izuna Uchiha?

Tobirama Senju: Big Brother, don't bring up that disgusting name.

Hashirama Senju: Meh... we've already made peace with the Uchiha Clan.

Minato Namikaze: It's still early, but I need to head out.

My stamina's pretty poor, so once I start moving, I won't be able to chat in the group.

Kakashi said.

Tobirama Senju: Go ahead.

Tobirama Senju seemed to nod, but suddenly called out to Kakashi.

Tobirama Senju: Wait, who are you?

As he asked, he glanced at the group member count (4).

Yeah.

Four people.

So this "Minato Namikaze" is...

Minato Namikaze: Kakashi, is that you?

Minato Namikaze: Yes, sensei. It's a long story.

Saying this, Kakashi seemed unwilling to discuss it further, but he was immediately met with sympathy.

Hashirama Senju: Poor guy, going kidney-deficient this early.