The End of Graduation

An unexpected team assignment.

Four people had been placed on the same team.

Menma did not even know what to say, let alone the other students in the class. After all, as far as they knew, graduation team assignments were supposed to be three students per team, paired with a supervising teacher, right?

So why had a four-person team suddenly appeared?

At that moment, everyone widened their eyes and looked back and forth between Menma, Sasuke, Naruto, and the others with surprise.

Even Shikamaru raised his brows, revealing a look of astonishment.

As for the inconspicuous Sakura Haruno, the instant she heard the team assignment news, she instinctively cheered.

"Yay, yay, yay!!!"

Not only had she been assigned to the same team as the Sasuke she had been longing for, but she had also become teammates with Naruto, the Hokage's son, and Menma, the super genius who had monopolized first place at the Academy for years.

Sakura Haruno had more than enough reason to be happy.

And that jubilant cheer immediately drew countless envious and jealous gazes from around the classroom. Most belonged to girls, though some came from boys as well. After all, who would not want to be on the same team as the top students!?

Sakura Haruno immediately sensed those hostile stares. After shrinking her neck a little, she sat back down with an awkward yet polite smile and simply shut her mouth.

She had no doubt that if she kept showing off—

Those lemon-sucking people might just pounce on her!

Don't notice me, don't notice me.

Muttering under her breath, she directly pretended to be an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

After a brief moment of surprise, Naruto and Sasuke both looked toward Menma, different lights shining in their eyes.

"Ho ho! So we get to be on the same team! Sasuke, Menma, and Sakura, I'll be counting on you from now on!"

Naruto said with a bright smile, giving Sasuke and Menma a thumbs-up.

In this life, because of his different circumstances and treatment, Naruto was not crazily obsessed with Sakura Haruno as he had been in the original story. His relationship with Hinata was also countless times better than in the original story.

The same experiences in childhood had led to different outcomes.

More importantly, as the Fourth Hokage's son, Naruto had given the Hyuga Clan no reason to refuse or oppose Hinata associating with him.

Thus, the relationship between the two could not have been closer.

Still, Naruto's nature was what it was, and he continued to have quite a favorable impression of Sakura Haruno.

"That's not fair, Teacher Iruka!"

"Why are Menma-kun, Sasuke-kun, and Naruto-kun all on the same team!?"

"Ahhhhh! I can't accept this!"

"Teacher! This makes no sense! It's even a four-person team!"

"Teacher, say something!"

After a brief lull—

Thanks to Iruka's gentle, good-natured personality, the students below immediately erupted into an uproar. They might not have cared as much about a four-person team, but what they could not accept was the three best students in the class being assigned to the same team.

Menma and Sasuke were firmly first and second.

Although Naruto had been held back somewhat by his theory grades, he was still steadily among the top five. With a team lineup like that—

It would be strange if anyone could accept it.

Unless they themselves were swapped onto that team, in which case it would absolutely be fine. The more they thought about it, the stronger their resentment toward Sakura Haruno became.

It made that little "Pink Pepper" start trembling.

"Ahem, quiet down, quiet down."

Iruka coughed twice and lightly rapped the podium before continuing.

"Menma, Naruto, and Sasuke's team assignment was personally arranged by the Hokage. You little ones should stop arguing."

"Ehhhh!?"

"The Hokage personally arranged it!?"

"No way?"

"I guess it makes sense, though. After all, it's Sasuke-kun, Menma-kun, and Young Master Naruto!"

"Ahhhhh! I still can't accept it!!!!"

"Then why does Sakura Haruno get to join them!?"

"Ahhh! I can't understand it!"

Unexpected, yet seemingly only natural.

After his initial shock, Menma gradually calmed down.

Was this something to marvel at—the powerful inertia of the Original Work's plot?

Or was it that the Third Hokage really knew how to make arrangements?

Still, this was indeed a fairly reasonable assignment. After all, it had been said before: if they had to choose a young Jonin from the current Konohagakure who was best suited to lead the three of them, then it could only be Kakashi Hatake!

Anyone else would have problems or shortcomings in one way or another.

Only Kakashi was the most suitable—or rather, he was the only suitable choice!

So that was the arrangement? Well, it doesn't really matter.

Menma mused inwardly. Outwardly, he merely nodded lightly at Naruto with a calm expression, then glanced back at Sasuke, who had turned his gaze over at the same time.

However, after noticing Menma's gaze, Uchiha Sasuke merely gave a soft snort, turned his head back around, and presented Menma with the back of his head.

Menma could not help finding that a little amusing.

Uchiha Sasuke really had been born with tsundere traits.

No matter how the Little Ones below wailed and howled.

The four-man Team Seven was already a foregone conclusion.

For once, Iruka put on a stern face and used his authority as a teacher to suppress his students. Otherwise, they could have kept making a racket forever.

Iruka knew that from experience.

"Team Eight: Hyuga Hinata, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame."

"Team Nine..."

"Team Ten: Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi!"

After Team Seven, there were no more unexpected team assignments. Aside from Menma, who seemed to have barged in from nowhere, everything else was exactly the same as in the Original Work.

"That concludes your team assignments. Everyone's name has been called. Next, wait here for your instructors to arrive. Finally, I wish all of you success in battle."

After saying that, Iruka gave the dozens of students he had taught for six years, including Menma, one last deep look before turning and striding out of the spacious tiered classroom.

Not long after Iruka left.

Ninjas wearing Konohagakure's standard-issue flak jackets began entering one after another, each calling out the team they would be leading.

"Team One, come with me."

"Team Three."

"Team Eleven."

"Team Five."

The graduates assigned to the called teams rose one after another and followed their respective instructors out of the classroom.

The number of people dwindled rapidly.

Until, at last.

When the bearded Asuma and the youthful Kurenai Yuhi arrived together and took Team Eight and Team Ten away.

Only Menma, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura remained in the vast classroom.