Four-Person Squad

All the companions had left.

The classroom had loosened up.

This finally let Sakura Haruno breathe a sigh of relief. Those classmates' stares just now had truly felt capable of "killing" someone.

Now that only the four members of her own team remained in the classroom, Sakura Haruno's nervousness vanished completely.

Her heart was filled with joy.

Unlike the Original Work, where she only had onefold happiness—and even that had been discounted by Naruto's inclusion—in this life, Sakura Haruno firmly felt that she was experiencing triple the happiness.

The cool and handsome Sasuke-kun.

The high-status Naruto-kun.

The outstanding Menma-kun.

Ah, wasn't this simply too wonderful?

Sakura Haruno suddenly felt that even the air around her had become sweet. This girl truly felt that her luck had exploded beyond all limits.

Sakura Haruno felt incomparably happy.

Naruto beside her also thought this team assignment was excellent, though not because of Sakura Haruno. Rather, it was because he could be on the same team as Menma and Sasuke. This life's Naruto was not the Naruto of the Original Work.

Uchiha Sasuke had thoughts similar to Naruto's, except he was even less likely to show them on his face.

As for Menma.

Honestly, this team assignment had indeed exceeded his expectations somewhat.

Yet it also seemed only natural.

The only thing he was curious about was Sakura Haruno.

After all, judging from the Original Work, there was really no reason for her to join Team Seven. The only plausible guess was that, in the Original Work, Sakura Haruno was the person Naruto liked, so Sarutobi Hiruzen had placed her in Team Seven in order to better soothe Naruto's emotions.

That was certainly a sufficiently solid reason.

But it could only be considered speculation. There had been no concrete evidence in the Original Work to prove it.

That was even more true in this life.

Menma had practically never interacted with Sakura Haruno, while the girl Naruto was closest to now was Hyuga Hinata.

Uchiha Sasuke was plainly uninterested in any girl.

Menma truly could not think of a reason why Sakura Haruno had joined Team Seven.

Could it simply be that they needed a girl as a buffer, so she was assigned to Team Seven?

Such an absurd thought surfaced in Menma's mind.

"Haha, I always thought it would be best if I could be assigned to the same team as you guys. I even asked Grandpa Third about it before, but he never let anything slip. I didn't expect us to really end up on the same team. I'll be relying on you all from now on! Sasuke, Menma, oh, and Sakura."

His identity had changed, his circumstances had changed, and the treatment he received had changed.

But Naruto's cheerful, easygoing nature had not changed at all.

This made Menma feel even more strongly that while he had inherited all the traits of "Naruto" from the Original Work, there was one thing he might not have inherited.

That was Asura's reincarnated Chakra.

After all, no matter how one looked at it, the younger brother standing before him now—Namikaze Naruto—was still just as perfectly suited to that Asura's personality as Naruto had been in the Original Work.

Of course, there was no way to verify that at present.

And the thought merely passed through Menma's mind for a moment before he stopped caring. Asura or no Asura, it had little to do with him now.

"Mm, we should all look after each other as well!"

With a faint smile, Menma gently nodded in response.

"Hmph!"

Uchiha Sasuke responded in his usual manner with a light snort.

"Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm! I'm the one who should be asking the three of you to guide me."

Sakura Haruno nodded rapidly like a pecking chick, still unable to suppress the excitement on her face. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Sasuke, Naruto, and Menma.

It really felt like a dream.

No, more precisely, she feared it was a dream. Waking up and returning directly to reality would be the most terrifying thing.

Thus, twelve-year-old Sakura Haruno unconsciously pinched her thigh. Only after the pain shot straight to her brain, making her gasp sharply, did she truly believe everything before her.

"Haha, I wonder who our Jonin instructor will be. I'm really looking forward to it. I hope it'll be a really powerful ninja."

Naruto clenched his right hand into a fist and gave it a slight swing, speaking in an extremely expectant tone.

"Huh? Naruto-kun, you don't know either? Third Lord didn't tell you?"

Sakura Haruno asked with a hint of surprise.

In Sakura Haruno's eyes, Naruto was Fourth Lord's son. The village would surely assign a very powerful ninja to lead his team, and he should definitely have known in advance, right?

"Huh? I did ask Grandpa Third, but he wouldn't tell me. It was just like the team assignments. Hmph, keeping it such a deep secret. Just wait, I'll go pluck that old—cough cough—Grandpa Third's beard clean later."

Naruto spoke as though he were slightly resentful.

Their Jonin instructor.

This was an issue every graduate cared deeply about and could not avoid. The silent Uchiha Sasuke was the same.

More than anyone else, he hoped their instructor would be one of the village's strongest Jonin. Only then could he receive better guidance.

After all, the person he wanted revenge on was a super genius who had graduated from the Ninja Academy at seven, joined the Anbu before turning eleven, and later wiped out the Uchiha Clan single-handedly—an S-rank rogue ninja.

I hope he isn't mediocre.

Uchiha Sasuke silently thought to himself.

Menma was even more straightforward. He already knew the answer in advance, so why would he care? What was that? The plot was different, so their instructor might be different too?

Then Menma wanted to see who in all of Konohagakure was more suitable than Kakashi Hatake.

Don't forget.

Kakashi Hatake leading Team Seven was one matter of ability and identity, but the most important point was that Sarutobi Hiruzen trusted Kakashi Hatake!

Therefore, Menma was one hundred percent certain that Team Seven's instructor in this life would still be Kakashi Hatake.

And if he remembered correctly, the famous Mr. Fifty-Fifty had already arrived early and was currently hiding in some corner, secretly observing them.

This was also one of the most common methods ninjas used to gather intelligence.

At least another hour or two...

Menma slowly closed his eyes, intending to doze for a while.

Time passed bit by bit.

Nearly two hours had passed since the last batch of students, namely Team Ten with Shikamaru and the others, Team Eight, and the rest, had left.

Yet Team Seven's instructor still had not appeared.

Not to mention Sakura Haruno and Naruto.

Even Uchiha Sasuke had clearly revealed a trace of impatience.

Among the four of them.

Only Menma remained as steady as a rock, his expression calm.

"Why hasn't our teacher come yet? Don't tell me they forgot about today?"

Though Sakura Haruno was already wildly screaming in fury inside, she still had to put on the appearance of a well-behaved girl. Forcing out a strained smile, she said.