Secret Technique: One Thousand Years of Death!

Inside the Ninja Academy.

Time slowly trickled by as they waited.

One Jonin Instructor after another came to the classroom door and called away the students of their respective teams.

When Kurenai Yuhi of Team 8 appeared—the Special Jonin famed for genjutsu, with her pair of red eyes—Sakura was a little disappointed that she had not ended up on the same team as Sasuke, but she still pulled herself together and left with Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame, following the gentle-tempered yet sharp-eyed female jonin.

The three of the Ino-Shika-Cho of Team 9 were taken away by Asuma Sarutobi, a jonin who looked a little sloppy.

As one team after another was led away, the once-noisy classroom gradually fell quiet.

In the end, only three people remained.

By the window, Menma, Naruto, and Hinata were still sitting there.

The sunlight stretched the three of their shadows long, tangling them together across the floor.

"Ahhh—! This is taking forever!" Naruto jumped up from his seat for the countless time and paced back and forth through the classroom like a trapped beast in a cage. "The instructors for all the other teams have come already! Why hasn't ours shown up yet?! Don't tell me—don't tell me they forgot about us?!"

He rushed to the classroom door and stuck his head out, looking left and right.

The corridor was empty. There was not a single figure in sight.

"Damn it!" Naruto slammed his fist hard against the doorframe, making a dull thud. "How long are we supposed to wait?!"

Menma leaned back against his chair, arms folded across his chest, eyes closed in repose, displaying an astonishing tolerance for the noise pollution Naruto was producing.

But after listening to the endless "buzzing" by his ear, he finally could not help but sigh softly.