Class Assignments

Naruto grinned foolishly at the Forehead Protector on his head. For some reason, he suddenly seemed to radiate a simple, honest charm.

"Had enough?" Teacher Iruka asked Naruto, pretending to be stern. The smile in his eyes, however, was impossible to hide.

"Now that everything's settled, could I trouble you to explain what happened to the Hokage? A traitor like him deserves severe punishment." Nanfeng glanced at Mizuki, who lay on the ground.

Thanks to Nanfeng's treatment, the man was no longer in immediate danger, but he still hadn't regained consciousness.

What concerned Nanfeng most was the notification he'd received from the system while treating him: it had detected an Unknown Reinforcement Potion and could analyze its components.

That must have been the reward Orochimaru had given Mizuki. It hadn't had much of a chance to take effect before the Explosive Tags blew him to pieces. Still, thanks to it, Mizuki had survived the explosion at close range.

"Nanfeng, you're close with the others. As you begin your lives as ninja, I'll have to ask you to look after them." Iruka gave Nanfeng a long, serious look.

Nanfeng hadn't taken part in the battle, but judging by the others' reactions, he was the heart of their three-man team.

"Who knows what the future holds? We've only just graduated, and there's no guarantee we'll even end up on the same team. But you can rest assured that if any of them run into trouble, I'll be the first to step in and help." Nanfeng made his promise solemnly.

Under Iruka's satisfied gaze, Nanfeng and the others left the battered grove.

If there was one place in the ninja world that took the most abuse, forests would be at the top of the list. But that wasn't something Nanfeng and the others needed to worry about. Restoring the area and handling the aftermath were Anbu responsibilities.

"How did they do?" Inside the Hokage Office, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked away from the Crystal Ball. He had kept the entire battle under surveillance, and a masked, silver-haired ninja was standing in the office with him.

"Although Naruto and Sasuke don't have much combat experience, they seem to have great chemistry, perhaps because they train together often. As for Nanfeng... I'm not sure how to assess him. But his Mystical Palm Technique is the most impressive I've seen from anyone his age."

Kakashi spoke earnestly. When he mentioned the Mystical Palm Technique, a trace of melancholy crept into his eyes. One of his former teammates had also been a Medical Ninja skilled in it.

"I've decided to put all three of them on your team. You already knew about this, but now that you've seen them in action, do you feel any pressure?" the Hokage asked, taking a puff of his pipe.

"There's bound to be some. Sasuke is a genius of the Uchiha clan, and Naruto has shown talent of his own. It's a shame his Chakra Control is so poor. With the right guidance, he could do even better. As for Nanfeng, we may have to find a separate path for him to train."

After all, Nanfeng had shown such remarkable talent in Medical Ninjutsu that Kakashi worried a careless interruption might damage an uncut gem.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. If you have no objections, get ready for your next assignment." The Hokage waved Kakashi away.

"You three... Last night's battle made me feel a little more at ease. Perhaps I already knew... The inheritors of the Will of Fire deserve to be trusted." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. Only after taking the seat of Hokage had he realized that the reasons behind many of his decisions no longer aligned with his true beliefs.

But for Konoha's sake, he had no choice!

At the Ninja Academy, the graduating class had gathered for the team assignment ceremony. When Uzumaki Naruto arrived wearing his Forehead Protector, quite a few people looked surprised.

"Dead Last, this is a meeting for the graduates. What are you doing here? Come to get humiliated?" Inuzuka Kiba's irritating voice rang out, and Naruto's expression darkened.

"Naruto graduated too. Can't you see the Forehead Protector on his head? We're all ninja now, so we should help each other out." Nanfeng's gentle voice broke the awkward tension between them. Given an opening, Inuzuka Kiba didn't say anything more.

"Everyone, settle down. The fact that you're all here means you have what it takes to become capable ninja. Now it's time for the team assignments. You'll be divided into three-person teams and carry out missions under the guidance of a Jonin!"

Iruka delivered the same speech he'd given countless times before. Nanfeng didn't have any particular expectations about the team assignments. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio would stay together, and Inuzuka Kiba, Shino Aburame, and Hinata probably wouldn't be split up either. He just wondered which team he'd end up on.

"Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Akiya Nanfeng!"

Nanfeng had nearly dozed off when he finally heard their team list. He'd already expected this result, but it still gave him a strange feeling.

After all, the original heroine, Sakura Haruno, had been assigned to a team of nobodies because Akiya Nanfeng had joined their group. The Jonin leading that team was someone whose name he'd never heard before!

"Sorry for throwing your life off its original course..." Nanfeng shook his head, then hurriedly covered his ears. He'd spotted Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno crowding around Sasuke and shrieking again. Were teenage girls always this terrifying?

"Brother Nanfeng, we didn't get assigned to the same team..." Hinata's soft, gentle voice reached his ears, warming him like a spring breeze.

"Don't worry. Even if we're not on the same team, we can still find time to train together. Kiba, Shino, make sure you look after Hinata, okay?" Nanfeng said jokingly.

"Don't worry! I'm going to be Hokage, so protecting my comrades is my responsibility!" Inuzuka Kiba thumped his chest. He wasn't a bad kid at heart, just a little foolish from growing up in an environment full of rumors and public opinion.

As the Jonin leaders arrived one by one, only Sasuke, Naruto, and Nanfeng remained in the classroom. With nothing better to do, the three of them gathered together and started whispering about something.

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