Iruka's class was already bustling, with a large group of girls gathered around Sasuke, vying for a spot beside him.
When Kiyotaki appeared in the classroom, another wave of cheers rang out.
"Wow, Kiyotaki-kun's here!"
"Kiyotaki-kun, sit over here!"
"Kiyotaki-kun, come sit with me! I put on really nice perfume today!"
"Kiyotaki, don't sit with her. She has body odor!"
"You're the one with body odor! Your whole family stinks!"
The two girls started arguing, and the others quickly joined in.
"Tch! Women are such a pain."
Shikamaru yawned with one hand near his mouth and pursed his lips in boredom.
"Exactly! Women aren't as good as potato chips."
Choji tossed another handful of chips into his mouth and munched away, looking blissful.
Shikamaru was at a loss for words. He didn't even know how to respond.
"But Kiyotaki's so popular with girls. I'm jealous."
Choji chewed his chips and narrowed his eyes contentedly. Though he said he was jealous, his attention never left the chips, and he didn't look jealous at all.
"At the Ninja Academy, the only person as popular with girls as Sasuke is Kiyotaki!"
Shikamaru sighed helplessly.
There was no disputing that Sasuke was handsome: with his good looks, refined manners, and cool, aloof air.
Kiyotaki was the complete opposite: tall and upright, with sharp brows and bright eyes, and a sunny kind of handsomeness.
He was even more popular outside school. Who in Konoha didn't like such a handsome, sunny boy?
And the older he got, the more popular he became. Word was that several wealthy women in Konoha had already set their sights on him, just waiting for him to grow up so they could make their move.
"If only I were that popular with girls!"
Kiba Inuzuka sighed from nearby, both envious and frustrated.
"That's not something we can help envying."
Choji took it in stride. Hearing him, Kiba slumped over his desk, feeling defeated.
Meanwhile, Naruto had already jumped onto a desk and squared off against Sasuke. He had no idea he was about to kiss Sasuke, and that an iconic scene was about to unfold!
Sasuke glanced at Kiyotaki, who was just as popular, then turned to meet Naruto's gaze. Their eyes seemed to spark.
Just then, someone accidentally bumped Naruto from behind. He stumbled and fell toward Sasuke.
"Smack!"
Naruto and Sasuke ended up kissing!
"Whoa!"
The whole room erupted! The girls who had been arguing moments before stood frozen in shock, and even the boys were stunned.
Sakura Haruno could almost hear her heart shattering.
"Click!"
A flash went off, followed by the sound of a camera shutter.
Naruto and Sasuke finally snapped out of it and pulled apart, clutching their throats as they gagged.
Once they'd managed to recover, they looked up and met each other's eyes. Then they bent over and gagged again.
By the time they recovered once more, Kiyotaki had come over with his camera. Smiling, he held out two photos.
"You're graduating soon, so here's a graduation gift from me."
Naruto and Sasuke took the photos and looked at them. They showed the exact moment the two of them had kissed "passionately."
They broke out in a cold sweat. The sensation from that moment—the soft touch of their lips—seemed to rise up in their minds again.
They couldn't help gagging once more.
Urgh~~
......
Not long after, Iruka came into the classroom with the team assignments. Looking at the noisy room, he thought with a sigh, Young people have so much energy!
"Everyone, quiet down for a moment!"
It took Iruka a while to calm them all down.
"I know you're all excited to become Konoha Genin. Your lives as ninjas have only just begun, and you'll need to keep working hard to improve."
Then he took out the team assignment list.
"I'll now announce the team assignments."
"Team 1, ......"
"Next is Team 7: Sakura Haruno, Uzumaki Naruto, and Sasuke!"
Naruto was thrilled to hear he'd be on the same team as Sakura Haruno. But when Sasuke's name was called, he looked as if the world had ended. Sakura Haruno, on the other hand, was overjoyed.
Kiyotaki sighed.
"You idiot, Naruto. What's so great about Sakura Haruno? Isn't Hinata much better?"
Iruka finished reading the list without calling Kiyotaki's name. Kiyotaki had been prepared for that; he'd already requested not to be teamed up with anyone.
A team of one!
"Tenzawa Kiyotaki, you'll be informed of your assignment tomorrow."
"Everyone else, wait in the classroom for your Jonin instructors to come and take you."
As he spoke, Iruka put away the roster and turned to leave.
Kiyotaki ran after him, too. Hinata watched him go, looking a little worried.
"Kiyotaki-kun wasn't assigned to a team. I hope he'll be all right."
Outside the classroom, Kiyotaki caught up with Iruka.
"Wait, Iruka-sensei! This is a keepsake for you."
"Huh?"
Iruka stopped and turned in surprise to look at Tenzawa Kiyotaki.
Kiyotaki handed him a photo. It showed Iruka getting a nosebleed while watching the Naruto Technique.
Iruka looked at the photo in his hands, feeling awkward and reflective.
He'd taught these students for so long, and in the blink of an eye, they'd grown up. One by one, they'd become Genin.
"Thank you, Kiyotaki-kun."
"You're welcome!"
Kiyotaki had given every student in the class a photo, each capturing one of their best moments.
Of course, that included iconic scenes like the one with Naruto and Sasuke!
Before you continue