Group Assignment

At this moment, Sakura and Ino rushed into the classroom, panting heavily. The two of them had been engaged in a race on the way there.

Even after entering the classroom, the two were still arguing over who had arrived first and who had arrived second.

This kind of "rivalry" could hardly be called a partnership. True rivals enjoy pushing each other to improve, whereas the current relationship between Sakura and Ino was merely hoping that the other would fare worse than themselves. There was no thought of mutual benefit or a win-win situation.

Look at Might Guy and Kakashi; how many times had Might Guy clearly won a "duel" against Kakashi, only to admit his own defeat because of Kakashi's "sophistry (flirtation)"? From then on, he would train even harder. That is what you call a competitive partnership.

As soon as Naruto, sitting beside Yashui, saw Sakura, his cheeks immediately flushed red, and he stared at her with a lovesick expression. However, Sakura ignored him completely. Compared to Naruto, Sakura was far more interested in Sasuke.

The moment the two fangirls saw Sasuke, their eyes instantly turned into pentagrams.

"I entered the classroom first, I'm sitting next to Sasuke."

"I did, I'm sitting next to Sasuke."

The two girls' bickering quickly drew a crowd of other students. Judging by the reactions of their classmates, they were already accustomed to this kind of squabble between Sakura and Ino. Moreover, their arguments were always over Sasuke.

These onlookers did nothing but jeer and watch the spectacle. As the saying goes, the more chaotic the scene, the better. The children in the world of Naruto truly loved to stir up trouble.

"Geez, what is so great about that guy Sasuke anyway?" Naruto glanced at Sasuke.

Sasuke had no interest whatsoever in this argument centered around him. Since it made no difference to him who won or lost, he couldn't be bothered to waste energy on such matters.

"Thump! Thump!"

Naruto suddenly stepped onto Sasuke's desk, glaring at him with a fierce look in his eyes.

Seeing Naruto make such a move, Sakura and Ino, who were off to the side, began to align their spears against a common enemy.

"Sasuke, hurry up and teach Naruto a lesson!"

"Naruto, how could you do such a thing!"

Naruto's motive for doing this was simple: he just wanted to show off in front of the person he liked. But now, instead of impressing anyone, he had been scolded by the girl he liked.

Sakura's barrage of insults left Naruto feeling incredibly awkward. He wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

But awkwardness was one thing; if he backed down here, how would he ever be able to hold his head up in the ninja circle in the future?

Therefore, Naruto did not retreat. Instead, he leaned in even closer, staring daggers at Sasuke.

Although Sasuke appeared uninterested in Naruto on the surface, he had actually long regarded Naruto as a worthy opponent. He often observed Naruto; while Naruto was poor at Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, his physical stamina and basic Taijutsu were quite good for the class. Even if Sasuke were to fight such an opponent, it wouldn't be beneath his dignity.

And so, Naruto and Sasuke locked eyes. They stared into each other's eyes, sparks and lightning flying between them.

"Ah, sorry." A student accidentally poked Naruto in the butt, catching him off guard and instantly throwing him off balance. His body leaned forward, following the pull of gravity.

"Really, I'm sorry." This student was Fujiwara Shiro, who had passed the exam yesterday. However, there was no point in remembering the name of such a minor character.

Fujiwara Shiro's problem was minor, but the problem for Naruto and Sasuke was huge.

Naruto failed to maintain his balance, and his face slammed directly onto Sasuke's. Naturally, the lips of the two boys collided. Judging by Naruto's weight and the fact that he managed to maintain his balance after the kiss, it was highly likely that Naruto and Sasuke had...

"..."

One would truly suspect that the teacher had suddenly walked into the classroom. As soon as this scene unfolded, the entire room fell into an unnervingly abnormal silence.

After a moment of silence, a burst of shrieks erupted. Sakura and Ino were practically on the verge of a breakdown, and Naruto