Lord Card Arrives, Survival Exercise Begins

Nani? Why am I being put in the same class as this smug-faced brat?

Naruto Uzumaki immediately stood up, his mouth twitching as he questioned Iruka.

Initially, Naruto had been overjoyed to hear that he would be in the same class as his big brother, Lin Fan.

But upon hearing that the third member of their team was Sasuke Uchiha, he felt as if he had been plunged into an ice cellar.

"Naruto, you're a dead-last who couldn't even pass the Ninja Academy graduation exam, and you have the nerve to be picky here?"

"You should be counting your lucky stars that two top-of-the-class students are willing to take you along on missions!"

After Iruka roared in anger, he stepped down from the podium and gave Naruto a sharp rap on the head.

However, he was quite satisfied with this arrangement.

Iruka's harshness toward Naruto stemmed from deep affection.

He believed that with the help of two geniuses like Lin Fan and Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto would surely experience rapid growth.

And the strength of Team 7 would undoubtedly rise to fame in the future, its reputation spreading across the Five Great Nations.

Hmph, to be able to compete and study in the same class as him? That doesn't sound too bad.

After Sasuke Uchiha muttered this while staring at Lin Fan not far away, a rare smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

At this moment, Lin Fan looked at the two boys, each lost in their own thoughts, and couldn't help but shake his head.

It seemed impossible to be on the same team without getting caught up in the bromance between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.

But since he had been assigned to Team 7, he wouldn't treat his two companions any differently.

Clearly, Lin Fan held nothing but disdain for Sakura's behavior in the original story, where she would fawn over Sasuke Uchiha when things were fine and run to Naruto Uzumaki when she needed help.

"Alright, my task is complete. Once you leave the school, the rest is up to you."

After Iruka announced the team assignments, he left the classroom with the roster, looking relieved.

A while later.

Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, and the other jonin teachers appeared one after another, taking their respective students away.

In the end, only Sasuke Uchiha, Lin Fan, and Naruto Uzumaki remained in the classroom.

Just as they were feeling bored, a playful impulse struck Lin Fan and Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto Uzumaki wedged a blackboard eraser into the door gap, while Lin Fan placed a copy of the manga My Neighbor's Aunt on top of it.

Sasuke Uchiha couldn't help but twitch his mouth from his seat. Heh, the target is a jonin; do you really think he'll fall for such a childish trap?

Thump, thump.

"He's coming, he's coming."

Hearing the hurried footsteps outside the door, Lin Fan said excitedly.

Creeeak.

Thump.

As the door was gently pushed open, the blackboard eraser and the manga book both slammed onto Kakashi's head.

"Yeah! Our first mission as Team 7 is a huge success!"

Naruto Uzumaki squinted his eyes and pumped his fist in excitement.

Sasuke Uchiha, meanwhile, shook his head helplessly from his seat. Does this white-haired ninja really have the strength of a jonin?

Kakashi clearly didn't mind the prank, but his eyes lit up the moment he saw the cover of the manga book lying on the floor.

He patted the dust off the book, bent down, and quickly tucked the manga into his pocket.

"Ahem. In exchange for this manga you've gifted me, I'll let this slide for now. Follow me."

After Kakashi said this languidly, he turned his back, pulled out the manga to browse through it with excitement, and walked out of the classroom.

The four of them soon arrived at a platform where they could rest.

"You three little ones, introduce yourselves to your teacher. Tell me your likes, your dreams, and things like that!"

After Kakashi finished speaking, he immediately closed the manga, preparing to listen carefully.

Naruto Uzumaki spoke up first: "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like Ichiraku Ramen, instant noodles, and stuff like that. My biggest dream is to become the Hokage."

Kakashi nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this.

However, he then looked at the scrawny Naruto Uzumaki.

The current Naruto Uzumaki was clearly still a long way from his father, Kakashi's own teacher, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I don't have many things I like, and I have plenty of things I hate. But I do have an ambition."

"My dream is to restore the Uchiha Clan, and also, I must personally kill a certain man."

Sasuke Uchiha said this with his hands clenched into fists, his eyes filled with frost.

Kakashi felt a sudden shock in his heart.

He naturally understood who the man Sasuke Uchiha was referring to, and as a former partner in the Anbu, he was quite familiar with him.

Compared to the man Sasuke wants to kill, his current strength is still worlds apart.

"Both of you have such grand dreams. What about you?"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and asked Lin Fan.

Lin Fan's lips curled upward. "My dream is probably to unify the ninja world, and I will kick away every single stumbling block that hinders my progress, one by one."

There really isn't a single normal person in this class.

Hearing a dream even more unrealistic than Naruto wanting to become Hokage, Kakashi couldn't help but laugh and curse inwardly.

In Team 7, there is one hot-blooded idiot who charges headlong into everything, one cold-faced genius filled with deep resentment, and one ambitious boy with formidable strength.

Looking at the three of them, who all seemed difficult to manage, a headache inevitably struck him.

Kakashi forced a smile. "Alright, all three of you have rich personalities. Very interesting."

"Next, I will talk about the survival exercise we are conducting tomorrow. Listen carefully to what I say, and don't get scared!"

"Out of the 27 graduates, only 9 will eventually become genin. The others will be sent back to the Ninja Academy."

"So, this will be an ultra-difficult exercise to determine whether you can qualify as genin!"

"Meet at the training ground at six tomorrow morning. Remember not to eat breakfast, or you'll regret it!"

Poof!

A puff of white smoke drifted by.

After finishing his sentence, Kakashi vanished instantly.

Upon hearing this, Naruto's eyes rolled back in shock.

If only nine people could become genin in the end, wouldn't he, the dead-last, be the one guaranteed to be eliminated?

Lin Fan noticed Naruto's anxiety and comforted him, "Don't worry. Our Team 7 is a unit. With Sasuke and me by your side, we will definitely pass the exercise."

Naruto nodded, feeling slightly reassured.

At this moment, Lin Fan was quite excited. Tomorrow should be the bell-snatching battle; he wondered what kind of guidance mission the system would issue then.

Nine o'clock the next day, at the training ground.

Kakashi arrived at a slow stroll, a full three hours late.

Naruto immediately complained, "Kakashi-sensei, why are you so late?"

"Sorry, sorry. I was helping Grandma Li with her Space Gate this morning, so I was a little late."

Kakashi gave an awkward smile.

In reality, he had been so engrossed in the manga My Neighbor's Aunt that Lin Fan had given him that he had lost track of time.

Kakashi didn't waste any more time and took two bells out of his pocket.

"Your mission is to snatch the two bells in my hand before twelve noon!"

"Whoever fails to get one will be tied to that post over there, and you'll have to watch me eat my bento at noon."

... Naruto: Starting with Infinite Skill Points by Shenqi Xiao Sima