Team 11

"Looks like even the heavens are helping me!" Hyuga Gen was overjoyed. He truly hadn't expected to end up on the same team as Uchiha Izumi.

Normally, members of the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan would never be assigned to the same team. Besides, everyone knew the Uchiha and the Hyuga Clan didn't get along and couldn't stand each other, so putting them on one team wouldn't be good for teamwork.

Hyuga Gen hadn't held out any hope of being assigned to the same team as Uchiha Izumi, yet somehow the very thing he'd given up hope on had come true.

He'd thought he'd be assigned to a reconnaissance squad, just like in Shippuden, paired with someone who used insects and someone who walked dogs. That would've made a perfect scouting team.

But that wasn't what happened. Could it be that there were no insect users or dog walkers in his year? He really hadn't paid much attention. It seemed there weren't any in his class, at least, but he didn't know about the other classes.

"I wonder what Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi was thinking. What made him put Uchiha Izumi and me on the same team?" Hyuga Gen was curious.

Still, this worked out well for Hyuga Gen. He wouldn't have to stay in Konoha every day anymore. He'd planned to remain in Konoha until the night of the Uchiha Clan Massacre, so he wouldn't miss his chance to save Uchiha Izumi.

Now he didn't have to worry as much. After all, they were on the same team, and they'd go on missions and return together, which made it much less likely he'd miss his chance.

Of course, Hyuga Gen didn't know that this time it wasn't the heavens helping him. Uchiha Itachi, who had recently joined Anbu, had inadvertently given him a hand.

"All right, that's the team assignments for today. Get to know one another, and then you can go home. Your new team leader will arrive tomorrow, so be prepared." With that, he turned and left.

Today was graduation day at the Ninja Academy. They'd taken their final—and most important—exam that morning, and the teams were being assigned that afternoon.

The final exam tested the Clone Technique. As long as you could perform it successfully, you basically passed. It was no challenge at all for Hyuga Gen, but some of his classmates hadn't passed. They might have to repeat the year or be advised to give up on becoming ninja.

It had been no challenge for him. With his chakra control, he could've performed it perfectly, but Hyuga Gen had once again held back, keeping himself at an above-average level.

"You didn't pull some strings to get this assignment, did you?" Uchiha Izumi joked as she looked at Hyuga Gen. Even she thought it was too much of a coincidence.

"Do you think I have that kind of influence? You give me far too much credit," Hyuga Gen replied, exasperated.

Ninja teams were generally assigned directly by the Hokage. Ninja were an important force in protecting the village, so naturally the assignments were taken seriously.

Most people could barely even meet Lord Hokage, let alone influence his decisions. Once a decision was made, it was very difficult to change.

"H-hello, you two. M-my name is Tōyama. We'll be on the same team from now on, so I-I hope you'll look after me," someone came over and greeted them. He seemed nervous and unsure of himself.

Tōyama hadn't expected his two teammates to both come from prominent Konoha clans, and he felt inexplicably nervous. At the same time, he thought he'd gotten lucky; his chances of staying safe had gone up considerably.

Tōyama was from the class next door. When the teams were assigned, three classes had been combined. They'd been divided into eleven teams in total, and the three of them had ended up on Team 11.

There were six classes in their year. The students who passed the exams in the other three classes might also be divided into eleven teams, making twenty-two teams altogether. There were about seventy students in total.

"Hello, I'm..." Hyuga Gen and Uchiha Izumi both greeted him and briefly introduced themselves. That was how the three of them got acquainted.

As they chatted, Hyuga Gen learned that Tōyama's family was in business, mainly selling all kinds of lamps. So he was called Tōyama because his family sold lamps? Hyuga Gen couldn't help wanting to make fun of that.

But during their conversation, Hyuga Gen learned that Tōyama's family had only adopted "Tōyama" as their surname after getting into the lamp business. They'd supposedly done it to make things easier for customers to remember. Hyuga Gen thought his ancestor had been quite the entrepreneur.

Never underestimate the importance of a name. Someone looking to buy a lamp might think of the name and naturally end up going to their shop.

Of course, as a team, they needed to figure out what kinds of ninjutsu each of them excelled at. When they asked Tōyama, he stammered and couldn't come up with much. Hyuga Gen understood.

But that was normal. If Tōyama hadn't been at the bottom of the class, he wouldn't have been assigned to the same team as Hyuga Gen. He'd already guessed as much.

After all, ever since Uchiha Itachi left, the top spot in the class had gone to Uchiha Izumi. Before that, she and Uchiha Itachi had always been the top two students in class.

Uchiha Itachi had always ranked first: first in his class, first in his year, and first in the whole school. It showed how terrifyingly talented he was. Uchiha Izumi had ranked second in her class, though Hyuga Gen didn't know her exact standing in the year or the school.

Ever since Itachi left, she'd held on to the top spot in their class. Add Hyuga Gen's slightly above-average performance and a dead-last student, and the team's strength was finally somewhat balanced.

"From now on, we're teammates and friends. My treat tonight—let's celebrate," Hyuga Gen said.

"N-no, let me treat you. If there's anything I don't do well later, please point it out and help me," Tōyama hurriedly said.

Hyuga Gen couldn't be bothered to argue. He didn't mind who paid. In his previous world, he'd always looked for ways to skip the bill when he ate with people, all because he'd been broke. Now he had plenty of money.

After class, the three of them headed to Haidilao hot pot. Why go there again? Because people in Konoha usually went to one of two places for a get-together: Haidilao hot pot or Yixia BBQ Restaurant.

The name Yixia came from taking one character each from Hyuga Gen, Yu Zhihui, and Hyuga Natsu. It had opened around the same time as Haidilao, only a few days apart.

"This hot pot restaurant is great. I wonder how the owner came up with the idea. It's really impressive. I'd love to meet the owner." After they found a table and sat down, Tōyama sighed in admiration.

Uchiha Izumi glanced at Hyuga Gen. You've already met him. He's right in front of you. Of course, she only said it in her head.

"What's so impressive about the owner? He just opened a restaurant," Hyuga Gen said dismissively.

"It's not that simple. Just coming up with hot pot is impressive. Why hadn't anyone else thought of it before? And the way the place is decorated..." He went on to list everything he knew, clearly full of admiration for the restaurant's owner.

Hyuga Gen was pretty happy to hear someone praise him like that. As he listened, he kept nodding and occasionally chimed in with a compliment or two. Uchiha Izumi watched him from the side with a strange look on her face.

Hyuga Gen had meant to pay the bill partway through the meal, but the kid had already paid. He was pretty thoughtful.

After eating and drinking their fill, they parted ways in high spirits. But one of them wasn't feeling so cheerful. He might not get any sleep tonight.

Who will our team leader be tomorrow? Hyuga Gen lay in bed, looking forward to finding out.