The Fourth Member of Team 7

After entering the principal's office, the process was straightforward. After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already given them notice.

"You're Qingchuan Tianming?" The potbellied principal gave Tianming a few looks, then checked the documents before calling toward the door. "Iruka-sensei, please come in for a moment."

"Principal, you called for me?" Before long, a figure appeared in the doorway. He had a deep scar across his nose, but his face always carried a gentle smile that made people feel at ease.

Tianming quietly sized up Iruka as well. Naruto's first mentor was not much different from how he had been in the anime.

"This is Qingchuan Tianming, the transfer student personally assigned by the Hokage. Aren't you heading to the classroom? Take him along while you're at it."

"A transfer student? Principal, does the Ninja Academy have such a rule?" Iruka asked in confusion.

"There's no helping it. It's an order from the Hokage's office. The order only mentioned it briefly. He may be a special case, like that Naruto kid."

"Naruto..." Iruka paused. "I understand."

On the way from the principal's office to the classroom, Iruka kept glancing at Tianming from time to time.

At last, Tianming stopped walking and calmly said, "Iruka-sensei, is there something you want to say?"

"Ah..." Iruka had not expected a child to see through him. He could only admit, "Iruka-sensei has something to ask of you."

"What is it?" Tianming asked.

"Become friends with Naruto. I can tell you're a mature child, but Naruto is too careless and doesn't have many friends. Try being friends with him. He's really a very good person."

Tianming had not expected Iruka's request to be this. Just as expected of Iruka!

"Naruto and I are already friends."

Meanwhile, the classroom was packed.

The start of a new school year meant students would be assigned to classes for further study. Each class had an average of three students, along with a highly skilled ninja serving as their teacher.

After the class assignments, they would learn stronger ninjutsu, carry out missions, and lay the groundwork for becoming genin.

"What? I'm actually going to be in the same class as this expressionless guy? No way!!"

"Who wants to be with the dead last? I refuse!"

"Damn it, Sasuke, what did you say!!"

"Stop arguing!"

The classroom had already descended into chaos. The class assignments had just been announced, and aside from Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha kissing in public, the two popular boys had been assigned to Team 7 together, causing the room to explode.

The two of them clearly could not stand each other!

At the podium, Kakashi Hatake, the teacher in charge of Team 7, looked utterly unconcerned. Not only did he not stop them, he even pulled out Icha Icha Paradise and began reading.

"Kakashi-sensei, will Naruto and Sasuke start fighting?"

"Then let them fight."

"Kakashi-sensei, hurry and stop them!"

"There's no need."

Just as the classroom filled with the scent of gunpowder, a disappointed voice suddenly rang out from the doorway. "Naruto, what are you doing!..."

At the sound of that voice, Naruto, who had been all fired up, instantly wilted.

"Iruka-sensei..."

"Iruka-sensei, is something the matter?" Kakashi Hatake closed his book and asked.

"Kakashi-sensei, this is a transfer student assigned by the Hokage. He said the student was to be placed in the Team 7 under your leadership, so I brought him here," Iruka said.

"Got it." Kakashi Hatake nodded, then glanced at Tianming. "Find a seat and sit down."

Tianming immediately walked toward the crowd.

"Tianming, over here!" Naruto was astonished to see Tianming and quickly waved his arm.

Tianming naturally went over to sit beside him. As soon as he approached, he noticed Sasuke Uchiha's unfriendly gaze. "I can't refuse you joining Team 7, but let me make one thing clear: I don't like being held back."

After saying that, Sasuke went straight to a seat by the window.

"Damn it, Sasuke!" Naruto gritted his teeth until they clacked.

"Naruto, don't get angry." Tianming smiled before saying, "Sasuke is right. Being held back is indeed troublesome."

"Forget that expressionless guy. How did you end up transferring here?" Naruto made room for Tianming and asked impatiently.

The moment he asked that, Sakura Haruno and the other clueless students nearby clearly pricked up their ears as well.

After all, Tianming was an unfamiliar face who had never appeared at the academy before. No one had ever heard of someone skipping the first school year and transferring directly into the second.

"Didn't Iruka-sensei make it clear just now? I was assigned by the Hokage's office," Tianming said flatly.

That answer left everyone else thoroughly confused, but Sasuke Uchiha by the window showed a subtle reaction.

"All right, that's all for the important notes. Team 7, come with me. Everyone else, find your own teachers." With that, Kakashi Hatake tossed out those words from the podium and walked out the door.

He left behind nothing but a classroom full of baffled faces.

"Did Kakashi announce anything just now?"