The team assignments were scheduled to be announced that afternoon.
The classroom was noisier in the afternoon than it had been that morning. A day had passed since the graduation exam, but the excitement had yet to wear off. Forehead protectors were worn every which way: wrapped around heads, tied to bag straps, fastened crookedly. The windows were open, and the breeze lifted a corner of the roster on the lectern, then let it fall. Iruka pinned it down with a finger and cleared his throat.
By the time the first few teams had been read out, the classroom had already erupted once. Some students high-fived the person across from them; others slumped forward and buried their faces in their arms. When Team 7's turn came, the noise paused for half a beat, and everyone pricked up their ears.
"Team 7," Iruka read. "Sasuke Uchiha."
A low chorus of "Ooh" rose from the back row, unsurprised. Someone turned to look at Sasuke. Sasuke looked out the window.
"Sakura Haruno."
Someone in the front row clenched a fist, quickly, then immediately laid it flat again. Sakura sat straighter than before.
"Naruto Uzumaki."
Before his name had fully left Iruka's mouth, the groaning began. It drifted in from one cluster after another, from every team's direction, and gathered into a single wave before the lectern.
"Here!" Naruto thrust his hand straight up from his seat, higher than anyone else's. Nobody paid him any attention. The groaners kept groaning, and the sighers kept sighing.
Iruka slapped the lectern. "One at a time. There's still one last group."
He lowered his eyes to the next line and paused for half a beat before speaking.
"Uchiha Kiyoshi."
The classroom fell silent for two breaths.
"Two Uchiha?" someone in the front row blurted out first.
"A