Chapter 126: Team Assignments
"Time for team assignments..."
Iruka began reading that crucial team assignment list. Haruno Sakura's feelings were somewhat complex as she glanced at Uchiha Satsuki, who was sitting beside Naruto not far away, whispering something to him...
She had once fantasized about the chance to be in the same class as her... After all, Satsuki was both amazing and beautiful...
But as soon as this thought emerged, another wave of reluctant emotion surged up. But if we're assigned to different teams, I'll probably have to separate from Ino...
Due to Satsuki being a girl in this timeline, Sakura and Yamanaka Ino hadn't become bitter rivals fighting over Sasuke like in the original story.
Though they occasionally had small competitions, they generally maintained quite a good friendship.
"Ino, who do you want to..."
Sakura had just started to turn around, wanting to quietly ask Ino beside her who she hoped to be grouped with, but was surprised to find Ino with her eyes tightly closed, hands clasped together at her chest, muttering rapidly under her breath.
"Not on the same team as Naruto... not on the same team as Satsuki... not on the same team as Naruto... not on the same team as Satsuki..."
"Ino? What are you doing?" Sakura was completely confused by her friend's bizarre behavior.
Just then, Iruka on the podium called out familiar names.
"Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura..."
Sakura looked toward the podium. However, at the exact moment her name and Naruto's name were called out—
An extremely sudden, bone-chilling coldness like invisible needle points abruptly stabbed toward her back!
Sakura's entire body shuddered violently. She couldn't describe that feeling... it was like being targeted by something extremely terrifying hidden in the shadows, filled with indescribable oppressive force!
What's happening?!
Sakura instinctively tensed her body, panicking as she tried to turn around to find the source of this terrible threat—but then Iruka's next words rang out clearly.
"—and Uchiha Satsuki."
Eh?!!
She... was really assigned to the same group as Satsuki?! The enormous joy of being in the same class as someone she admired instantly scattered that strange sense of threat, making Sakura's mood soar from the depths to the peak like riding a roller coaster!
And almost at the same instant that "Uchiha Satsuki" was announced, that suffocating coldness that had locked onto her suddenly receded like a tide, vanishing without a trace.
Sakura blinked in confusion, not having time to think about what that strange feeling had been before being overwhelmed by tremendous joy.
"Great, Ino! Satsuki and I...!"
Sakura immediately turned around, eager to share this incredible happiness with her best friend, but instead saw Ino looking at her with an extremely complex expression.
In that gaze, there was relief at having just avoided a great disaster, but more than that... was actually a deep sense of... pity?
"Sakura... listen carefully."
Ino reached out with both hands, gripping Sakura's shoulders firmly, her expression more serious and solemn than ever before.
Startled by her friend's sudden serious attitude, Sakura instinctively responded, "Yes...?"
"Absolutely! Don't get too close to Naruto! Especially... don't appear beside them when he and Satsuki are together! Otherwise... something really, really terrible will definitely happen!"
"Eh? Naruto? Why?" Sakura was completely bewildered. "Naruto doesn't seem like the type who would..."
"Just listen to me! Trust me!" Ino interrupted Sakura's questions, tightening her grip. "For the sake of your life and safety! Remember this!"
On the other side, completely different from the anxious Ino, Uchiha Satsuki's greatest fear hadn't come to pass. When she heard her name closely linked with Naruto's, the heavy stone in her heart finally settled completely.
She rarely showed such joyful emotion, turning slightly toward Naruto beside her to whisper something, her eyes and brows carrying undisguised happiness, while Naruto also smiled in response.
On the podium, Iruka didn't notice these small episodes below and continued reading the team assignments.
"Team 8: Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino."
"..."
"Team 10: Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji."
Hearing that her teammates were the laziest guy in class, Nara Shikamaru, and the chubby Choji, Ino couldn't help but purse her lips, feeling annoyed.
Sigh... really, why these two guys...
But this annoyance was quickly replaced by another, stronger emotion—relief after surviving a disaster.
Whatever... though it's boring, it's still safer than... safer than being grouped with those two!
After that came the time to wait for their respective supervising Jonin to come claim their new team members. The students in the classroom gradually decreased as names were called one by one.
Slowly, those familiar faces appeared once again in succession.
Sarutobi Asuma, with a cigarette in his mouth and looking like a middle-aged man, pushed open the door and casually waved toward Team 10. "Team 10, let's go."
He led Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Choji out of the classroom. Before leaving, Ino didn't forget to give Sakura a "may the gods help you" look.
Next, the cool and elegant Yuhi Kurenai also entered, her gaze precisely landing on the three members of Team 8. "Team 8, follow me."
Hyuga Hinata quietly responded and hurried to follow, Inuzuka Kiba energetically shouted "Osu!", while Aburame Shino silently adjusted his sunglasses.
Other unnamed background students were also successively taken away by their respective supervising Jonin.
Soon, the originally bustling classroom was left with only three lonely people—Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Satsuki, and Haruno Sakura.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Sakura looked at Satsuki's cool, beautiful profile in the front row, took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and with a slight blush on her face, actively approached to start a conversation.
"Um... Satsuki-san, after our supervising Jonin arrives... would you like to go have lunch together? Just to... celebrate being assigned to the same team, and we could get to know each other better..."
Before she could finish speaking, Satsuki directly refused without even turning her head.
"No thanks. I have other things to do."
"Eh?" Sakura hadn't expected to be rejected so bluntly and hurriedly tried to salvage the situation. "But... we're about to fight side by side in the same team, shouldn't we get to know each other and develop some teamwork at this point..."
"Not interested."
Satsuki's tone remained cold. "As for teamwork, developing it during missions will be enough. You just need to make sure you don't hold us back during future missions."
Satsuki was indeed feeling somewhat troubled at this moment. Originally, she had been slightly worried that this girl named Haruno Sakura might have inappropriate thoughts about Naruto.
As it turned out, this girl had been trying to strike up conversations with her since just now, and that overly enthusiastic and focused attitude actually made Satsuki feel somewhat irritated and... wary?
Meanwhile, Naruto silently watched this scene. This Satsuki who radiated a cold "stay away" aura toward others was the normal state he was familiar with from the original story belonging to the "Uchiha Sasuke."
This attitude was something she would only display toward people other than himself, Uncle Fugaku, and Aunt Mikoto.
Only at times like this could Naruto clearly see that proud shadow from the original story in Satsuki.
Uh... did I maybe go a bit too far?
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