An unexpected team configuration.
A four-person cell.
Even Menma was momentarily speechless. The same could be said for the rest of the class — after all, in their understanding, the Academy's graduation system always placed new genin into three-man cells led by a jōnin sensei. So why had a four-member team suddenly appeared?
The entire classroom went silent before erupting into a wave of murmurs and surprised whispers. Dozens of curious eyes darted between Menma, Sasuke, and Naruto.
Even the usually indifferent Shikamaru Nara raised an eyebrow.
"This is troublesome…" he muttered, clearly intrigued by the deviation from the usual pattern.
And then there was Haruno Sakura, who, upon hearing her team assignment, couldn't contain her excitement.
"Y-Yes! I can't believe it!" she cheered, her face lighting up in pure delight.
Not only had she been paired with Uchiha Sasuke, the boy she admired, but also with Naruto, the son of the Fourth Hokage — and Menma, the top student in the entire Academy.
Sakura's joy was entirely justified.
However, her loud exclamation drew countless looks — some envious, some annoyed — from around the room. Most of them were girls who had admired Sasuke from afar, though a few boys, jealous of Menma's reputation, also glared.
Sakura instantly felt the weight of their stares.
Her shoulders tensed, and she quickly sank into her seat, forcing an awkward smile.
She had no doubt that if she said anything else, the "Sasuke Fan Club" would tear her apart on the spot.
'Don't look at me, don't look at me,' she muttered internally, wishing she could disappear like a ninja using a genjutsu.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke both turned their attention toward Menma.
Naruto grinned widely, his signature enthusiasm shining through.
"Hey, looks like we're on the same team, huh? Sasuke, Menma, and Sakura — guess we're gonna make one awesome squad!"
He raised a confident thumb, his blue eyes gleaming.
Though Naruto in this timeline had matured differently — no longer the lonely outcast obsessed with Sakura — his easygoing spirit hadn't changed. His relationship with Hinata Hyūga had also grown stronger; with the Hyūga clan respecting the son of the Fourth Hokage, there was no longer any stigma attached to their bond.
Still, true to his nature, Naruto had a soft spot for Sakura.
But before anyone could process the odd team structure, the room suddenly erupted in protests.
"That's not fair, Iruka-sensei!"
"Why are Menma, Sasuke, and Naruto in the same team!?"
"Four people!? That's impossible!"
"This is totally biased!"
The classroom devolved into chaos, filled with voices of disbelief. No one cared about the number of members anymore — what really stung was that the three strongest and most popular students were grouped together.
Menma and Sasuke had always held the top two ranks at the Academy, and although Naruto's written scores were lower, his practical ability placed him easily among the top five.
For the other students, it felt like the village itself had declared, "These are the chosen ones."
The only one who didn't share their enthusiasm was Sakura, who was beginning to feel the daggers of envy pointed her way.
Iruka sighed, adjusting his hitai-ate. He had anticipated this reaction.
"Quiet down, everyone!" he said firmly, striking the podium.
When the noise finally died down, Iruka continued.
"The team placement for Menma, Naruto, and Sasuke was personally arranged by the Hokage himself. There's no mistake in it."
The moment the words "Hokage himself" were spoken, the class fell silent for a second before breaking into whispers again.
"The Hokage?!"
"You mean Lord Third actually decided it himself?"
"Well, that makes sense, I guess… it's Sasuke, Menma, and the Hokage's son."
"Still! Why is Sakura with them!?"
The atmosphere oscillated between reluctant acceptance and disbelief.
Menma, meanwhile, had regained his composure.
So the Third Hokage made the arrangement personally…
He pondered quietly.
Was this the pull of destiny, the "inertia" of the original story asserting itself again — or the Hokage's way of keeping an eye on the twins' power?
Either way, it was a logical arrangement.
If there was anyone in the village capable of managing a team composed of the Hokage's son, the Uchiha prodigy, and the mysterious Menma, it could only be Hatake Kakashi — the Copy Ninja.
Kakashi, once the student of the Fourth Hokage himself, possessed the experience, strength, and composure required to handle such an unpredictable mix.
It's fitting, Menma thought with a quiet sigh. The pieces are falling into place again.
He glanced at Naruto, who returned his look with a grin, and then turned toward Sasuke, who huffed and crossed his arms, pretending not to care.
Menma couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Still the same — all pride and no words.
Despite the uproar below, the decision was final. Team 7 would consist of Uzumaki Menma, Namikaze Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and Haruno Sakura.
Even Iruka's patience began to wear thin, and his tone shifted to something closer to authority.
"That's enough. The team lineup is decided. No more objections."
Silence fell across the room.
"Now," Iruka continued, "the rest of the class will listen carefully. Class 8: Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino. Class 9…"
He continued down the list until, finally, "Class 10: Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chōji."
Aside from Team 7's unusual configuration, the remaining placements matched the traditional structure exactly — mirroring the original lineup that had shaped the next generation of Konoha's shinobi.
Iruka closed the roster and looked around at the familiar faces of the students he had taught for six long years.
He smiled faintly, though there was a glimmer of emotion in his eyes.
"That concludes the class assignments. Your instructors will be arriving soon. I wish you all good fortune on your ninja paths."
With that, he bowed slightly and turned toward the door, his sandals echoing softly against the floor as he left the room.
Moments later, one by one, Konoha jōnin began entering the classroom to collect their respective teams.
"Class 1, follow me."
"Class 3."
"Class 11."
"Class 5."
Students filed out, their chatter filling the hallway.
Before long, Asuma Sarutobi, with his ever-present cigarette, and Kurenai Yūhi, graceful and composed, appeared to collect Classes 10 and 8.
And then, as the crowd thinned, the once-bustling classroom was left almost empty with only four figures remaining: Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Menma.
Their story — the story of the new Team 7 was about to begin.