A special thank you to my patrons:
—Cain, Shahzaam, Varun Madhu, kevin Williams, Jose Carrillo, Jose Sierra, Silver, Archer, ManyEB, Acedia, Zhandos Kauzhanov, Kylo Ren, Mursuland, Vora, kurtis newman, 66835.
You can read 30 chapters ahead of everyone on p@treon.
P@TREON - [email protected]/lessaservantofcosmos
(just replace the "@" with "a")
ps: Please support me on P@treon. I can really use your help!
-------------------------------------------------------------
"W-what's wrong?"
Sakura spoke nervously. It was the first time she had seen such a dark, menacing expression on Sasuke's face. Frankly, it frightened her.
Sasuke didn't mince his words. "Get lost."
"I... I..."
Sakura looked at Sasuke, deeply hurt. She hadn't expected him to speak to her like that.
Naruto slammed a hand on the desk. "Hey, Sasuke! That's going too far! How can you talk to Sakura that way?"
Sasuke glanced at Naruto and sneered. "You're no different, dead last. If you hadn't gotten lucky and run into him, do you think I'd bother talking to you at all?"
Sakura cautiously asked, "Him? Who... who is that?"
Naruto's gaze lowered. He was silent for a moment before answering quietly, "Kagaya."
Behind Sakura, Ino's eyes flickered slightly. She couldn't help but ask, "How is he doing now? Is he okay?"
"He's okay," Naruto replied.
After that, the four of them fell silent. No one wanted to continue discussing such a heavy topic.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office.
The Jōnin instructors for the new graduates and the Third Hokage were observing the students about to undergo their test using the Telescope Technique.
"Is that him? The top rookie this year, Uchiha Sasuke," Asuma remarked, looking at the image of Sasuke displayed on the crystal ball.
Uchiha. That surname was one that evoked complicated feelings. Not long ago, they had fought against one of Sasuke's peers from the same clan. It had taken eight Jōnin just to barely recover the Scroll of Seals. It was a rather terrifying thought.
"That's right," the Third Hokage confirmed with a nod. He was aware of the complex emotions this group of Jōnin likely felt towards the Uchiha name, having recently clashed with one of the clan's top prodigies.
"That's the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan Massacre, isn't it?" Kurenai asked, her expression equally complex.
Kakashi stood in a corner, his gaze fixed on Sasuke's image in the distant crystal ball. He muttered quietly to himself, "The Uchiha... Obito... Kagaya..."
He raised a hand to touch the forehead protector covering his left eye. It seemed he was forever intertwined with that clan.
Back in the Ninja Academy classroom.
The four of them stopped discussing Kagaya. However, as more girls arrived, they began fawning over Sasuke with starry-eyed infatuation.
This immediately provoked Naruto. Rolling his eyes, he jumped onto the desk, glaring intently at Sasuke.
Sasuke looked up slightly, meeting Naruto's gaze at close range.
The two stared at each other intensely, neither saying a word.
Sakura clenched her fists. "Naruto, stop pestering Sasuke!"
Naruto turned his head to look at the angry Sakura.
'Sakura...'
Then, he turned his glare back to Sasuke.
'Why does everyone always go on and on about Sasuke this, Sasuke that? What's so great about a guy like him?'
Naruto and Sasuke continued their death stare.
"Sasuke, hurry up and deal with that guy!"
"Yeah, yeah!" The surrounding girls kept egging them on.
And at that very moment, a boy sitting behind Naruto was chatting animatedly with a friend. Getting carried away, he leaned back.
"Hey, really?!" he exclaimed to his friend.
The important part was that when he leaned back, he bumped into Naruto.
The result was that Naruto and Sasuke's faces collided, their lips meeting.
Instantly, all sound in the classroom ceased. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the two boys who were now kissing.
"Huh? Huh?! HUH!!!"
Sakura nearly collapsed.
'Damn it! I was supposed to be the one to take Sasuke's first kiss!'
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke sprang apart the moment it happened, clutching their throats and retching violently.
Sasuke: "Naruto... I'm going to kill you!"
Naruto: "My mouth is gonna rot off!"
The boy who caused it: "Huh? Was... was it my fault?"
Sakura stared at Naruto with a completely blank expression. "Naruto, you..."
Naruto instantly realized what might be coming and hurriedly explained, "It was an accident! A complete accident!"
Sakura cracked her knuckles. "Shut up!"
What followed was a sound beating.
Shortly after, Iruka entered the classroom, walked to the podium, and addressed the now-seated students.
"Congratulations! From today onward, you are officially shinobi in your own right! However, you are still rookie Genin. The true hardships are only just beginning. From now on, you will be divided into teams of three, forming a squad. You will follow a Jōnin-sensei and carry out missions."
Naruto, sporting a bruised and swollen face, perked up for the first time.
'Teams of three? First, I absolutely have to be on the same team as Sakura. As for the other person, as long as it's not Sasuke, anyone will do.' Naruto fantasized happily.
Sasuke, on the other hand, thought with annoyance, 'Tch. Teams of three? Just adds more people who'll get in the way.'
Iruka now stepped down from the podium, standing in front of it with a piece of paper in hand.
"To ensure balanced capabilities across all squads, the teams will be decided by your instructors. I will now announce the groupings!"
He then began reading out the team assignments. After a while...
"Now then, next up, Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto..."
Naruto: "Oh."
"Haruno Sakura..."
Sakura: "Huh?"
Hearing this, Naruto was overjoyed and immediately stood up. "YES! This is great!"
Sakura, however, lowered her head in disappointment. "With Naruto..."
"And lastly, Uchiha Sasuke!"
But Iruka's final words saved Sakura. This time, it was Sakura's turn to excitedly jump to her feet. "YES! This is great!"
And Naruto, mirroring Sakura's earlier disappointment, lowered his head dejectedly. "With Sasuke..."
In the distance, Hinata looked at Naruto, thinking sadly, 'I'm not in the same team as Naruto-kun...'
Iruka continued announcing. "Next, Team 8: Hyūga Hinata..."
Hinata: "Ah! Y-yes!"
"Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino. Team 9..."
Sitting behind Sakura and the others, Shikamaru looked at the excited Sakura in front of him with utter incomprehension.
"What's so great about a guy like that? Women, I tell you."
Ino beside him looked at Shikamaru strangely. "You don't even understand that, Shikamaru?"
Shikamaru replied with a look of disdain. "I'm not a woman."
Ino was taken aback for a moment, then sighed. "Sigh. That's why you're unpopular. I really don't want to be on a team with someone like you."
At the front, Iruka continued. "Team 10: Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru..."
Hearing this, Shikamaru chuckled and said to Ino, "Looks like we're going to be teammates after all. Hey!"
Ino lowered her head, unsure what to say.
"...and Akimichi Chōji!"
Ino held her head in her hands. 'And there's even a fatty added to the mix?'
"That concludes the team assignments!" Iruka finished.
Immediately, Naruto jumped up, pointing at Sasuke. "Iruka-sensei! Why is an outstanding person like me stuck in the same team as this guy?!"
Iruka was momentarily stunned by Naruto's blatant audacity. "Sasuke had the best grades among the graduates, Naruto. You were the dead last!"
At this, the other students in the classroom couldn't help but laugh.
"To balance the strength of each team, this was the only way!"
Sasuke spoke with arrogant pride. "Don't you dare hold me back, dead last."
"What did you say, you jerk?!"
"You want to fight, dead last?"
"What does 'dead last' even mean?!"
"Both of you, that's enough! Naruto!"