With the graduation exams finally concluded, all the graduates were summoned back to the classroom. Specially assigned jōnin instructors would soon arrive; once names were called, each student would be taken away to form a team.
The thought of finally becoming a genin made Naruto's heart race with excitement.
Especially when he thought of Sakura.
It's been years since I last saw Sakura… I wonder if she's missed me.
And Sasuke, that smug bastard—when he sees me now, he's definitely going to choke on his own jealousy.
After all, Naruto could now wield the Shadow Clone Jutsu with ease, slip at will into Sage Mode, and even cloak himself in his golden avatar. From here on, Sasuke's reputation as "the genius of the class" would be buried in the past.
The genius of the Uzumaki clan, Uzumaki Naruto, makes his dazzling return!
"Long time no see, everyone!"
The moment he threw open the classroom doors, Naruto made sure his voice carried across the entire room.
His sudden entrance caused an uproar. If not for him walking in at that exact moment, the name Uzumaki Naruto might have already faded into obscurity.
"It's Naruto! He's back! Finally, I'm not the bottom of the class anymore—thank the gods, I'm saved!"
"But why is he even here? Today's team assignment day, isn't it? Shouldn't the jōnin instructors be the ones showing up?"
"Wait, look at his forehead protector!"
One startled cry redirected everyone's gaze toward Naruto's forehead, where the metal plate gleamed with the engraved leaf symbol.
It was the mark every graduate longed to wear—the sign of becoming a true shinobi.
"Hold on… don't tell me Naruto's… a jōnin?!"
Pfft!
That ridiculous suggestion set off a wave of laughter. It was shocking enough that Naruto had reappeared at all, but calling him a jōnin? Utter nonsense!
Sakura leapt to her feet in a flash, her voice sharp with irritation. She didn't know exactly what was going on, but she knew one thing for certain.
"Naruto, cut the stupid pranks already! Today's important—our graduation day! A jōnin's going to show up any minute now!"
"I—I know that…"
Caught off guard by Sakura's fiery tone, Naruto swallowed hard, his voice shrinking to a meek murmur.
Across the room, Uchiha Sasuke sat in his usual corner seat, his dark eyes cast out the window. To him, Naruto's reason for barging in wasn't worth the slightest concern.
"I took the graduation exam too—and passed! I'm telling you, I'm way stronger than Sasuke now!"
But Naruto's proud declaration only drew sighs and mutters.
Everyone knew Sasuke's grades had been flawless—always ranked first in the year. Naruto, on the other hand, had been consistently, hopelessly last.
Sure, nobody understood how he'd even managed to pass the exam after disappearing for so long. But to compare himself with Sasuke? That was nothing short of bragging nonsense.
Sakura crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Don't say I didn't warn you. A jōnin will be here any second now."
But Naruto had no intention of slinking away just because of her sharp tongue. Instead, he shrugged and plopped down in a seat, ignoring the doubtful stares.
Sakura turned away in exasperation, her eyes locking adoringly on Sasuke's handsome profile.
That Sasuke… always stealing the spotlight.
Naruto fumed inwardly but could do nothing except brood. He swore to himself that he'd find a chance to settle things with Sasuke, once and for all.
One by one, the jōnin instructors arrived and called their chosen students. In a matter of minutes, the once noisy classroom had emptied, leaving behind only Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
From the way things had played out, it was obvious—every instructor had taken three students to form a squad.
"That means… I'm going to be on the same team as Sasuke!"
Sakura's throat tightened, her heart pounding wildly.
This is it! Sitting right beside him, day after day… Sasuke will finally be mine! Ino Pig, you don't stand a chance now!
But then her eyes flicked to the seat on her other side—where Naruto lounged.
Wait… don't tell me what he said was true? Did Naruto really graduate? Did he really become a genin?
She bit her lip, troubled by the thought.
Come to think of it, where has Naruto been all these years?
For a fleeting moment, genuine curiosity stirred in her. But almost instantly, she shook her head violently.
What am I thinking? Who cares about Naruto? He probably just wandered off somewhere to goof around. He's an orphan—no one keeps tabs on where he runs off to anyway.
Of course, she kept those thoughts strictly to herself.
Shrrk!
Just as their patience was wearing thin, the tightly shut classroom door finally slid open. Instinctively, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura turned toward it.
"Yo."
The man standing in the doorway was none other than their future leader: Hatake Kakashi.
He hadn't even stepped inside yet, but his single uncovered eye swept the room, immediately taking in the sight.
The enormous classroom now held only three figures: Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
Team Seven.
"You're late! We've been waiting forever!" Naruto blurted the moment he saw him.
Figures… first time meeting our jōnin sensei, and he's already this unreliable.
But Kakashi, as always, paid no mind to such details.
"Well then, let's start with some introductions," he said casually, though his gaze betrayed the hint of annoyance in his students' eyes.
"Talk about what you like, what you dislike, and maybe your dreams."
He'd already been given a full dossier on Team Seven by the Third Hokage, but Kakashi preferred to hear it firsthand. It was the best way to shorten the distance between himself and his students.
"Then sensei, you go first!" Naruto urged.
"Me first?" Kakashi tilted his head. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. What I like and dislike… nothing comes to mind. As for my dream… I suppose I don't really have one."
His vague answer left his three students speechless.
Other than his name, they'd learned absolutely nothing.
This guy… definitely unreliable.
"Well, that's it for me. Who wants to go next?"
No sooner had he asked than Naruto's hand shot up.
The son of the Fourth Hokage… Kakashi had long known about Naruto's existence, but this was the first time they were truly face-to-face.
"Alright then, let's start from the left," Kakashi nodded.
Naruto leapt to his feet, brimming with energy.
"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! My favorite food is ramen. My least favorite? The food on Mount Myōboku. And my dream—" his voice rose, blazing with determination— "is to surpass all the Hokage who came before me, and earn the recognition of the entire village!"