Reborn into Naruto World with Tenseigan

Finally, the long-awaited day arrived for the graduating trainees: the day they would receive their forehead protectors and officially become Genins. As dawn broke, eager expressions adorned the faces of the trainees as they made their way to the Ninja Academy.

Within the bustling classrooms, groups of children gathered, discussing potential squad assignments. Aware of the profound impact these decisions could have on their careers and lives, they scrutinized every detail with care.

No one wished to be paired with a loser or useless squad mate. The strength of one’s squad directly influenced the pace of advancement in rank, access to higher-level missions, and acquisition of powerful Jutsu. Conversely, being saddled with a weak or pathetic teammate could jeopardize not only one’s rank progression but also the ability to survive in missions.

Certainly, in addition to genuine reasons, there were also superficial motivations among the trainees vying for specific squad placements.

“It must be me who gets to be in the same squad as Sasuke-kun!”

“No way, it’s going to be me… Sasuke-kun and I are meant to be together, starting with the same squad. We’ll tackle missions together, with Sasuke-kun swooping in to save me from enemies, and I’ll heal his wounds… Ahh… it’ll be the start of us falling in love, slowly but surely… We’ll both rise to Chunin, then Jonin together, taking on high-level missions and protecting the village… And eventually, we’ll marry and have adorable children, just as cute as Sasuke-kun…”

“This girl is delusional…” someone remarked.

“Totally… she doesn’t even realize that Sasuke-kun will be in the same squad as me…”

“Oh, so you think you’ve got a chance, huh, billboard brow?”

Shikamaru watched Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno argue with a bemused expression. ‘Didn’t her Uncle Inoichi inform her about that?’ While he couldn’t say for Sakura, he was certain that Ino wouldn’t end up in the same squad as Sasuke. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio always functioned best together, so it only makes sense for them to be in the same squad. However, he decided to keep quiet and not burst her bubble so early.

Meanwhile, there were other girls eyeing another popular boy. “You girls can fight over Sasuke-kun all you want. I’m not interested in him… the only person I want to be close to is Neji-kun…”

“You’re not the only one in the competition. I want to be in the same squad as Neji-kun too!”

“What? You two also want to be in Neji-kun’s squad?”

Once again, Shikamaru observed the group of girls fawning over Neji with a silent expression. He was certain that even if they were placed in the same squad as Neji, they would never truly get close to him. There existed a significant gap between their social statuses and positions, particularly considering Neji’s Hyuga heritage.

Any notions of romantic involvement seemed improbable, given Neji’s likely adherence to preserving the Hyuga Kekkei Genkai. He would likely only marry within his Clan unless it’s for political reasons, and the same can be said for Sasuke.

Indeed, prominent clans like the Hyuga and the Uchiha had numerous considerations to weigh, and it was pointless for these girls to fawn over the two of them.

‘It’s none of my business,’ thought Shikamaru and shook his head.

In fact, it wasn’t just boys who attracted admiration from girls; several girls also garnered attention from boys, including Shion, Shimizu Mika, and Uchiha Kiyomi.

Many boys harbored a desire to be in the same squad as one of these three girls, especially Mika. Her characteristic personality shift during the Graduation exam, from a refined lady to a dominating figure, left a lasting impression on many children. Occasionally, they would gaze at Mika with flushed faces, hoping to be in her squad, where she could assert dominance over them and ruthlessly punish them for their mistakes.

Children in this world can be extremely precocious sometimes.

Shion’s popularity surpassed even Mika’s, particularly since she graduated as the top trainee of the year. Nearly everyone admired her, making her the most sought-after girl in the entire academy, but the girl didn’t seem to care about any of this and was busy munching on her favorite sweets while gossiping with her best friend.

Unaware of these dynamics, Naruto looked at Sasuke with a puzzled expression and asked, “Sasuke, do you think we’ll be assigned to the same squad?”

“How would I know? Nii-san… I mean, the principal, refused to tell me…” Sasuke replied in a cold tone. Failing to graduate as the top trainee of the year left Sasuke in a sour mood. Though he concealed his feelings from his family, he wasn’t happy and didn’t want to waste time on trivial matters. Yet, when it came to squad placement, even he felt a twinge of concern.

“I see…” nodded Naruto, and added with a grin, “I want us to be in the same squad.”

Sasuke sighed and didn’t answer. He didn’t see any problem with being on the same squad as Naruto, in fact, he prefers Naruto.

Meanwhile, Hinata asked her best friend, “Shion-chan, who do you think will be your teammates?”

“Well, as long as Hinata-chan is with me, I’ll be very happy…” Shion replied, embracing Hinata. She added, “As for the third person, as long as it’s not Naruto, I’ll be fine with anyone…”

“W-why not Naruto-kun?” Hinata asked softly. She hoped to be in the same squad as Naruto.

Shion replied in a quiet whisper, “If Naruto is also on the same squad, wouldn’t I feel lonely?”

Hinata immediately grasped the underlying meaning behind Shion’s words and blushed in embarrassment.

As the trainees continued their discussions, the academy bell rang, signaling the entrance of Iruka carrying some papers. The entire classroom fell silent instantly and everyone took their seats.

Standing at the podium, Iruka gazed at the eager faces of the trainees with a smile before addressing them, “As of today, you are all ninjas. You’ve overcome trials and hardships to reach this point, but what lies ahead will be even more challenging. Currently, you are all Genins, the first level of ninjas. As you may already know, all Genins will be placed into three-member squads, each led by an experienced elite ninja. The formation of these squads is carefully considered by all teachers, the principal, and the Hokage-sama, so there will be no room for changes.”

The children were unsurprised, and spoke eagerly, “Please hurry, Iruka-sensei… please tell us our squad mates!” they urged.

Iruka nodded, “Very well, I will now announce the squads…”

One by one, several squads were revealed: Team 1, Team 2, Team 3, Team 4. With each announcement, there were disappointed sighs as Genins realized they weren’t placed in the squads they had hoped for. However, as Iruka had emphasized earlier, squad assignments wouldn’t be changed.

As the announcements continued, reaching Team 5, the ears of several children perked up…

“Team 5… Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Uchiha Kiyomi!”

Going so far Shikamaru noticed a pattern emerging, and he had a hunch that he had almost correctly guessed all the squads.

After Team 5, it was Team 6: “Hyuga Hinata, Shion-hime, and Yakumo Kurama.”

Shikamaru was taken aback. ‘It’s different? Does that mean some teams remain unchanged while others have been altered…?’

Next came Team 7: “Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Shimizu Mika.”

Followed by Team 8: “Aburame Shino, Sai, and Haruno Sakura.”

Shikamaru pondered, “Teams 6, 7, and 8 were changed… On what basis did they alter the configurations?”

Team 9 was announced: “Shin, Inuzuka Kiba, and Tenten.”

Finally, Team 10 was revealed: “Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, and Yamanaka Ino.”

Once the squad configurations were completed, Iruka declared, “Those are all the squads…”

Unlike in canon, the Genins were not assigned based solely on their test scores, with the best and worst balanced among the groups. In fact, Kuroto had initially planned to place Shion in the same squad as Naruto and Sasuke, recognizing her potential to match the two children of prophecy. However, at Yui’s request, he replaced Shion with Shimizu Mika, hoping to have Shion and Hinata in the same squad.

As for why Haruno Sakura wasn’t placed in the same squad as Sasuke and Naruto, the answer is straightforward: Sakura’s current skill level is too weak. She would likely become a liability for the squad and hinder them in battle. Considering that Naruto would be a prime target for Akatsuki, Kuroto couldn’t afford to take that risk.

Moreover, Naruto and Sasuke’s strength is expected to skyrocket from this point onward, and an ordinary girl like Sakura would struggle to keep pace with them regardless of how hard she works. Therefore, it wouldn’t make sense for her to be in the same squad. However, Shimizu Mika presents a different scenario. While her potential may not match Sasuke and Naruto’s, her skill set enables her to keep pace with them without becoming a liability to Team 7. The same rationale applies to Tenten; her potential isn’t as high, so placing her in the same squad as Neji and Rock Lee wouldn’t be practical. Uchiha Kiyomi, on the other hand, would be a perfect fit for that squad.

Kuroto wasn’t certain if these configurations would prove to be optimal but considering that he and Itachi collaborated on these decisions, he believed they wouldn’t be too far off the mark.