Naruto: Reborn in Konoha, Starting with the Drop of Asura's Chakra

Just as Nara Shikamaru had analyzed, Yagyu himself had considered who his teammates might be. He went about it with a process of elimination.

Excluding himself, the most notable individuals in the class were the "Rookie Nine."

Among these, it was a given that Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji would form a team. As Shikamaru pointed out, their fathers were renowned throughout the ninja world for their legendary Ino-Shika-Cho formation. There was no way Hiruzen Sarutobi would pass up the chance to cultivate the next generation of this iconic trio.

This was evident from his decision to assign his own son, Asuma, as their mentor.

Eliminating the Ino-Shika-Cho trio left six other rookies: Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, and Sakura. Naruto and Sasuke were special cases—Hiruzen would never separate them.

As for Kiba, Shino, and Hinata, they were all scions of major clans and highly skilled in sensory abilities. Assigning them to the same team and pairing them with a skilled Jonin would undoubtedly please their families.

Thus, the most likely candidate to join Yagyu's team was Sakura.

However, this posed a dilemma. If Sakura joined Yagyu's team, the seventh team with Naruto and Sasuke would be left with an ordinary female student, which seemed unlikely.

Another possibility was that Sakura would remain in the seventh team, and Yagyu would be placed with two average students—or, perhaps, he'd even be recruited into the ANBU.

Regardless of the outcome, Yagyu didn't mind.

Graduation signaled the beginning of the story: a new chapter in the conflict between Ashura and Indra's reincarnations. This inevitable clash would throw the ninja world into turmoil.

No matter who his teammates were, Yagyu was confident in his ability to grow stronger quickly.

As Yagyu and his group chatted, more students trickled into the classroom. Naruto's arrival surprised many, though no one mocked him.

Unfortunately, the iconic scene was missing. Without a romantic interest, Naruto didn't leap toward Sasuke in frustration and accidentally spark the infamous "kiss."

Yagyu couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment.

When everyone was seated, Iruka entered the classroom.

"Congratulations, everyone. From this day forward, you are officially Genin."

Iruka surveyed the classroom with a mix of pride and reluctance before continuing, "But there's still much to learn. Before you can stand on your own as full-fledged ninja, you will be placed into three-person teams under the guidance of a Jonin instructor."

"Alright, let's begin with team assignments. Team One…"

Iruka read out names, eliciting various reactions of excitement or disappointment from the students. Eventually, he reached Team Seven.

"Team Seven: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha… Sakura Haruno."

The moment Iruka said the last name, the expressions of Yagyu and his friends shifted.

Sakura, who had been smiling brightly since the start of the team assignments, froze in shock.

Shikamaru rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I didn't see that coming. This is getting interesting."

Yagyu, too, was surprised. Was he really about to be placed with two ordinary students? Was the title of top student so meaningless? Or was Hiruzen planning to recruit him into the ANBU?

Iruka's next announcement caught everyone off guard again, though Hinata's face lit up with joy.

"Team Eight: Yagyu, Shino Aburame… Hinata Hyuga."

"Team Nine…"

"Team Ten: Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi… Ino Yamanaka."

Shikamaru leaned back, a flicker of pity in his eyes as he glanced at Kiba, who seemed oblivious, playing with Akamaru. Poor guy. He's been left out.

Excluding the now-extinct Uchiha clan, there were six prominent ninja clans in the class. As Shikamaru had predicted, the Ino-Shika-Cho formation remained intact. However, the anticipated team of Kiba, Shino, and Hinata was not fully realized. Kiba was left in a team with other average students, while Yagyu took his place alongside Shino and Hinata.

This arrangement meant Kiba's mentor would not be a top-tier Jonin unless someone from his clan specifically requested to guide him.

Even Yagyu hadn't expected to replace Kiba in what was now the strongest sensory team of their generation.

The gravity of this decision was evident in Hiruzen's assignment of Kurenai Yuhi as Team Eight's mentor. If Asuma Sarutobi had lived through the events of Boruto, he and Kurenai would have been mentors to the heirs of six major clans. Such connections would make them nearly untouchable in the village.

In Yagyu's eyes, Team Eight was as important as Ino-Shika-Cho. That Hiruzen had taken the risk of offending the Inuzuka clan to place Yagyu there was astonishing. Did the Third Hokage truly see such immense potential in him? Or… had Hiruzen been secretly watching his training sessions using the Crystal Ball Jutsu?

Could that technique even spy inside houses?

The thought of Hiruzen possibly witnessing his private training sessions sent a chill through Yagyu.

"Team Twelve…"

When Iruka finished reading the final names, he set the roster aside and took one last glance at the class he'd spent years teaching. His eyes glimmered with sadness, though his smile never wavered.

"For those of you in a team, remember to work well with your teammates. From now on, they'll be your comrades in life-and-death missions."

"Soon, your Jonin instructors will arrive to take you under their wing. I hope the next time we meet, you'll all be exceptional ninja."

With that, Iruka walked out of the classroom, leaving behind a group of students brimming with excitement about their new teams and mentors.

"Congratulations, Hinata." Ino's voice was full of envy. "I can't believe you're on the same team as Yagyu."

Hinata ducked her head shyly, her fingers twirling together, though a subtle smile betrayed her happiness.

Sakura, on the other hand, looked utterly defeated. She sat behind Shikamaru, glaring at his back.

Her frustration boiled over as she thought, Shikamaru's analysis gave me so much hope, only for it to end like this!

The emotional rollercoaster had left her reeling. The disappointment was… unbearable.

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