Naruto: Winds and Changes

Naruto shook his head, thinking about things too much made it his head hurt, so he decided to just let whatever he was feeling run its course.

A few minutes later Iruka came into the room and noticed that it was oddly quiet, only a few people huddled about whispering to each other. That's odd, I would have expected everyone to be jumping around and yelling their heads off at finally graduating.

Deciding not to think about Iruka coughed to get the attention of the newly graduated class on him as he began his speech. "As of today you are no longer academy students, but full-fledged ninja. But in the ranks of ninja you all are only genin, the lowest ranking in the ninja hierarchy. However the first step has now been made and you're greatest challenges are now ahead of you." Iruka paused and pulled out a clip board. "For the next stage, you twenty seven genin will be assigned into three man squads, with each squad being assigned a jonin sensei, who will supervise and continued to train you from here on out."

Several students looked up with surprise etched on their faces, as they heard they were being assigned into groups.

Naruto looked up when he heard that, but only spared the thought a moment before he went back to his reading. He had already known he would be assigned a team when he had recently read a book on shinobi basics.

Sakura and Ino were busy ribbing each other and making comments about who would get to be with 'their Sasuke-kun'. Much too said Brooders annoyance since he was in between the pair and had to listen to them.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he heard Iruka's words and tried to ignore the two useless fan girls bickering. A squad of three will only slow me down.

Iruka coughed into his hand before he continued. "Now then, the squads have been arranged to give each team a balance of abilities and skills. I will now read the roster, so pay attention to when your name is called, and who you will be teamed up with." Iruka looked at his clip board and began to call out names. "Team 1 will be…"

Naruto stopped reading and began paying attention as the genin squads were called, not wanting to miss who his teammates were. I kind of wish I had some friends that I could be in a squad with, Shikamaru and Choji are ok, but we're not really friends. Kiba, I suppose could be considered a pranking rival, but now that I'm trying to be a serious ninja… he shook his head of his thoughts and just concentrated on paying attention.

"Team 7 will be Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke…" Iruka was forced to stop and wince as Sakura let loose an earsplitting victory screech. "… and Uzumaki Naruto!"

"WHAT!" Came the voices of both Naruto and Sakura.

"Iruka-sensei how could you even think of putting me in the same team as him!" Naruto shouted as he pointed at Sasuke. Acting like mature ninja be damned! This had to be corrected now! "We don't get along, we can't work together, we aren't friends! Now I'll concede to you the teme isn't friends with any one, he seems to enjoy spending more time sticking that twenty foot long metal pole further up his ass and practicing his brooding pose. But out of all the people in this class, we get along the least!"

The guys in the class laughed when they heard Naruto's words, well everyone except for Sasuke who scowled intently at the blond. Meanwhile the girls were fuming at the insult to their Sasuke-kun; they began leaking a pathetic amount of killing intent at Naruto who ignored it, having gotten far worse from Anko.

"Naruto," Iruka said with a sigh. "As I said these squads are assigned to balance out. Sasuke got the best scores in class, you got the worst." Naruto's head slumped down a bit as the class now snickered at him. "The Hokage assigned these squads, and they are not negotiable. I'm sorry but you'll just have to deal with it. Now team 8 will be Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino and Inuzuka Kiba. Team 9 is still in circulation so team 10 will be Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru and Akamachi Chouji…"

Naruto sighed as he slumped into his chair. Despite his slight outburst at her earlier he still wouldn't mind being with Sakura. However, Sasuke was a different story. Throughout his entire time at the academy he had considered Sasuke his rival, always trying to outdo the raven haired ninja, who in turn always ignored the blond like he was not even worth his time. The last thing Naruto wanted to do was be on the same time as him.

"Now then, you'll all meet your Jonin sensei's after lunch. Until then, class dismissed." Iruka said, gathering his stuff and leaving.

The assembled genin all got up and hurried out of the room.

"Sasuke-kuuuun!" Sakura called out as she walked out of the academy and looked around for the elusive raven haired genin. "Now where did he go? And I was hoping since we were the same team now he would have lunch with me."

"Hey Sakura-chan!" Naruto said, making the pink haired girl go rigid, even more so then usual because of his insult in class today.

"What do you want!" Sakura hissed with venom in her voice as Naruto came up to her.

Naruto winced a bit but pressed on. "W-well I wanted to apologize for getting angry at you… I didn't mean it." Sakura stopped glaring as she looked at him with shock and curiosity. "I wasn't really myself at the time, so I'm sorry."

I can't believe Naruto is actually apologizing. Sakura thought in shock. Naruto never apologized to anyone, even when the teachers tried to force him to for playing a prank.

Heedless to the pinkette's thoughts Naruto continued on. "I also wanted to know if you wanted to go have lunch with me so we could get to know each other better, we could even see if Sasuke wants to-"

However he didn't get any farther then that as Sakura hit him on the head. "I should have known that's what you wanted! I bet that was your plan the whole time! Insulting me and then apologizing afterwards to make me think you were a good person so you could ask me on a date! It's not going to happen!"

Naruto winced a bit as he rubbed the new lump he had gotten on his head, standing back up he tried to defend himself. "That's not what's going on! I just wanted to get to know my teammates bet-"

"SHUT UP BAKA!" Sakura screeched as she smashed a fist into Naruto's face, sending the young blond flying. "God why do you keep asking me for dates! I'm never going to go out with you! You're annoying!"

Naruto watched as Sakura walked off with a huff. She didn't even try to hear me out. A few odd tears stung the corner of his eyes, but he banished them before they could fall. Getting back up Naruto made his way over to the tire swing that he had been on after he had failed.

He didn't really understand it, was he so undesirable that Sakura would not even listen to him. Or had I pestered her for so many dates that she just assumed I was going to ask her for another one? He asked himself with a sigh. The answer to that question probably no longer mattered anyways.

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