Author's note: I guess this doesn't really matter if no one's reading anyway, but it feels good to write anyway. Maybe the internet elves are reading it. Maybe I should rewrite my summary, or change the title.

Maybe you're just waiting until I prove that I won't take ten years to write three chapters…hmm, that would suck. I'd never forgive myself.

Anyway, I REFUSE TO BE DISCOURAGED!! Someone will eventually read this, and maybe even like it enough to review. Maybe I should advertise…Yes.

Anyway, enough rambling—on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto Uzumaki. I do hold credit for the students whose names I am about to reveal—except maybe one…ish. But the guy who owns that one (or the idea for that one) also owns Naruto in his entirety. Yeah. Lucky you, Masashi Kishimoto.

His ears were met by the furiously scratching pencils of thirty over-eager students. He'd have to break them of the need to write everything down.

Hinata smiled at him and nodded. They had an interesting batch this year. Enough for at least one really good team. Maybe even three. There hadn't been three truly good teams since Naruto's graduating year.

Seven Years Later

Hinata felt like banging her head repeatedly against a wall, or perhaps even the sharp edge of a blunt axe. Yes, that might release some of the pressure that had been steadily building up in her mind ever since she'd started helping Iruka teach this particular class.

It was the final day of the academy—the only thing the kids had left to do was pass the final examination. So what do they do? They tar and feather the floor, desks, and walls. Actually, it probably wasn't the entire class's fault. No, it was probably their fault.

She was about to release a Suiton: Suiryuudan on the classroom—and the students—for the dual purpose of both cleaning the room and getting her revenge on the damn class. Unfortunately for her, and luckily for the students, Iruka walked in just before the annoyed Hyuuga could begin to focus her chakra.

His eyes widened briefly in horror as he took in the sight of a fluffy room, thirty giggling students, and an uncharacteristically red Hinata.

"Hello class," he stated hurriedly. "Why don't we have our exam outside today?" As they filed outside, he shot a concerned glance towards Hinata. He didn't want to have to piece together any students who made the kunoichi angry…angrier today.

"I'm fine, Iruka." Her voice was flat, a sure sign that she had just completed at least one breathing exercise. "Let's go get these kids graduated."

After five hours of the written exam, the taijutsu practical, and the genjutsu demonstration portions of the exams, Iruka finally told the students in was time to test their ninjutsu skills in the form of the Bunshin no Jutsu. He was about to tell them to go one at a time into the small copse of trees so they could finish their test in private when Hinata interrupted him.

"Why don't we have them demonstrate their bunshins right here, Iruka? It's not as if they'll have the excuse of stage fright in a real fight."

Iruka was about to disagree when he caught a glimpse of a disappointed look on the two troublemakers of the class and the larger-than-usual veins around Hinata's eyes.

He realized that it was very likely the neo pranksters of Konoha, as they had been so accurately dubbed, had probably trashed the classroom so that the exam would have to be held outside, and therefore have the ninjutsu portion of the exam in the most secluded area. He wouldn't have been surprised to find an elaborate trap set up to humiliate the first person to enter the mini-clearing.

A quick glance at his roster confirmed that the potential unfortunate would have been one Abino Triyu, the boy most likely to become rookie of the year. The opinion of the majority of the class, save for a couple fan girls, was that he was a stuck-up snob. A little humiliation would have done him good.

Iruka sighed: it would have been fun to see the arrogant boy brought down a few pegs, but it was an extremely unprofessional viewpoint. Damn. "Good idea, Hinata." He smiled. "Abino Triyu? You're up."

His tree was starting to feel a little cramped. Really, if he was honest with himself, he didn't even want to be here. He especially didn't want a Gennin team. The thought of all the work that would go into properly training three rookies for a time of covert war made his head ache.

And now, here he was, sitting in a tree. Cramped, bored, and hungry, watching a bunch of brats who only sort of knew what they were doing—he didn't even have a good view of the sky from this angle. Why was he here?

Because the Hokage wanted a team of strategists and tactical thinkers. "Shikamaru," she had said, bloodshot eyes telling him that even thinking the word 'troublesome' would get him smashed through a wall. "Shikamaru, I want you to train three Gennin who might be able to out-think you."

A single raised eyebrow had caused her to amend her wish to "three Gennin who can stay out of your Kagemane for a minimum of ten minutes." Seriously, did she want him to get an ulcer?

He rolled his head to one side in order to watch the tests. It looked like they were getting to the final portion of the test: Bunshin no Jutsu.

"Abino Triyu?" A tall, slender boy walked forward, a smirk on his smooth, handsome face. Brown and gold hair fell neatly to his shoulders and complemented his clear brown gaze. He was attractive, and he knew it. He was also pretty good, Shikamaru noticed, as fifteen clones suddenly occupied the space around him.

This was the part that he was interested in: watching how the ninja wannabes performed in front of others. If they were arrogant or modest. Composed or nervous. Quiet or loud. Thus was the part that would really show just how well different candidates would do together, who was the most likely to stop being a ninja, and who needed one more year to prepare for the life of a real shinobi.

He watched intently and mentally made a profile list of the other eight potential ninja candidates he saw.

Aburame Azelle: Now here was a walking enigma. An attractive, smiling Aburame. Black hair that turned red in the sun pulled up in a short ponytail, eyes she was willing to show the world a friendly dark green. It was clear that she was very popular. Even the two, Shikamaru had marked down as pranksters smiled at her as she walked by. She smiled at the female trickster in the middle of performing her jutsu, and messed it up, creating only three good clones and four others that looked as if they had just crawled form the grave.

Denkou Uzu: One of the two orphans of the class. Albino pale, but shockingly green eyes and eye-catching red hair. Short, about the same height that Naruto was in the Academy. No—don't compare them to the MIA blonde. Barely managed two clones.

Hijiikata Sougo: Medium build, oddly cute for a shinobi wannabe. Big brown eyes framed by prematurely white hair. Youthful, innocent face. The twin swords strapped to his back looked off. He looked like he should be carrying a musical instrument, not ninja weapons. He created six clones, grinned, and practically skipped back.

Hyuuga Inari: Why was a Hyuuga male wearing make-up and dressing in rags? He looked like a poor, attractive, cross-dresser. And he only produced three clones. Where was the infamously good Hyuuga chakra control?

Inuzuka Hikari: Finally! Someone typical. She looks like a Kiba clone. Goofy grin, short spike hair with a black and red puppy nestled among the soft locks. Oddly good chakra control for a young Inuzuka—fourteen clones.

Shishi Ryuu: One of the pranksters and the other orphan of the class. Turquoise hair and eyes as golden as the lion for which his family was named. He fairly jingled with the trap making paraphernalia concealed about his person. Shikamaru wondered if he was the person responsible for the truly brilliant trap in the clearing off to his left. He seemed to be thinking hard, glancing at the Denkou boy before he produced…two barely adequate clones. Had he screwed up on purpose?

Yuuhi Asuma: Shikamaru's godson, and one of the destined signers of the monkey summoning contract. He would probably go on Shikamaru's team unless better suited for another sensei or team. After all, ten clones was nothing to scoff at.

Zii Dia: The girl at whom the Aburame had grinned before purposefully overloading her jutsu. Her hair was a darker red than Denkou Uzu's, and her black eyes sparkled with a brilliant sense of humor. She trotted to the front of the group and produced nine clones, putting her pretty close to the middle of the pack.

The other students, Shikamaru decided, weren't worth profiling. They would either wash out or go back for another year during the test, but these nine—they might actually be worth something.

'Especially,' he thought as he untangled his legs from the wire trap that had been holding him to his tree. 'Especially if those two pranksters rigged the test the way I think they did, so they could end up together and on the same team as the class prick.

Yes, this year's batch of ninjas would be a very interesting year indeed.

It was pretty impressive, Iruka reflected as he went over the written exams. Every single student had passed. That hadn't happed since, since… did Naruto's year really count?

Granted, the two orphans had barely passed the ninjutsu portion of the exam, something that surprised Iruka since he knew that Shishi Ryuu had the chakra control and capacity to rival Abino Triyuu's. And Aburame Azelle should have produced more clones. Unless?

A nagging doubt in the back of his mind was justified by Hinata's exclamation of "I don't believe it!"

He turned to look at Hinata's results of team line-up. Shishi Ryuu had done surprisingly badly. So badly, in fact that it placed him at…last place? Horror slowly sinking into his stomach, he ran his gaze over the rest of the class placings.

Sure enough, Abino Triyuu had made Rookie-of the year, closely followed by Yuuhi Asuma and Inuzuka Hikari. Placing almost exactly in the middle of the pack was future kunoichi Zii Dia, best friend and fellow prankster of Shishi Ryuu, self proclaimed rival of Abino Triyuu. There was only one student left whose grades might matter:Hijiikata Sougo. Based on the boy's class performance, Iruka doubted the kid could beat Triyuu.

If they followed the usual protocol for placing teams…"Oh shit." He muttered. "I pity the sensei who ends up with that team.