Naruto was sitting at his desk, trembling. Iruka-sensei was walking around, and giving the graduates wistful looks.
Outside, Naruto was calm, inside – he wanted to fall right under this floor and disappear forever. Right now, the most important moment in his life is happening.
– "Takagi Haru. Ando Yukiko. Masao Taki. Number of team - 16". – Another team was announced.
Two guys immediately got up and sat next to Yukiko. Yeah… Now those three are forever united as a team.
– "Raku Ichirou. Takahashi Tenten. Rock Lee. Number - 20". – Another team… Still no calling out Naruto's name.
Ugh, when will be his time?!
Iruka sensei looked at him, like he read his mind. Naruto gulped and crossed his fingers. Please, please, anyone but him.
– "Uzumaki Naruto". – Suddenly said Iruka sensei.
"YES! FINALLY!"
Who out of the girls can it be? Hope not some annoying bimbo...
– "Yamanaka Ino. Hyuga Neji".
Naruto begun blinking. He knew Yamanaka Ino – she was considered the prettiest one in this class, well, that's what everyone said. From his perspective though, she wasn't that attractive.
But Neji… Neji… uhm?
– "Neji who?" – Said confused Naruto, and begun turning his head around, in hope to notice his future teammates.
He saw Ino, who was angrily approaching him. And another guy, who also begun to get up. That must have been Neji.
Ino reluctantly took the seat, even moving far away from Naruto.
– "I don't want to be in the team with this loser! Anyone but him!" – The girl screamed in annoying bratty voice, while pointing her finger on Naruto.
– "Hey, shut the hell up, who is a loser here!" – Naruto got up in her face and also raised his voice at Ino.
Ino made a duckface and took her seat once again, while showing her tongue to Naruto. In response, Naruto grabbed Ino's long ponytail, and pulled it so hard, that the girl cried.
– "Don't you dare touch me!" – Ino screamed. Everyone in the class had their attention on them.
Suddenly, Naruto heard a calm and dry voice behind him.
– "Hm. I thought I at least can get proper teammates. Looks like… Not. Got a bunch of stupid kids".
Naruto turned his head. A tall and slim guy with long hair was standing next to Ino.
– "Neji?" – Naruto asked and the guy nodded.
No handshake, even to Ino, who moved away so Neji could fit in the row. Naruto tried to talk to him, but Neji had a stone cold, porcelain-like expression on his face. Better not disturb him…
Naruto realized why he didn't even remember who this guy was – he barely said two words when he was studying. Ugh, great. Even worse than he expected.
Ino was clearly annoyed by Neji's reaction, and theatrically turned away from both guys. Well, not a huge deal – bye-bye!
Iruka sensei, after looking at this small circus cleared his throat.
– "You three will be team number 12".
Naruto peeked at his teammates, but both Ino and Neji didn't show any emotions, like they didn't care about anything. Even anger begun to disappear from Ino's face.
– "All done! Congratulations on the graduating. Now, I assign each one of the teams to one jonin. He or She is going to be your sensei for the rest of your shinobi team career".
A whisper went around the classroom. Neji became much more focused. Then, he touched both Naruto's and Ino's shoulders, without words showing they have to get up.
They obliged, and everyone else in the classroom did the same.
– "Thank you, Iruka-sensei!" – The graduates bowed, and begun entering the class as teams.
Iruka sensei, when Team 12 was walking near him, showed Naruto a thumb up and smiled at him.
– "Good luck in your path, Ninja". – He whispered.
Excited, Naruto ran out from the classroom, running away from Neji and Ino. Hell yeah, goodbye boring theory, hello the exciting ninja life!
– "Hey, loser! Wait for us!"
He saw Ino who was running after him, and immediately stopped. Neji and Ino managed to follow him, and Ino looked even more annoyed.
– "Thank you. Remember, we are a team now, and I surely wouldn't want to stop you with a shuriken in your head". – Said Neji, and Naruto slightly gulped. Really? This guy will use weapons because someone from his team is running away?
Got landed with a brat and a weirdo… Great.
– "Where is our jonin-sensei?" – Asked Ino. – "Maybe no one wanted to take us because Naruto?"
Neji touched his forehead.
– "Maybe you stop bullying him? Yes, Naruto is pathetic, weak, and can be a burden to us, but don't try to make yourself feel better by putting him down over and over". – Said Neji with closed eyes.
Naruto felt like he was repeatedly stabbed in the stomach.
– "Thanks Neji"…
– "Always. Ask me if she will be like this again".
Naruto was standing, looking like an idiot, while Ino begun to look around. Unlike them both, Neji begun casting some jutsu.
– "Byakugan!"
Immediately, veins began to form around Neji's crystal white eyes. Ino looked at him, but Naruto was confused.
– "Two jonins are in rate of 50 meters. Walking towards us, from behind – maybe lost our trace and finally found us".
Ino and Naruto were looking at Neji, while searching for their fallen jaws. How the hell Neji can know those things, simply standing still?
Confusion only rose, when the veins around Neji's eyes disappeared, and he nodded, clearly satisfied.
– "Well, at least we know now that the jonins didn't forget about us, you are lucky Naruto". – Said Ino. – "But Neji… How can you know all of this? It has something to do with your eyes?"
Neji silently looked at her and nodded. Even Naruto realized it by now. Yeah, those eyes must be really powerful…
The team waited a couple of minutes, and suddenly a voice behind them spoke.
– "Oof, finally found you three. Where did you ran off from the ceremony, we were looking for you".
All three immediately turned, and Ino bowed. In front of them, were standing two jonins – Iruka sensei, and another jonin, who seemingly no one knew.
– "Kakashi, I'm leaving them to you. Be gentle". – Said Iruka sensei. After these words, he wished Team 12 luck and left.
The trio was left in a care of this dangerously looking jonin. He looked at them briefly and signed.
– "Glad to meet you. I'm going to be your team leader, follow me". – He said, turned and waved in his direction. Naruto shrugged, and followed him. Ino and Neji did this much more reluctantly.
When they reached a building, everyone already left. Kakashi sat Naruto, Neji and Ino at the bench and stood in front of them.
– "My name is Hatake Kakashi, and since this day, you three are left under my leadership". – He said, and then pointed at Ino.
– "Tell me: 1 – your name, 2 – what is your dream".
Ino nodded with a huge smile.
– "Ino Yamanaka, the Blossom of Konoha!" – She theatrically stood up and winked. Neji and Naruto slightly cringed looking at this.
– "Okay, Ino". – Said a bit annoyed Kakashi. – "What do you dream of, why you became a ninja?"
– "Uh… Why asking? My dream is to be the most beautiful kunoichi in the world, destroying everyone with my beauty". – Ino said with a huge, proud smile.
On this, the cringe expression disappeared from Naruto's face. He actually nodded – loved Ino's little speech and her confidence, only for a bit though.
Kakashi wrote something in his notebook. Ino really needs work… Too shallow and full of herself to be a real ninja.
Then, he pointed at Neji, who was sitting in the middle.
– "Hyuga Neji". – He said with a dry voice.
– "What is your dream, Neji?" – Kakashi asked with interest.
He knew who was in front of him – that school-famous prodigy Hyuga kid.
– "Dream? What do you mean, sensei? I don't have any dreams – just want to work as a ninja for the Hyuga Clan".
Kakashi, well, everyone was taken aback by this blunt, dry but still confident statement. Neji wasn't even trying to show off, but to just explain his position.
He looked very cold. Kakashi understood what made Neji say this – he as no one else knew about the specifics of Hyuga Clan. Just he thought it wasn't THAT bad.
Naruto laughed, but decided not to say anything. If this dude doesn't think twice about offending him, maybe at least Naruto himself will take the high road?
Kakashi shrugged off, and finally, asked Naruto, who sat the farthest away.
– "Your name, yellow kid?"
Naruto was waiting for this moment. He tied his Konoha band on his forehead, and stood up.
– "Uzumaki Naruto! Don't bother asking about dreams: I tell you mine, Kakashi sensei. I promise to you, and to the whole ninja world – I will become the next Hokage, dattebayo!"
Naruto was standing in an "epic" (as he thought) pose, not noticing how his teammates and teacher held themselves to not laugh at him.
Ino gave up first.
– "You kidding? Hokage? Write your tests not below 15% and then talk, loooser!" – The girl said in a snide tone, and showed her togue once again. Neji preferred to keep silent, but it looked like he also took Naruto's statement as a joke.
– "Enough". – Said Kakashi.
He looked over the team – Neji was covering his forehead from embarrassment, while looking on how Naruto and Ino were getting in each other's faces, screaming an insult after insult at each other.
– "Looks like the 15% is your maximum, Naruto. And you are here all proud stating that you become Hokage! Get back to the desk and learn something!"
– "Hey girl! If I try my hardest, I can even get a 30!" – Naruto wasn't giving up, trying to outscream Ino. Neji looked like he was completely done with this bullshit.
Kakashi was thinking. He looked and looked at them, not knowing what even to do with such weird team.
– "An unprepared brat who only cares about her appearance. A closed boy who doesn't even know who he is, has no dreams and no goals. And just an idiot."
– "Yeah… This is going be a tough one".