"As of today, you all have become full fledge ninjas." Iruka stood in front of the fresh graduates. "Though, you are still genins, the tough part's still to come. From here on you'll be in a squad of three and carry out your missions under your Jonin teachers."
"Squad of three?"
"We got to be in a team?!"
"I want to be with Sasuke-kun!!"
The class erupted into a sea of emotions. Naomi could only close her eyes and put on a smile as Sakura and Sasuke's stared—with burning passion—at her.
"Now then..."
Naomi leaned on the unsuspecting Nara's shoulder and coughed twice, making the brunette flicker his eyes at her with a raised brow.
"Bet with Naomi!" She grinned. "If Naomi's guesses are correct, Shika would have to do her a favor."
Shikamaru sighed, getting used to her whims and sudden phrases without context. "And what if this 'guess' of yours turns out to be wrong?"
"Then Naomi will do Shika a favor, anything is valid as long as it's in Naomi's power!"
"Haa, alright then."
She leaned closer to the Nara, eyes looking out for anyone who could hear them. With a whisper, Shikamaru looked at her, dubiety.
"Group ten consists of Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, and Nara Shikamaru."
Naomi looked over at the said-genin's reactions. Choji was quite pleased to be with Shikamaru while the Nara was neutral. He probably had it figured out already considering their parents, and the parents of their parents— team composition. Ino, however, was visibly showing a frown on her beautiful face. Her mouth motioned a: 'but I want to be with Sasuke-kun..' leading to Naomi believing that the girl still has a crush on the Uchiha.
"Group seven are Hyuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino."
Shino seemed to be impartial. Kiba showing his canine-like tooth with a grin. Hinata fumbled with her fingers while sending a sad glance at Naruto, but shook her head and clenched her fist in determination afterwards.
Naomi smirked at her steel courage. That's more like it.
"Team seven will be Haruno Sakura,"
Naomi glanced at the Sakura as the pinkette pursed her lips in anticipation.
"Uchiha Sasuke,"
Sakura scowled at Sasuke. The raven clicked his tongue and glared.
"—lastly, Uzumaki Naruto."
The youngest of the Haruno, Uzumaki and Uchiha, scrunched up their faces as a way to show their disagreement with the team arrangements. The three altogether turned their heads to Naomi—who kept her eyes closed with a smile—and sighed in defeat. Seeing Naomi's indifference to their despair, they were left with no choice but to unite and get on with it.
Iruka went on with the other team ups one by one, and Naomi sent a glimpse at Shikamaru's stoically, lazy face.
"—and since this class' graduates is made up of uneven numbers for a three man squad, Uzumaki Naomi, you will be joining a team outside of the fresh graduates." Iruka smiled in her direction as he continued, "The specialty of the Jonin in-charge of you and your other team-mates will be most suited for your lack of chakra."
"Roger that, Iruka-sensei!" She grinned.
The teacher softly nodded. "That will be all. After a short lunch break, come back and wait for your Jonin assigned to come and gather you all up. Again, congratulations on your new step in life."
With that, Iruka sighed contently as he exited the classroom, leaving the new genins to celebrate presently while they waited for their new mentors.
Naomi tittered, a hand on her mouth as she slowly turned to the stilled Nara. "Hihihi, Naomi won!" Naomi giggled as she slightly bounced on her seat. The Nara's expression was priceless.
"Naomi bets that she will not be put into a team with the people inside this classroom."
That was what she had mumbled to him. "...That's..." Shikamaru went speechless. He was a borne genius, always twenty steps ahead of everyone, especially when it comes to brain teasers and figuring things out.
He had assumptions of other possible circumstances she might be placed into once he had heard of her bet. A team made up of four people might be determined, or someone would be a duo along with their Jonin to even out the numbers of the new genins.
The possibility of having to be put into the same team with their seniors—who had experienced the shinobi world already—was highly unlikely and so he dropped off that speculation. But who could've thought....
He gazed at the smirking twin, their eyes held contact. Both sharp and calculative.
Shikamaru cleared his throat, "Fine, what do you want my assistance for?" He then grumbled, "ah, just make sure that it's not too troublesome.."
Naomi giggled, "no worries, Naomi won't be needing it at present. So please take care of Naomi when the time comes!"
"Sure, sure.." Shikamaru nonchalantly nodded.
- - ┈┈┈┈∘┈˃̶༒˂̶┈∘┈┈┈┈ - -
"Why're they taking so long, dattebayo?!" Naruto complained with a scowl on his face making Naomi chuckle.
"Calm down, Naruto. Even Naomi's team has yet to arrive." She said.
"I'm guessing our teachers likes to drag on their students' time.." Sakura muttered, a blank expression plastered with an eye roll. Boredom overtaking her.
Naruto shot up from sitting. "They're taking forever 'ttebayo!!" He mini slams his fists on the desk. "All this waiting is making me hungry!!"
"But didn't Naruto just ate?..."
"Stop complaining, dobe." Sasuke finally spoke, "Throwing a tantrum won't magically make them appear."
Naruto huffs as he begrudgingly sat back down. Naomi chuckled and patted his back softly. Then as if a distant memory popped in her head, the female twin grinned.
"Then how about Naruto entertains us," Naomi said with mischievousness laced on her tone, getting the attention of team 7. "Show Naomi how much her brother plays with an unpunctual adult, yeah?"
Naruto sat still for a moment before the same smile—full of mischief—mirrored his sister's equally.
"Even Naomi is encouraging this idiot.. what has the world become," Sakura face-palmed, a hint of disappointment and deadpan along with it.
Though before the knucklehead could start setting up the stage, the door slid open, revealing a pair of pale lilac orbs and a blank face. Naomi's smile widen at the sight of a particular branch member of the Hyuga clan, one of her favorite character and only second to Itachi. He is also on her 'to-save' list.
"Is Uzumaki Naomi here?" Neji spoke, voice in a stoic manner. Almost sounding as if he was forced to be there.
"Naomi's here!" Naomi stood up with a raised hand. The boy looked at her and started advancing towards her desk.
Once they were at an arms length, he started, "Gai-sensei, who is a Jonin, and the other two genins with me are currently in the Hokage's tower to submit the report of the mission we have just completed. We have only arrived not long ago, and worried that you might be wondering of our whereabouts, Gai-sensei had sent me first."
Also translated to: I have no intention of getting friendly with you whatsoever so I am not apologizing for being tardy. I didn't come here out of my own will so don't be too flattered.
"That's fine, Naomi was unconcerned to have spent her two whole hours doing nothing anyways." Naomi smiled sweetly that clearly didn't matched her statement.
The Hyuga thinned his lips and narrowed his eyes. Sasuke secretly smirked whilst Sakura and Naruto let out their amazed 'ooohhs'. Naomi and Neji maintained eye contact until the boy went to sit a seat apart from her wordlessly.
He's letting it off the hook huh... Naomi hummed before turning back to Naruto and ushered him to start preparing his prank for the Jonins. Naomi took Neji's actions as an indication that he would wait for the rest of their team along with her. And after that silent clearing of their boundaries addition to her comeback, he merely backed down which—to be honest— took her by surprise.
As far as she could remember, Genin Neji was a complete asshole and a stuck up with the whole destiny and fate thing. He also took pride in his words and actions no matter the circumstances of wether he's right or wrong.
Naomi remained passive against the sharp look Neji sends occasionally. Just as Naruto sat down with a satisfied huff, the door once again slid open.
There stood a disinterested Jonin namely the infamous Hatake Kakashi. Unlike in the original where Naruto merely placed a board eraser on top of the door, he actually did a complex trap with only a limited materials.
Naomi tittered behind her hand when the copy ninja's visible eye widened a fraction when chalk dust covered his entire form. His eyes comedically turned to the genins and the three(Naomi, Sakura, Sasuke) of them pointed at Naruto's direction in synchronization. "Hey!"
"Let's see.." The copy ninja started. "First impressions on you guys, is I hate you." He proceeded with a closed eyed smile and disappearing after telling his new team members to meet up in the roof.
"Welp, that's our cue dattebayo!" Naruto stood, body quivering slightly in excitement for his new adventure. "At least I did a good one on that so-called teacher of ours! He deserves it 'ttebayo!" He then turns to Naomi as he started exiting the room. "Bye sis, see ya later at home! And goodbye to you too, whoever you are!" He briefly looked at Neji.
"Good luck on your new team, Naomi-chan!"
"Hn. Take care."
A close-eyed smile was all Naomi did to respond. The Hyuga boy with her didn't seem to mind the fact that it was only the two of them in a very spacious room. Naomi thought of starting a conversation with him in order to obtain more (personal) information about the Hyuga clan, though before she could, the door opened and in came two doppelgängers and a martial artist.
"Goal!! Gai-sensei I did as what you told me and it truly heightened my swiftness! Thank you so much, Gai-sensei!!"
"Yes, Lee! You did excellent in this race. But remember, tomorrow is another day, and another day means further power of youth!! Don't forget that, Lee!!"
"Gai-sensei, you're so inspiring!!!!"
"Lee!!"
"Gai-sensei!!!"
"Haa.. these idiots..."
Naomi stood as she sweat dropped at the doppelgängers' youthful energy and Tenten who had a blank expression.
Lee and Gai. Two of the most powerful ninjas when it comes to brute strength. The training regimen of average ninjas could never topple theirs, with chakra or none. The reason why Naomi made sure to put some 'good words' about them in front of the third hokage last night when she and Naruto went to get their monthly allowances.
As someone who thinks ahead for survival, Naomi had unconsciously memorised every basic information of her (ex) classmates. Made sure that the class would have a team of three altogether with the exemption of one person, and from there, hypothesised of who the person without a team will be. But of course, she was not brains and smarts like Shikamaru, and in the end had no choice but to make the person in question be her through the means of connections.
"Took you all long enough." Neji rolled his eyes and folded his arms on his chest.
"Well.. Gai-sensei and the hokage had a brief private conversation, so.." Tenten explained. Her eyes trailed beside the Hyuga and her face brightened. "Are you perhaps our new teammate?"
Naomi smiled and bowed a little. "Indeed I am. Uzumaki Naomi at your service!"
"Wah!! A maiden!!" Lee entered the scene as he went beside Naomi. Staring a little too intensely. "And a beautiful one at that!!"
"Lee! It is very rude and not chivalric to stare at someone without regarding their personal space!" Gai-sensei scolded making the young in a green jumpsuit gasp exaggeratedly before quickly bowing his forehead to the ground in front of the Uzumaki. "I deeply apologise for my rude behaviour, lovely maiden! I was just blinded by your beauty that I forgot my manners for a second there!"
"It's fine, Lee-san didn't make Naomi feel uncomfortable whatsoever." She waved off.
Lee stood up straight with a now bleeding forehead. Though he looked unbothered by this as his eyes sparkled. "Thank you so much!"
"Ugh.. this guy.." Neji's face scrunched up before deciding to dispersed his annoyance. "Shouldn't we be starting the introduction and not wasting time??" He looked at Gai who nodded and grinned. "Right! Then, let us go to a more suitable setting."