Aside from the Gojo Kibaku Fuda...
Naruto had now completely confirmed that he did not possess the talent for the Hiraishin no Jutsu.
Even though he could understand every seal and comprehend every word, he simply couldn't grasp the so-called "sense of space." He was firmly stuck on the first step, preventing him from even beginning to learn the technique.
Naruto felt a little regretful about this, but that was all.
After all, he already had too many trump cards and backup plans; missing one didn't matter. Besides, who could say what changes the future might bring?
Just as Naruto sank into thought, not far away, a pair of emerald green eyes was quietly watching him.
Sakura Haruno rested her chin on one hand, pretending to look at the scenery, but in reality, she was observing Naruto through the reflection in the window glass.
Before, she only thought Naruto was a noisy, annoying brat. Her eyes were only on the cool and strong Sasuke.
But recently...
Sakura looked at Naruto's focused profile. Sunlight spilled onto his blonde hair, and his black-rimmed glasses gave him an added scholarly air. Coupled with the fact that he was the top graduate, and even Sasuke had been defeated by him...
Actually... if you look closely, Naruto is quite handsome. And he's so quiet, so refined...
Sakura's cheeks flushed slightly.
Compared to Sasuke's coldness, which pushed everyone a thousand miles away, Naruto's just-right balance of distance and warmth, accompanied by a strange sense of mystery, seemed to be more attractive to adolescent girls.
It was only because everyone had just graduated; otherwise, Sakura felt that a Naruto fan club would already have been established.
Just then, Naruto seemed to sense something, raising his head and meeting Sakura's eyes.
Sakura jumped in surprise, hastily trying to look away.
Naruto just smiled politely and gently:
"Good morning, Haruno-san."
Sakura felt her face instantly burn up.
"G-good morning, Naruto."
Ino poked Sakura from the side and whispered: "Hey, Billboard Brow, why are you blushing? Don't you like Sasuke?"
"Mind your own business, Ino-pig!" Sakura retorted stubbornly, but her gaze involuntarily drifted toward that figure again.
Although Sasuke was handsome, the current Naruto... seemed to have more charm.
Naruto withdrew his gaze and lowered his head again to look at the paper in front of him.
Spatial talent is something you can only stumble upon; it cannot be forced.
Although there was a hint of regret in Naruto's heart, it was quickly replaced by calmness.
Since I cannot possess "absolute speed," I will pursue "absolute firepower."
As long as the firepower coverage is dense enough, even if the enemy can teleport, they will have nowhere to land.
Just then, the classroom door was pushed open. Iruka walked in holding a list.
"Alright, everyone quiet down!"
"Starting today, you are officially shinobi. Next, I will announce your team assignments. You will be grouped in teams of three, led by a Jonin instructor to carry out missions."
The classroom instantly fell silent, and everyone nervously pricked up their ears.
"Team One..."
"Team Two..."
...
"Team 7: Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, and... Sakura Haruno!"
"Yes!"
Sakura abruptly stood up and let out a cheer.
She was teamed up with Sasuke, her long-time crush, and also with Naruto, who had recently made her heart flutter. For the current Sakura, it felt like a dream come true.
Sasuke sat in his seat, resting his chin on his hands, and scoffed. Although he looked disdainful on the surface, he was secretly relieved.
Perfect. I can observe his training methods up close, and perhaps... understand the source of his recent excessive cautiousness.
He already viewed Naruto as a necessary hurdle on his path to revenge.
Facing the reactions of the two, Naruto remained unfazed.
Sakura Haruno, huh... Not bad. She's smart and has potential for development.
Naruto stood up, walked over to them, looked at his two teammates, and proactively extended his hand:
"Please take care of me, both of you. I hope we can become... trustworthy partners."
Seeing Naruto's outstretched hand, Sakura, blushing, placed her hand on top of his.
Sasuke hesitated for a moment, but eventually, reluctantly placed his hand on top as well, performing this action that he considered extremely childish.
Team 7 was officially assembled.
Noon.
Sasuke was resting his eyes. Sakura kept glancing secretly at Sasuke, then secretly at Naruto.
Naruto leaned against the window, closed his eyes, and sank his consciousness into the system space.
System, open the C-rank treasure chest.
This was the reward for the previous "top graduate" mission; it was time to cash it in.
[C-rank treasure chest opening...]
[Congratulations on obtaining: Dimensional Pocket]
[Description: Seemingly just an ordinary pocket, its interior is connected to a 10 cubic meter static space.]
[Properties: Weight Exemption: No matter how many items are loaded, the user feels no weight. Instant Retrieval: As long as the thought is generated in the mind, the item will instantly appear in the hand. Static State: Food placed inside will not spoil; living creatures cannot be placed inside.]
Naruto's eyes widened slightly.
Although I don't have spatial talent, I got a spatial item? And... 10 cubic meters!
This volume didn't seem large, but even if he put all his current equipment and supplies inside, it would only occupy one corner. This way, as long as he had money, he could directly stuff all the weapons from an entire ninja tool shop into his pocket.
Naruto calculated in his mind.
When he came back to his senses, he realized that most of the class had already left, leaving only the three of them.
He glanced at Sasuke and Sakura, then began mentally constructing Team 7's "Standardized Combat Procedure."
He then quickly scribbled and drew on the paper.
Soon after.
"Sasuke, Sakura."
Naruto stood up.
"Since we've been assigned to the same team, I'll speak plainly. I don't want my teammates to lose their lives during a mission due to recklessness or lack of preparation."
Sasuke opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
He felt Naruto was subtly pointing at him.
Naruto handed the two newly written lists to them.
"This is the wilderness survival checklist I've created. I hope you can purchase everything required on it before we execute any missions."
Sakura took the list and looked at the densely packed requirements for supplies. Far from being annoyed, she felt that Naruto was incredibly meticulous.
"No problem, Naruto! I will definitely prepare everything!"
Sasuke looked at the long list of survival items and his mouth twitched:
"Uzumaki Naruto, are you going to war?"
Naruto pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting white light:
"Sasuke, a shinobi's greatest opponent is often not the enemy, but arrogance. If you can't even manage this level of preparation, then your so-called revenge is nothing more than a child's tantrum."
At the mention of revenge, Sasuke's face instantly darkened.
He snatched the list, his voice cold: "I understand."
Just then, the front door of the classroom was slowly pulled open.
A shinobi wearing a mask, with dead-fish eyes and a head full of silver hair, peeked inside.
Observing the harmonious atmosphere among the three, Kakashi raised an eyebrow, his tone lazy and slightly surprised:
"How should I put this? My first impression of you guys... is pretty good."